Joshua 7:5
in Joshua 7And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men; and they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them at the descent: and the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
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.
⋯
This verse in Joshua 7
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Shebarim - Rather, perhaps, “the stone quarries.” The smallness of the slaughter among the Israelites indicates that they fled early, probably without real conflict in battle.
This site's exposition
So about three thousand men went up
on Joshua 7:4-5
Thirty-six men is a small loss beside this book’s numbers. The words “the hearts of the people melted and became like water” turn on Israel the wording used of Canaan at 2:11. Barnes reads Shebarim as “the quarries”, and the short casualty list points to a line that broke early.
This site's exposition
as far as the quarries
Clarke notes that Shebarim means breaks and may describe the breaking of Israel's ranks. He supposes the men marched up expecting Ai to open its gates, and fled when its defenders came out. The melted hearts, he says, showed Israel needed God's help.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men,....
He, as a public person, interested himself more than any other in this public loss, and is therein an example to princes and great men, and teaches them to lay much to heart the calamities that befal their people: he is also a type of Christ, to whom the blood of his subjects is precious, Ps. lxxii.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
They 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 people were totally routed, though there were but few slain. They were panic-struck, and fled in the utmost confusion. The hearts of the people melted - They were utterly discouraged; and by this gave an ample proof that without the supernatural assistance of God they could never have conquered the land.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּכּ֨וּ | vaiyaku | and they struck down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| מֵהֶ֜ם | mehem | of <the> them | ||
| אַנְשֵׁ֣י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| הָעַ֗י | haai | <the> Ai | H5857 → | 40 times |
| כִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים | kishloshim | about thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| וְשִׁשָּׁה֙ | veshishah | and six | H8337 → | 216 times |
| אִ֔ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֞וּם | vaiyirdefum | and they pursued them | H7291 → | 143 times |
| לִפְנֵ֤י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙ | hashaar | the gate | H8179 → | 374 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַשְּׁבָרִ֔ים | hashevarim | <the> Shebarim | H7671 → | |
| וַיַּכּ֖וּם | vaiyakum | and they struck down them | H5221 → | 499 times |
| בַּמּוֹרָ֑ד | bamorad | at the descent | H4174 → | |
| וַיִּמַּ֥ס | vaiyimas | and it melted | H4549 → | 21 times |
| לְבַב־ | levav- | [the] heart of | H3824 → | 252 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַיְהִ֥י | vayhi | and it became | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְמָֽיִם׃ | lemayim | <into> water | H4325 → | 581 times |
וַיַּכּ֨וּand they struck down
vaiyakuH5221 →499 times
מֵהֶ֜םof <the> them
mehem
אַנְשֵׁ֣י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
הָעַ֗י<the> Ai
haaiH5857 →40 times
כִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֤יםabout thirty
kishloshimH7970 →172 times
וְשִׁשָּׁה֙and six
veshishahH8337 →216 times
אִ֔ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֞וּםand they pursued them
vaiyirdefumH7291 →143 times
לִפְנֵ֤י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הַשַּׁ֙עַר֙the gate
hashaarH8179 →374 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַשְּׁבָרִ֔ים<the> Shebarim
hashevarimH7671 →
וַיַּכּ֖וּםand they struck down them
vaiyakumH5221 →499 times
בַּמּוֹרָ֑דat the descent
bamoradH4174 →
וַיִּמַּ֥סand it melted
vaiyimasH4549 →21 times
לְבַב־[the] heart of
levav-H3824 →252 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וַיְהִ֥יand it became
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
לְמָֽיִם׃<into> water
lemayimH4325 →581 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 26:36As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 21:7
And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 30:17
A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a…
- Ezekiel 21:7
Through
Joshua 2:11When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:39
Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.
- Joshua 5:1
Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until…
- Isaiah 13:7
Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.
- Deuteronomy 4:39
Through
Joshua 2:9and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting…
it leads to
- Exodus 23:27
I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run.
- Deuteronomy 2:25
This very day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon all the nations under heaven. They will hear the reports of you and tremble in anguish because of you.”
- Exodus 23:27
Through
Deuteronomy 1:44Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah.
it leads to
- Psalms 118:12
They swarmed around me like bees, but they were extinguished like burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
- Psalms 118:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.