Joshua 6 · Verse 4

Joshua 6:4

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.
Joshua 6:4, King James Version

Joshua 6:4 in other translations

BSBHave seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.
WEBSeven 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.
ASVAnd seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
YLTand seven priests do bear seven trumpets of the jubilee before the ark, and on the seventh day ye compass the city seven times, and the priests blow with the trumpets,
DARBYAnd seven priests shall carry before the ark seven blast-trumpets; and on the seventh day ye shall go round the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
BBEAnd let seven priests go before the ark with seven loud-sounding horns in their hands: on the seventh day you are to go round the town seven times, the priests blowing their horns.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Joshua 6:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 6:3-5

3-5. 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…

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Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Seven trumpets of rams' horns - The Hebrew word יובלים yobelim does not signify rams' horns; (see the note on Lev 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 jubilee trumpets, for they appear to have been the same kind as those used on the jubilee. Seven times - The time was thus lengthened out that the besiegers and the besieged might be the more deeply impressed with that supernatural power by which alone the walls fell.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 6:1-5

Jericho resolves Israel shall not be its master. It shut itself up, being strongly fortified both by art and nature. Thus were they foolish, and their hearts hardened to their destruction; the miserable case of all that strengthen themselves against the Almighty. God resolves Israel shall be its master, and that quickly. No warlike preparations were to be made. By the uncommon method of besieging the city, the Lord…

Read the full comment on Joshua 6:1-5 →

Joshua 6:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְשִׁבְעָ֣הve.shiv.'Ahand sevenH7651
כֹהֲנִ֡יםkho.ha.NimpriestsH3548
יִשְׂאוּ֩yis.'Uthey will carryH5375
שִׁבְעָ֨הshiv.'AhsevenH7651
שׁוֹפְר֤וֹתshof.Rot<the> trumpets ofH7782
הַיּֽוֹבְלִים֙hai.yov.Lim<the> rams' hornsH3104
לִפְנֵ֣יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
הָאָר֔וֹןha.'a.Ronthe arkH727
וּבַיּוֹם֙u.vai.yOmand on the dayH3117
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔יha.she.vi.'I<the> seventhH7637
תָּסֹ֥בּוּta.So.buyou will go roundH5437
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָעִ֖ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
שֶׁ֣בַעShe.va'sevenH7651
פְּעָמִ֑יםpe.'a.MimtimesH6471
וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔יםve.ha.Ko.ha.Nimand the priestsH3548
יִתְקְע֖וּyit.ke.'Uthey will give a blastH8628
בַּשּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת\׃ba.sho.fa.Roton the trumpetsH7782

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 6:4

  • 2 Chronicles 20:17

    Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

  • Revelation 16:1

    And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

  • Judges 7:15-22

    And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. …

  • Revelation 8:2

    And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

  • 1 Kings 18:43

    And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

  • Revelation 5:6

    And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

  • Revelation 5:1

    And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

  • Revelation 1:20

    The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

  • Revelation 10:3

    And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

  • Numbers 23:1

    And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

  • Revelation 8:6

    And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

  • Revelation 15:1

    And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
trumpets of rams'.The words {shopheroth hyyovelim,} should rather be rendered jubilee, trumpets, i.e., such as were used on the jubilee, which were probably made of horn or silver: for the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan was indeed a jubilee to them (See Note on Le 25:11): instead of the dreadful trumpet of war, they were ordered to sound the trumpet of joy, as already conquerors.
Le 25:9; Nu 10:1-10; Jud 7:7,8,15-22; 2Ch 13:12; 20:17,19,21
Isa 27:13; Zec 4:6
seven times.
Ge 2:3; 7:2,3; Le 4:6; 14:16; 25:8; Nu 23:1; 1Ki 18:43; 2Ki 5:10
Job 42:8; Zec 4:2; Re 1:4,20; 5:1,6; 8:2,6; 10:3; 15:1,7; 16:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 6:3

    And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

  • Joshua 6:4

    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.

  • Joshua 6:5

    And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

Read all of Joshua 6

Joshua 6:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y siete sacerdotes llevarán siete bocinas de cuernos de carneros delante del arca; y al séptimo día daréis siete vueltas á la ciudad, y los sacerdotes tocarán las bocinas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et sept sacrificateurs porteront sept trompettes retentissantes devant l’arche; et le septième jour, vous ferez le tour de la ville sept fois, et les sacrificateurs sonneront des trompettes.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sieben Priester sollen sieben Hallposaunen vor der Lade hertragen. Und am siebten Tage sollt ihr die Stadt siebenmal umziehen, und die Priester sollen in die Posaunen stoßen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Septimo autem die, sacerdotes tollant septem buccinas, quarum usus est in jubilæo, et præcedant arcam fœderis: septiesque circuibitis civitatem, et sacerdotes clangent buccinis.