Lectionary Calendar
Friday, May 16th, 2025
the Fourth Week after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

World English Bible

Joshua 7:4

So there went up there of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Defeats;   Israel;   Israel-The Jews;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies;   Armies of Israel, the;   Sieges;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Achan;   Ai;   Anathema;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Devote, Devoted;   Ezekiel, Theology of;   Punishment;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ai;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Joshua, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ai;   Jericho;   Joshua;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ai, Hai ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Achan;   Ai;   Anathema;   Journeyings of israel from egypt to canaan;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'i;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Joshua, Book of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ai;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Repentance;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So about three thousand men went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Hebrew Names Version
So there went up there of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of `Ai.
King James Version
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
Lexham English Bible
So about three thousand from the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.
English Standard Version
So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai,
New Century Version
So about three thousand men went up to Ai, but the people of Ai beat them badly.
New English Translation
So about three thousand men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Amplified Bible
So about three thousand men from the sons of Israel went up there, but they fled [in retreat] from the men of Ai.
New American Standard Bible
So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So there went vp thither of the people about three thousande men, and they fledde before the men of Ai.
Legacy Standard Bible
So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Contemporary English Version
Joshua sent about three thousand soldiers to attack Ai. But the men of Ai fought back and chased the Israelite soldiers away from the town gate and down the hill to the stone quarries. Thirty-six Israelite soldiers were killed, and the Israelite army felt discouraged.
Complete Jewish Bible
So from the people about three thousand men went up there, but they were routed by the men of ‘Ai.
Darby Translation
And there went up thither of the people about three thousand men, but they fled before the men of Ai.
Easy-to-Read Version
So about 3000 men went to Ai, but the people of Ai killed about 36 men of Israel. And the Israelites ran away. The people of Ai chased them from the city gates all the way to the quarries. The people of Ai beat them badly. When the people from Israel saw this, they became very frightened and lost their courage.
George Lamsa Translation
So there went up about three thousand men; and they fled before the men of Ai.
Good News Translation
So about three thousand Israelites made the attack, but they were forced to retreat.
Literal Translation
And about three thousand men of the people went up there. And they fled before the men of Ai.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So there wente vp, of the people vpon a thre thousande men, and they fled before the men of Hai,
American Standard Version
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
Bible in Basic English
So about three thousand of the people went up, and were sent in flight by the men of Ai.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so there went vp thyther of the people about a three thousande men, and they fled before the men of Ai.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men; and they fled before the men of Ai.
King James Version (1611)
So there went vp thither of the people about three thousand men, and they fled before the men of Ai.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there went up about three thousand men, and they fled from before the men of Gai.
English Revised Version
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
Berean Standard Bible
So about three thousand men went up, but they were put to flight before the men of Ai.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor thre thousynde of fiyteris stieden, whiche turneden the backis anoon,
Young's Literal Translation
And there go up of the people thither about three thousand men, and they flee before the men of Ai,
Update Bible Version
So there went up there of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
Webster's Bible Translation
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
New King James Version
So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.
New Living Translation
So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai
New Life Bible
So about 3,000 men of Israel went, but they ran away from the men of Ai.
New Revised Standard
So about three thousand of the people went up there; and they fled before the men of Ai.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
There went up thither of the people therefore, about three thousand men, - but they fled before the men of Ai.
Douay-Rheims Bible
There went up therefore three thousand fighting men: who immediately turned their backs,
Revised Standard Version
So about three thousand went up there from the people; and they fled before the men of Ai,
THE MESSAGE
So three thousand men went up—and then fled in defeat before the men of Ai! The men of Ai killed thirty-six—chased them from the city gate as far as The Quarries, killing them at the descent. The heart of the people sank, all spirit knocked out of them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.

Contextual Overview

1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted thing: and the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the children of Israel. 2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. The men went up and spied out Ai. 3 They returned to Joshua, and said to him, Don't let all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai; don't make all the people to toil there; for they are but few. 4 So there went up there of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai struck of them about thirty-six men; and they chased them [from] before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent; and the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

fled: Leviticus 26:17, Deuteronomy 28:25, Deuteronomy 32:30, Isaiah 30:17, Isaiah 59:2

Reciprocal: Psalms 89:43 - not made

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground,
Genesis 6:3
Yahweh said, "My spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; yet will his days be one hundred twenty years."
Genesis 6:7
Yahweh said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."
Genesis 6:13
God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Genesis 6:17
I, even, I do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die.
Genesis 7:10
It happened after the seven days, that the waters of the flood came on the earth.
Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky's windows were opened.
Genesis 7:12
The rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 7:17
The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth.
Genesis 7:21
All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, cattle, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men,.... Joshua detached from the army the largest number proposed, that there might be strength enough to take the place; and those he sent under proper officers to Ai, who went up to the very gate of the city, as appears from Joshua 7:5:

and they fled before the men of Ai; for upon their appearing at the gate of their city, they came out with all their forces against them, and as soon as they did, the children of Israel durst not face them, but without engaging with them fled at once: God having forsaken them, their courage failed, the dread of their enemies falling on them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 7:4. About three thousand men — The spies sent to reconnoitre the place (Joshua 7:3) reported that the town was meanly garrisoned, and that two or three thousand men would be sufficient to take it. These were accordingly sent up, and were repulsed by the Amorites.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile