Joshua 11:4 kjv
And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
Joshua 11:4 nkjv
So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots.
Joshua 11:4 niv
They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots?a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
Joshua 11:4 esv
And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.
Joshua 11:4 nlt
All these kings came out to fight. Their combined armies formed a vast horde. And with all their horses and chariots, they covered the landscape like the sand on the seashore.
Joshua 11 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 22:17 | I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore. | God's promise of innumerable descendants |
| Gen 32:12 | You said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.' | Jacob recalls God's promise of multitude |
| Exo 14:13-14 | Do not be afraid... The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. | God fights for His people against overwhelming odds |
| Deu 17:16 | The king must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself... | Caution against king relying on military strength |
| Deu 20:1-4 | When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots... do not be afraid... For the LORD your God is with you... | God's assurance in face of mighty armies |
| Jdg 7:12 | The Midianites, the Amalekites... were spread out in the valley like grasshoppers in multitude, and their camels were without number, like the sand on the seashore. | Parallel description of an immense enemy force |
| 1 Sam 13:5 | The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen... and people as the sand on the seashore for multitude. | Another instance of a countless enemy army |
| 1 Ki 4:20 | Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea; they ate and drank and were happy. | Positive use of idiom, indicating God's blessing of populousness |
| 2 Chr 14:11 | Asa cried to the LORD... Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. | Trusting God against overwhelming numbers |
| 2 Chr 20:15 | Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. | Divine intervention when odds are impossible |
| Psa 20:7 | Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. | Contrasting human reliance vs. divine reliance |
| Psa 33:16-17 | The king is not saved by a mighty army; a warrior is not delivered by great strength... The war horse is a false hope for salvation... | Emphasizing futility of human military power |
| Psa 44:6-7 | For I will not trust in my bow; neither shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies... | Victory comes from God, not human means |
| Isa 10:22 | For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall return... | God's sovereign plan over large numbers |
| Isa 31:1 | Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many... but do not look to the Holy One of Israel... | Warning against reliance on military strength |
| Jer 17:5 | Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength... | General principle against human self-reliance |
| Zec 4:6 | Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. | Principle that God's work is through His Spirit, not human force |
| Rom 9:27 | And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved." | Echoing the theme of a multitude but a sovereign remnant |
| Heb 11:12 | So from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. | Abraham's faith resulting in countless descendants |
| Rev 20:8 | And will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. | Future immense enemy against God's people |
Joshua 11 verses
Joshua 11 4 Meaning
Joshua 11:4 describes the immense size and military might of the northern confederation of Canaanite kings assembled against Israel. It emphasizes their overwhelming numbers, comparing them to the "sand on the seashore"—a biblical idiom for countless multitude—and highlights their substantial cavalry and cutting-edge war chariots, signifying a formidable and humanly insurmountable challenge.
Joshua 11 4 Context
Joshua 11:4 is part of the account detailing Israel's northern campaign under Joshua's leadership. After conquering the southern Canaanite kings (Josh 10), Joshua turns northward, encountering an even greater and more diverse coalition of kings led by Jabin, king of Hazor. This verse specifically describes the vast enemy forces gathered at the Waters of Merom, poised for battle. The exaggerated description of their numbers and superior military technology—especially chariots, which Israel lacked and viewed as a great threat—sets the stage for Yahweh's decisive victory, underscoring that the triumph was not due to Israel's strength but God's divine power. Historically, chariots were formidable ancient warfare machines, representing peak military technology of the time, often associated with powerful city-states.
Joshua 11 4 Word analysis
- And they went out (וַיֵּצְאוּ, vayyetze'u): Literally, "and they came forth." Signifies their mobilization for war, highlighting their unified advance against Israel.
- all their hosts (כָּל־מַחֲנֵיהֶם, kol-machanehem): Refers to all their military encampments or armies. The plural emphasizes the numerous distinct contingents from different kings and territories forming this grand coalition.
- with them (אִתָּם, ittam): Simple preposition, "with them," reinforcing that their armies accompanied them.
- a numerous people (עַם־רָב, ‘am-rav): Lit. "a great people" or "a great multitude." Emphasizes the sheer human component of their forces, beyond just structured armies.
- like the sand on the seashore (כַּחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל־שְׂפַת הַיָּם, kaḥol asher ‘al-s’fat hayam): A well-established biblical hyperbole for an innumerable quantity. This idiom, common in both Genesis (for Israel's blessed multitude) and later prophetic books (for enemies), is used here to underscore the overwhelming and humanly unmanageable size of the Canaanite army. It serves to magnify God's subsequent victory.
- in multitude (לָרֹב, la-rov): Emphasizes the abundance or greatness of number. Reinforces "numerous people."
- with very many horses (וְסוּס וְרֶכֶב הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד, ve’sus ve’rekhev harbeh me'od): "and horse and chariot, much, exceedingly." The Hebrew uses a singular noun "horse" and "chariot" collectively, indicating the military arm of cavalry and chariotry, highlighting their great quantity. Horses were essential for rapid movement and pulling chariots.
- and chariots (וְרֶכֶב, ve’rekhev): "and chariot" or "chariotry." These were the advanced armored vehicles of the ancient world, representing formidable military technology. Their presence indicated a highly professional and well-equipped army, designed to break enemy lines. The abundance of these posed a significant threat to the Israelite infantry, who did not possess them in such numbers.
- "all their hosts with them, a numerous people": This phrase stresses the unified strength of the confederacy. It's not just a few leaders, but their entire assembled fighting capability, reflecting widespread opposition.
- "like the sand on the seashore in multitude": This specific idiom highlights the impossibility of victory from a human perspective. The use of this imagery contrasts with God's earlier promises to Abraham for his descendants to be as the sand (Gen 22:17), underscoring God's power to defeat what He promised to multiply.
- "with very many horses and chariots": This points to the strategic advantage the Canaanites held. Their mobility and shock power far surpassed anything Israel possessed at this time, presenting the ultimate military challenge for Joshua's infantry.
Joshua 11 4 Bonus section
- The overwhelming description of the Canaanite army in Josh 11:4 implicitly sets the stage for Yahweh's herem (total destruction) command, demonstrating that their destruction was an act of divine judgment and not merely a conquest by superior force.
- This verse foreshadows Joshua's instruction in Joshua 11:6 to hamstring the enemy's horses and burn their chariots. This act demonstrates that Israel's victory was not for their own military gain or to build an empire relying on such weaponry, but to eradicate the instruments of their enemy's power and reliance, thereby proving God's triumph. It underscores God's preference for His people not to trust in military might, a theme repeated elsewhere in Scripture (e.g., Psa 20:7).
Joshua 11 4 Commentary
Joshua 11:4 dramatically portrays the vast military might gathered against Israel in the north. The description of armies as countless "as the sand on the seashore" and equipped with "very many horses and chariots" emphasizes the overwhelming odds Israel faced. This imagery is not mere exaggeration but a literary device common in biblical narratives to highlight the impossibility of human victory without divine intervention. It serves to magnify God's glory when He delivers Israel, not by their strength or superior weaponry, but by His own power. The enemy's chariots and cavalry were their cutting-edge war assets, a strategic advantage against an infantry-focused Israel. The verse sets up the profound theological point: Yahweh fights for His people, defeating forces that no human army could overcome, thus reinforcing the covenant and God's sovereignty over all earthly powers.