Joshua 11:4

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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• 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.

Context of Joshua 11:4

2all the kings of the northern hill country; the kings in the Jordan Valley south of Galilee; the kings in the Galilean foothills; the kings of Naphoth-dor on the west; 3the kings of Canaan, both east and west; the kings of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites in the towns on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 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. 5The kings joined forces and established their camp around the water near Merom to fight against Israel. 6Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots.”

Joshua 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 certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.
• Genesis 32:12But you promised me, ‘I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.’”
• Judges 7:12The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count!
• 1 Samuel 13:5The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven.
• 2 Samuel 17:11“I recommend that you mobilize the entire army of Israel, bringing them from as far away as Dan in the north and Beersheba in the south. That way you will have an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And I advise that you personally lead the troops.
• 1 Kings 4:20The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink.

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

• Armies
• Canaanites
• Chariot
• Confederacies
• Jabin

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Chariot
• Hazor
• Jabin
• Rest
• Salmon, Zalmon
• Save
• Exodus, the Book of
• Galilee
• Horse

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