Joshua 6:4

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְשִׁבְעָ֣ה כֹהֲנִ֡ים יִשְׂאוּ֩ שִׁבְעָ֨ה שׁוֹפְר֤וֹת הַיּֽוֹבְלִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָאָר֔וֹן וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י תָּסֹ֥בּוּ אֶת־הָעִ֖יר שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים יִתְקְע֖וּ בַּשּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת׃

Transliteration

And šibʿāh kōhănîm shall yiśʾû šibʿāh šôpĕrôt hayyôbĕlîm before hāʾārôn and on the day haššĕbîʿî tāsōbbû ʾet-hāʿîr šebaʿ pĕʿāmîm and hakkōhănîm shall yitqĕʿû with haššôpārôt.

Grammar Details

• *šibʿāh*: number, feminine - seven
• *kōhănîm*: noun, masculine plural - priests
• *yiśʾû*: verb, Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural - they shall carry/bear
• *šôpĕrôt*: noun, masculine plural - trumpets/ram's horns
• *hayyôbĕlîm*: noun, masculine plural with definite article - the jubilee/ram's horns
• *hāʾārôn*: noun, masculine singular with definite article - the ark
• *haššĕbîʿî*: adjective, masculine singular with definite article - the seventh
• *tāsōbbû*: verb, Qal imperfect 2nd person masculine plural - you shall go around
• *šebaʿ*: number, feminine - seven
• *pĕʿāmîm*: noun, feminine plural - times
• *hakkōhănîm*: noun, masculine plural with definite article - the priests
• *yitqĕʿû*: verb, Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural - they shall blow
• *baššôpārôt*: preposition + noun, masculine plural with definite article - with the trumpets

Word Meanings

• *šôpĕrôt hayyôbĕlîm*: jubilee trumpets/rams' horns/trumpets of rams' horns
• *yiśʾû*: shall carry/bear/lift
• *tāsōbbû*: you shall go around/encircle/march around
• *yitqĕʿû*: they shall blow/sound/blast

Referenced Verses

• 2 Chr 20:21 : 21 He met with the people and appointed musicians to play before the LORD and praise his majestic splendor. As they marched ahead of the warriors they said:“Give thanks to the LORD, for his loyal love endures.”
• 2 Chr 20:17 : 17 You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the LORD deliver you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Tomorrow march out toward them; the LORD is with you!’”
• 2 Chr 20:19 : 19 Then some Levites, from the Kohathites and Korahites, got up and loudly praised the LORD God of Israel.
• Job 42:8 : 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will intercede for you, and I will respect him, so that I do not deal with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has.”
• Isa 27:13 : 13 At that time a large trumpet will be blown, and the ones lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as the refugees in the land of Egypt. They will worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
• Zech 4:2 : 2 He asked me,“What do you see?” I replied,“I see a menorah of pure gold with a receptacle at the top. There are seven lamps at the top, with seven pipes going to the lamps.
• Zech 4:6 : 6 Therefore he told me,“This is the LORD’s message to Zerubbabel:‘Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”
• Rev 1:4 : 4 From John, to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from“he who is,” and who was, and who is still to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
• Rev 1:20 : 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
• Rev 5:1 : 1 The Opening of the Scroll Then I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back and sealed with seven seals.
• Rev 5:6 : 6 Then I saw standing in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
• Rev 8:2 : 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
• Rev 8:6 : 6 Now the seven angels holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
• Rev 10:3 : 3 Then he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices.
• Rev 15:1 : 1 The Final Plagues Then I saw another great and astounding sign in heaven: seven angels who have seven final plagues(they are final because in them God’s anger is completed).
• Rev 15:7 : 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives forever and ever,
• Rev 16:1 : 1 The Bowls of God’s Wrath Then I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels:“Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”
• Gen 2:3 : 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he ceased all the work that he had been doing in creation.
• Gen 7:2-3 : 2 You must take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, the male and its mate, two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird in the sky, male and female, to preserve their offspring on the face of the entire earth.
• Lev 4:6 : 6 The priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD toward the front of the special curtain of the sanctuary.
• Lev 14:16 : 16 Then the priest is to dip his right forefinger into the olive oil that is in his left hand, and sprinkle some of the olive oil with his finger seven times before the LORD.
• Lev 25:8-9 : 8 Regulations for the Jubilee Year of Release“‘You must count off seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, and the days of the seven weeks of years will amount to forty-nine years. 9 You must sound loud horn blasts– in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, on the Day of Atonement– you must sound the horn in your entire land.
• Num 10:1-9 : 1 The Blowing of Trumpets The LORD spoke to Moses: 2 “Make two trumpets of silver; you are to make them from a single hammered piece. You will use them for assembling the community and for directing the traveling of the camps. 3 When they blow them both, all the community must come to you to the entrance of the tent of meeting. 4 “But if they blow with one trumpet, then the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel, must come to you. 5 When you blow an alarm, then the camps that are located on the east side must begin to travel. 6 And when you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that are located on the south side must begin to travel. An alarm must be sounded for their journeys. 7 But when you assemble the community, you must blow, but you must not sound an alarm. 8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, must blow the trumpets; and they will be to you for an eternal ordinance throughout your generations. 9 If you go to war in your land against an adversary who opposes you, then you must sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. 10 “Also in the time when you rejoice, such as on your appointed festivals or at the beginnings of your months, you must blow with your trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, so that they may become a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.”
• Num 23:1 : 1 Balaam Blesses Israel Balaam said to Balak,“Build me seven altars here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”
• Judg 7:7-8 : 7 The LORD said to Gideon,“With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army and I will hand Midian over to you. The rest of the men should go home.” 8 The men who were chosen took supplies and their trumpets. Gideon sent all the men of Israel back to their homes; he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianites were camped down below in the valley.
• Judg 7:15-22 : 15 Gideon Routs the Enemy When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God. Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said,“Get up, for the LORD is handing the Midianite army over to you!” 16 He divided the three hundred men into three units. He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them. 17 He said to them,“Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely! I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do! 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say,‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’” 19 Gideon took a hundred men to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying. 20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. Then they yelled,“A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” 21 They stood in order all around the camp. The whole army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away. 22 When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the LORD caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords throughout the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
• 1 Kgs 18:43 : 43 He told his servant,“Go on up and look in the direction of the sea.” So he went on up, looked, and reported,“There is nothing.” Seven times Elijah sent him to look.
• 2 Kgs 5:10 : 10 Elisha sent out a messenger who told him,“Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your skin will be restored and you will be healed.”
• 2 Chr 13:12 : 12 Now look, God is with us as our leader. His priests are ready to blow the trumpets to signal the attack against you. You Israelites, don’t fight against the LORD God of your ancestors, for you will not win!”