New Living Translation
Joshua 7:3
3When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.”
Joshua 7:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
- New International Version (NIV)When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”
Context of Joshua 7:3
1But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah. 2Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven. When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.” 4So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai 5chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.
Read all of Joshua 7Joshua 7:3 word by word
וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָיו֮ אַל־יַ֣עַל כָּל־הָעָם֒ כְּאַלְפַּ֣יִם אִ֗ישׁ א֚וֹ כִּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ יַעֲל֖וּ וְיַכּ֣וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑י אַל־תְּיַגַּע־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֔ם כִּ֥י מְעַ֖ט הֵֽמָּה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- to Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, Let not all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- but let about two or threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- and smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
- to labourיָגֵעַyâga‛ · be weary/toilH3021
- fewמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
Cross-references for Joshua 7:3
- Proverbs 13:4Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
- Proverbs 21:25Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.
- Luke 13:24“Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.
- Hebrews 4:11So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
- Hebrews 6:11Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.
- 2 Peter 1:5In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,
Commentaries on Joshua 7:3
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The total population of Ai was about twelve thousand Joshua 8:25. It could therefore hardly muster three thousand warriors.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4God’s gift of victory at Jericho seems to have led to complacency and overconfidence (a false sense of security). Joshua did not even ask God for guidance before he sent a small group of soldiers to Ai.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Let not all the people go up, ... for they are but few--As the population of Ai amounted to twelve thousand (Jos 8:25), it was a considerable town; though in the hasty and distant reconnoitre made by the spies, it probably appeared small in comparison to Jericho; and this may have been the reason for their proposing so small a detachment to capture it.Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 7:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 7
- 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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