Joshua 7:5

Joshua 7:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
• New International Version (NIV)who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

Context of Joshua 7:5

3When they returned to Joshua, they reported to him: “Let not all the people go up—only about two or three thousand men need go up and strike Ai, so don’t wear out all the people there, for they are just a few.” 4So about 3,000 men from the people went up there, but they fled before the men of Ai. The men of Ai struck down about 36 of their men, and they chased them from outside the gate as far as Shebarim, striking them down on the slope. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water. 6Joshua then tore his clothes and fell to the ground on his face before the ark of Adonai until evening, both he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads. 7“Alas, Adonai Elohim!” Joshua said. “Why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan? Is it to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites—to destroy us? If only we had been content and dwelled beyond the Jordan!

Joshua 7:5 word by word

וַיַּכּ֨וּ מֵהֶ֜ם אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעַ֗י כִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וְשִׁשָּׁה֙ אִ֔ישׁ וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֞וּם לִפְנֵ֤י הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙ עַד־הַשְּׁבָרִ֔ים וַיַּכּ֖וּם בַּמּוֹרָ֑ד וַיִּמַּ֥ס לְבַב־הָעָ֖ם וַיְהִ֥י לְמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• of Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
• smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• of them about thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
• and sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• for they chasedרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• unto Shebarimשְׁבָרִיםshebârîym · ShebarimH7671
• them in the going downמוֹרָדmôrâd · descentH4174
• wherefore the heartsלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• meltedמָסַסmâsas · to meltH4549
• and became as waterמַיmayim · waterH4325

Cross-references for Joshua 7:5

• Deuteronomy 1:44The Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you, and they chased you as bees do and scattered you from Seir to Hormah.
• Joshua 2:9and she said to the men: “I know that Adonai has given you the land—dread of you has fallen on us and all the inhabitants of the land are melting in fear before you.
• Joshua 5:1Now it came about when all the Amorite kings beyond the Jordan westward and all the Canaanite kings by the sea heard how Adonai had dried up the waters of the Jordan before Bnei-Yisrael until they had crossed, their heart melted, nor was there any spirit in them anymore, because of Bnei-Yisrael.
• Leviticus 26:36“As for those who remain, I will bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that the sound of a driven leaf will put them to flight, and they will flee as one flees from the sword and fall, even when no one is pursuing.
• Psalms 22:14They open wide their mouths against me, like a tearing, roaring lion.
• Isaiah 13:7Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.

Commentaries on Joshua 7:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5They chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim - They seem to have presumed that the men of Ai would have immediately opened their gates to them, and therefore they marched up with confidence; but the enemy appearing, they were put to flight, their ranks utterly broken, and thirty-six of them killed. שברים Shebarim signifies breaches or broken places, and may here apply to the ranks of the Israelites, which were broken by the men of Ai; for the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Shebarim - Rather, perhaps, “the stone quarries.” The smallness of the slaughter among the Israelites indicates that they fled early, probably without real conflict in battle.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Ai’s defenders left through the town gate and attacked Israel’s troops directly (see 8:5). as far as the quarries: This is a place not known from other sources.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. they fled before the men of Ai--An unexpected resistance, and the loss of thirty-six of their number diffused a panic, which ended in an ignominious rout.Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 7:5

• Cowardice
• Shebarim

In the dictionaries

• Ai
• Folly
• Hide
• Shebarim
• Tell
• Wedge
• Achan
• Covetousness
• Exodus, the Book of
• Guilt

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