Joshua 6:4

Joshua 6:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
• New International Version (NIV)Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.

Context of Joshua 6:4

2The Lord told Joshua, “See, I am about to defeat Jericho for you, along with its king and its warriors. 3Have all the warriors march around the city one time; do this for six days. Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. 5When you hear the signal from the ram’s horn, have the whole army give a loud battle cry. Then the city wall will collapse and the warriors should charge straight ahead.” 6So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and instructed them, “Pick up the ark of the covenant, and seven priests must carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.”

Joshua 6:4 word by word

וְשִׁבְעָ֣ה כֹהֲנִ֡ים יִשְׂאוּ֩ שִׁבְעָ֨ה שׁוֹפְר֤וֹת הַיּֽוֹבְלִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָאָר֔וֹן וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י תָּסֹ֥בּוּ אֶת־הָעִ֖יר שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים יִתְקְע֖וּ בַּשּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• shall bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• trumpetsשֹׁפָרshôphâr shôphâr · trumpetH7782
• of rams’ hornsיוֹבֵלyôbêl yôbêl · jubilee/hornH3104
• and the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• ye shall compassסָבַבsâbab · to turn: surroundH5437
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• timesפַּ֫עַםpa‛am pa‛ămâh · beatH6471
• shall blowתָּקַעtâqa‛ · to blowH8628

Cross-references for Joshua 6:4

• Leviticus 25:11That fiftieth year will be your jubilee; you must not sow the land, harvest its aftergrowth, or pick the grapes of its unpruned vines.
• Leviticus 25:9You must sound loud horn blasts – in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, on the Day of Atonement – you must sound the horn in your entire land.
• Numbers 10:1The Lord spoke to Moses:
• Judges 7:7The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army and I will hand Midian over to you. The rest of the men should go home.”
• 2 Chronicles 13:12Now look, God is with us as our leader. His priests are ready to blow the trumpets to signal the attack against you. You Israelites, don’t fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, for you will not win!”
• 2 Chronicles 20:17You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!’”
• Isaiah 27:12At that time the Lord will shake the tree, from the Euphrates River to the Stream of Egypt. Then you will be gathered up one by one, O Israelites.
• Zechariah 4:6Therefore he told me, “These signify the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord who rules over all.”
• Genesis 2:3God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he ceased all the work that he had been doing in creation.
• Genesis 7:2You must take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, the male and its mate, two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate,
• Leviticus 4:6The priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord toward the front of the veil-canopy of the sanctuary.
• Leviticus 14:16Then the priest is to dip his right forefinger into the olive oil that is in his left hand, and sprinkle some of the olive oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.
• Leviticus 25:8“‘You must count off seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, and the days of the seven weeks of years will amount to forty-nine years.
• Numbers 23:1Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”
• 1 Kings 18:43He told his servant, “Go on up and look in the direction of the sea.” So he went on up, looked, and reported, “There is nothing.” Seven times Elijah sent him to look.
• 2 Kings 5:10Elisha sent out a messenger who told him, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your skin will be restored and you will be healed.”

Commentaries on Joshua 6:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Seven trumpets of rams' horns - The Hebrew word יובלים yobelim does not signify rams' horns; (see the note on Leviticus 25:11;); nor do any of the ancient versions, the Chaldee excepted, give it this meaning. The instruments used on this occasion were evidently of the same kind with those used on the jubilee, and were probably made of horn or of silver; and the text in this place may be translated, And seven priests shall bear before the ark the seven…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3-6Verses 3-6 The command of the Lord as to the mode in which the fall of Jericho should be brought about is given in these verses in a condensed form. Further details (see Joshua 6:8-10, Joshua 6:16-17, etc.), were, no doubt, among the commands given to Joshua by the Angel. Joshua 6:4 Trumpets of ram‘s horns - Render rather here and in Joshua 6:5-6, Joshua 6:8, etc., “trumpets of jubilee” (compare Leviticus 25:10 note). The instrument is more correctly…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Seven is a biblical number representing perfection. Seven priests led the ark of the covenant, the symbol of God’s presence, at the front of Israel’s forces. This arrangement showed that God himself fought against the town. Israel only needed to march and watch, then shout and watch. Finally, they would easily capture the town after God did the work. The ram’s horn (Hebrew shofar) could produce different pitches to signal either battle or worship. In…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-53-5. ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war. ... Thus shalt thou do six days, &c.--Directions are here given as to the mode of procedure. Hebrew, "horns of jubilee"; that is, the bent or crooked trumpets with which the jubilee was proclaimed. It is probable that the horns of this animal were used at first; and that afterwards, when metallic trumpets were introduced, the primitive name, as well as form of them, was traditionally continued. The design…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 6:4

• Communion
• Seven
• Trumpet

In the dictionaries

• Seventh, Day
• Rams Horns
• Accursed
• Adjure
• Ark
• Compass
• Consecrate
• Dawn
• Horn
• Jericho

Commentaries on Joshua 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings