New International Version
Joshua 11:4
4They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
Joshua 11:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
- New Living Translation (NLT)All these kings came out to fight. Their combined armies formed a vast horde. And with all their horses and chariots, they covered the landscape like the sand on the seashore.
Context of Joshua 11:4
2and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; 3to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. 5All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom to fight against Israel. 6The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”
Read all of Joshua 11Joshua 11:4 word by word
וַיֵּצְא֣וּ הֵ֗ם וְכָל־מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם֙ עִמָּ֔ם עַם־רָ֕ב כַּח֛וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־שְׂפַת־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב וְס֥וּס וָרֶ֖כֶב רַב־מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- they and all their hostsמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
- with them, muchרַבrab · manyH7227
- peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- even as the sandחוֹלchôl · sandH2344
- upon the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- shoreשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: shoreH8193
- in multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
- with horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
- and chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
- veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
Cross-references for Joshua 11:4
- Genesis 22:17I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,
- Genesis 32:12But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ”
- Judges 7:12The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
- 1 Samuel 13:5The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven.
- 2 Samuel 17:11“So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba—as numerous as the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle.
- 1 Kings 4:20The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.
Commentaries on Joshua 11:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Much people, even as the sand - This form of speech, by some called a hyperbole, conveys simply the idea of a vast or unusual number - a number of which no regular estimate could be easily formed. Josephus, who seldom finds difficulties in such cases, and makes no scruple of often speaking without book, tells us that the allied armies amounted to 300,000 foot 10,000 horse, and 20,000 chariots of war. Antiq. lib. v., c. 1. That chariots were frequently…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4In the ancient Near East during this period, horses only pulled chariots. Soldiers riding horses (cavalry) and men shooting arrows (archers) who rode horses appeared centuries later. Israel probably encountered chariots for the first time in this battle against the northern coalition. Here, the land was flatter than in southern Canaan. Chariots, as the heavy weapons of the battlefield, easily overpowered foot soldiers. Blades were often attached to the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-91-9. And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things--The scene of the sacred narrative is here shifted to the north of Canaan, where a still more extensive confederacy was formed among the ruling powers to oppose the further progress of the Israelites. Jabin ("the Intelligent"), which seems to have been a hereditary title (Jud 4:2), took the lead, from Hazor being the capital of the northern region (Jos 11:10). It was situated on the…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 11:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 11
- 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
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