JOS 6:4 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) with seven priests blowing ram’s horns going ahead of the sacred box. On the seventh day, you all must go around the city seven times while the priests are blowing the horns.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And seven priests shall carry seven shofars of rams to the face of the Box. And on the seventh day you shall circle the city seven times, and the priests shall blow on the shofars.

UST Tell seven priests to march around with you and the army. Each of the priests must carry a ram’s horn that they can blow as they march ahead of the sacred chest of Yahweh. On the seventh day, you and the army and the seven priests must march around the city seven times, and the priests must be blowing the horns while they march.

OEB with seven priests carrying seven rams” horns as trumpets in front of the ark. On the seventh day march round the town seven times, and the priests must blow a trumpet blast.

WEBBE Seven 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.

WMBB Seven priests shall bear seven shofars[fn] of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the shofars[fn].

6:4 or, trumpets

NET 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.

LSV and seven priests carry seven horns of the rams before the Ark, and on the seventh day you go around the city seven times, and the priests blow with the horns,

FBV Seven priests are to go ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day, march seven times around the city, with the priests blowing their rams' horns.

T4T Tell seven priests to march around with them. Each priest must carry a trumpet. Four other priests must carry the sacred chest, and they must walk behind the priests who are carrying the trumpets. On the seventh day, the army must march around the city seven times, and the priests must be blowing the trumpets while they march.

LEB And seven priests will bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you will march around the city seven times, and the priests will blow on the trumpets.

BBE And 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.

Moff with seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns as trumpets in front of the ark. On the seventh day you shall march round the town seven times, and the priests shall blow a trumpet blast.

JPS And seven priests shall bear seven rams' horns before the ark; and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the horns.

ASV And 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.

DRA And on the seventh day the priests shall take the seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee, and shall go before the ark of the covenant: and you shall go about the city seven times, and the priests shall sound the trumpets.

YLT and 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,

Drby And 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.

RV And 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 with the trumpets.
(And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark: and the seventh day ye/you_all shall compass/all_around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. )

SLT And seven priests shall lift up seven trumpets of alarms before the ark: and in the seventh day ye shall encompass the city seven times, and the priests shall clang the trumpets.

Wbstr 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.

KJB-1769 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.
(And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye/you_all shall compass/all_around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. )

KJB-1611 And seuen Priests shall beare before the Arke seuen trumpets of rams hornes: and the seuenth day yee shall compasse the city seuen times, and the Priests shall blow with the trumpets.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps And seuen priestes shall beare before the arke seuen trumpettes of rammes hornes: And the seuenth day ye shall compasse the citie seuen tymes, and the priestes shal blowe with the trumpets.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Gnva And seuen Priests shall beare seuen trumpets of rams hornes before the Arke: and the seuenth day ye shall compasse the citie seuen times, and the Priests shall blow with the trumpets.
(And seven Priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams horns before the Arke: and the seventh day ye/you_all shall compass/all_around the city seven times, and the Priests shall blow with the trumpets. )

Cvdl But vpon the seuenth daye let the prestes take the seuen trompettes of the yeare of Iubilye before the Arke, and go the same seuenth daye seuen tymes aboute the cite, and let the prestes blowe the trompettes.
(But upon the seventh day let the priests take the seven trompettes of the year of Yubilye before the Ark, and go the same seventh day seven times about the city, and let the priests blow the trompettes.)

Wycl Forsothe in the seuenthe dai the preestis schulen take seuene clariouns, of whiche `the vss is in iubile; and thei schulen go bifor the arke of boond of pees; and seuen sithes ye schulen cumpasse the citee, and the preestis schulen trumpe with clariouns.
(For_certain/Truly in the seventh day the priests should take seven clariouns, of which the uss is in iubile; and they should go before the ark of bond of peace; and seven sithes ye/you_all should compass/all_around the city, and the priests should trumpet with clariouns.)

Luth Am siebenten Tage aber laß die Priester sieben Posaunen des Halljahrs nehmen vor der Lade her; und gehet desselben siebenten Tages siebenmal um die Stadt und laß die Priester die Posaunen blasen.
(At_the seventh days but let the priest(s) seven trombones the Hallyahrs take before/in_front_of the/of_the box/chest her; and goes of_the_same seventh day seven_times around/by/for the city and let the priest(s) the trombones blow.)

ClVg Septimo autem die, sacerdotes tollant septem buccinas, quarum usus est in jubilæo, et præcedant arcam fœderis: septiesque circuibitis civitatem, et sacerdotes clangent buccinis.
(Seventh however day, priests tollant seven buccinas, whose use(n) it_is in/into/on rejoice, and beforecedant the_box covenant: seven_timesque circuibitis the_city, and priests clangent buccinis. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:13–6:27 Israel conquered Jericho by God’s power

The Israelites followed God’s instructions and marched around the wall of Jericho town. On the seventh day the wall of the town collapsed and they conquered the town. They killed everybody in it except for Rahab and her family.

Here are some other possible section headings:

The wall of Jericho fell

The conquering of Jericho

6:4a

Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns

Seven priests must carry trumpets made from rams’ horns,
Seven priests will carry sheep horns and blow on them.

The Hebrew conjunction that BSB and many English versions leave untranslated can also be translated as “and.” For example:

And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns (RSV)

Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns: The clause Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns is a command. The priests are to carry the seven horns.

There is some implied information. Verse 6:9 makes it clear that the priests blew the horns as they carried them. If it is clearer in your language you may include that information in this verse.

seven rams’ horns: A “ram” is a male sheep. These horns were musical instruments made from the horns of male sheep. Female sheep also have horns, but the horns of male sheep are usually larger.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

trumpets made from horns of male sheep (NCV)

sheep horn trumpets

6:4b

in front of the ark.

and walk in front of the ark.
They should walk ahead of the covenant box.

in front of the ark: The phrase in front of the ark means that the priests were to walk in front of the ark.

the ark: The term the ark refers to the wooden box that was the symbol of Yahweh’s presence. See how you translated this term in 3:3.

6:4c

Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times,

On the seventh day you must walk around the city seven times,
And on the seventh day you are to walk around the city seven times.

Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times: This is a command. On the first six days they were to walk around the town once a day. On the seventh day they must walk around the town seven times.

march around: The phrase march around is a plural command that refers to Joshua, the seven priests who carried the horns, the four priests who carried the ark, and the soldiers. These people walked around the town in a group together.

6:4d

while the priests blow the horns.

while the priests blow the trumpets as they walk with you.
And have the priests blow their horns.

while the priests blow the horns: On the seventh day, the priests blew the horns continuously as they walked around the town seven times.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

the priests must blow their trumpets without stopping while you walk

General Comment on 6:4–20