Joshua 6:13 And the seven priests carrying seven rams' horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding.

◄ Joshua 6:13 ►

New International Version
The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding.

New Living Translation
The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns.

English Standard Version
And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually.

Berean Standard Bible
And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding.

King James Bible
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

New King James Version
Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets.

New American Standard Bible
Then the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went ahead of them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets.

NASB 1995
The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets.

NASB 1977
And the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of Yahweh went on continually and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of Yahweh, and they continued to blow the trumpets.

Amplified Bible
The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets made of rams’ horns ahead of the ark of the LORD went on continually, blowing the trumpets; and the armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the priests continued to blow the trumpets.

Christian Standard Bible
and the seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns marched in front of the ark of the LORD. While the ram’s horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and the seven priests carrying seven trumpets marched in front of the ark of the LORD. While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the LORD.

American Standard Version
And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Jehovah went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; and the rearward came after the ark of Jehovah, the priests blowing the trumpets as they went.

English Revised Version
And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets; and the armed men went before them; and the rearward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests blowing with the trumpets as they went.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns were ahead of it. The priests blew their horns as they went. The armed men were ahead of them, and the rear guard followed the LORD's ark while the horns blew continually.

International Standard Version
The seven priests who carried the seven trumpets made from rams' horns preceded the ark of the LORD, blowing their trumpets constantly. The armed men preceded them, and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets continued to blow.

Majority Standard Bible
And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding.

NET Bible
The seven priests carrying the seven rams' horns before the ark of the LORD marched along blowing their horns. Armed troops marched ahead of them, while the rear guard followed along behind the ark of the LORD blowing rams' horns.

New Heart English Bible
The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them. The rear guard came after the ark of the LORD. The trumpets sounded as they went.

Webster's Bible Translation
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rear-guard came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

World English Bible
The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of Yahweh’s ark went on continually, and blew the trumpets. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after Yahweh’s ark. The trumpets sounded as they went.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and seven priests carrying seven horns of the rams before the Ark of YHWH are walking, going on, and they have blown with the horns—and he who is armed is going before them, and he who is gathering up is going behind the Ark of YHWH—going on and blowing with the horns.

Young's Literal Translation
and seven priests bearing seven trumpets of the jubilee before the ark of Jehovah are walking, going on, and they have blown with the trumpets -- and he who is armed is going before them, and he who is gathering up is going behind the ark of Jehovah -- going on and blowing with the trumpets.

Smith's Literal Translation
And seven priests lifting up seven trumpets of alarms before the ark of Jehovah went on going, and they clanged with the trumpets, and he being armed went before them; and the gathering went after the ark of Jehovah, going and clanging with the trumpets.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And seven of them seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee: and they went before the ark of the Lord walking and sounding the trumpets: and the armed men went before them, and the rest of the common people followed the ark, and they blew the trumpets.

Catholic Public Domain Version
and seven of them took the seven trumpets, which are used in the jubilee, and they preceded the ark of the Lord, walking and sounding the trumpets. And the armed men went before them, and the remainder of the common people followed the ark, and they were blaring the trumpets.

New American Bible
The seven priests bearing the ram’s horns marched in front of the ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Ahead of these marched the picked troops, while the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, and the blowing of horns was kept up continually.

New Revised Standard Version
The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD passed on, blowing the trumpets continually. The armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets went before the ark of the LORD; they went on continually, and blew with the trumpets; and the armed men went before them; and the rest of the multitude went after the ark of the LORD, while the priests were blowing with trumpets.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And seven Priests were carrying seven horns and they were going before the ark of LORD JEHOVAH, and they were walking and sounding with the trumpets, and those who were armed were going before them, and they who were assembled were going after the ark of LORD JEHOVAH and they were sounding on the trumpets

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the seven priests bearing the seven rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the horns; and the armed men went before them; and the rearward came after the ark of the LORD, [the priests] blowing with the horns continually.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets went on before the Lord; and afterwards the men of war went on, and the remainder of the multitude went after the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Walls of Jericho
…12Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD. 13And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding. 14So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Hebrews 11:30
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

2 Corinthians 10:4
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Exodus 23:20-23
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. / Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him. / But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. ...

1 Samuel 4:3-5
When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the LORD brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may go with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.” / So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. / When the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a great shout that the ground shook.

1 Chronicles 15:25-28
So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom. / And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. / Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. ...

Numbers 10:33-36
So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain of the LORD, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them. / And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp. / Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, “Rise up, O LORD! May Your enemies be scattered; may those who hate You flee before You.” ...

2 Samuel 6:12-15
Now it was reported to King David, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing. / When those carrying the ark of the LORD had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. / And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD, ...

Psalm 47:5
God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD with the sound of the horn.

Isaiah 52:12
For you will not leave in a hurry nor flee in haste, for the LORD goes before you, and the God of Israel is your rear guard.

Revelation 11:15
Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

1 Kings 6:7
The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

2 Chronicles 20:21-22
Then Jehoshaphat consulted with the people and appointed those who would sing to the LORD and praise the splendor of His holiness. As they went out before the army, they were singing: “Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving devotion endures forever.” / The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.

Acts 16:25-26
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. / Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.

Matthew 21:21
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Treasury of Scripture

And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

went on

1 Chronicles 15:26
And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

Matthew 24:13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Galatians 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

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Ark Armed Bearing Blew Blowing Carrying Continually Continued Horns Passed Priests Rams Rear Rearward Seven Sounded Trumpets

Joshua 6

1. Jericho is shut up
2. God instructs Joshua how to beseige it
12. The city is composed
17. It is accursed
20. The walls fall down
22. Rahab is saved
26. The builder of Jericho is cursed

Berean Study Bible

And the seven priests
The number seven in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or perfection, reflecting God's divine order. The priests, as mediators between God and the people, signify the sacredness of the task at hand. In Hebrew, the word for priest is "kohen," which denotes someone who is set apart for religious duties. This highlights the importance of spiritual leadership in fulfilling God's commands.

carrying seven trumpets
The trumpets, or "shofar" in Hebrew, were typically ram's horns used in religious ceremonies and as signals in battle. The use of seven trumpets here underscores the divine orchestration of the events at Jericho. The shofar's sound is a call to attention, repentance, and action, reminding the Israelites of God's presence and power.

went forward
This phrase indicates movement and progression, both physically and spiritually. The priests' forward march symbolizes obedience and faith in God's plan. It reflects the necessity of moving in alignment with God's will, trusting in His guidance even when the path is not fully visible.

marching before the ark of the LORD
The Ark of the Covenant, representing God's presence among His people, was central to Israel's worship and identity. The priests marching before the Ark signifies leading with reverence and submission to God's authority. It is a powerful image of God going before His people, ensuring victory and protection.

while the trumpets were blowing continually
The continuous blowing of the trumpets signifies perseverance and unwavering faith. It is a reminder of the need for constant vigilance and dedication in spiritual warfare. The sound of the trumpets would have been a constant reminder to the Israelites of God's promises and their need to rely on Him completely.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) The priests going on.--Literally, with a going, and a blowing with the trumpets." The priests" is inserted by the Targum.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. - The rereward (see Joshua 5:9). Literally, the gathering together and then the body of troops which collects the stragglers, the rear guard, as in Numbers 10:25; Isaiah 52:12; Isaiah 58:8. Calvin renders here by quia cogebat agmen. But the LXX. and Vulgate render by ὁ λοιπὸς ὄχλος and vulgus reliquum. So Luther, der Haufe. The LXX., however, in ver. 9 translates the same word by οὐραγοῦντες, i.e., "qui extremum agmen ducunt, et quasi caudam efficiunt" (Rosenmuller). The word is not the same as that translated rereward in 1 Samuel 29:2, the only other place where our version has "rereward," where there can be no question of the rendering being correct, since the literal meaning there is the hindermost.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

And the seven
וְשִׁבְעָ֣ה (wə·šiḇ·‘āh)
Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

priests
הַכֹּהֲנִ֡ים (hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

carrying
נֹשְׂאִים֩ (nō·śə·’îm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

seven
שִׁבְעָ֨ה (šiḇ·‘āh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

trumpets
שׁוֹפְר֜וֹת (šō·wp̄·rō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7782: A cornet, curved horn

kept marching
הֹלְכִ֣ים (hō·lə·ḵîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

ahead
לִפְנֵי֙ (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of the ark
אֲר֣וֹן (’ă·rō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

of the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and sounding
וְתָקְע֖וּ (wə·ṯā·qə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8628: To clatter, slap, clang, to drive, to become bondsman

the trumpets.
בַּשּׁוֹפָר֑וֹת (baš·šō·w·p̄ā·rō·wṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7782: A cornet, curved horn

The armed troops
וְהֶחָלוּץ֙ (wə·he·ḥā·lūṣ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 2502: To pull off, to strip, to depart, to deliver, equip, present, strengthen

went
הֹלֵ֣ךְ (hō·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

in front of them,
לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם (lip̄·nê·hem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

and the rear guard
וְהַֽמְאַסֵּ֗ף (wə·ham·’as·sêp̄)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 622: To gather for, any purpose, to receive, take away, remove

followed
הֹלֵךְ֙ (hō·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

the ark
אֲר֣וֹן (’ă·rō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

of the LORD,
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

while [the priests] kept
הָל֖וֹךְ (hā·lō·wḵ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

sounding
וְתָק֥וֹעַ (wə·ṯā·qō·w·a‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 8628: To clatter, slap, clang, to drive, to become bondsman

the trumpets.
בַּשּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת׃ (baš·šō·w·p̄ā·rō·wṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7782: A cornet, curved horn

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OT History: Joshua 6:13 The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets (Josh. Jos)