The Meaning of Joshua 11:4 Explained

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.

YLT: and they go out, they and all their camps with them, a people numerous, as the sand which is on the sea-shore for multitude, and horse and charioteer very many;

Darby: And they went out, they and all their armies with them, a people numerous as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Joshua 11:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 11:1-15 - Joshua's Obedience To The Lord's Commands
The scene is removed to the waters of Merom, near the sources of the Jordan. Hazor was the capital of the region; Jabin, like Pharaoh, was an hereditary title, Judges 4:2. All the northern nations combined. Joshua's heart might well have failed, had it not been for the divine promise on the night before the battle, Joshua 11:6.
His attack under cover of night was like the falling of a thunderbolt. The effect was immediate. The huge host dissolved. The hocking of the horses disabled them, so that Israel was not tempted to trust in chariots and horses, Deuteronomy 17:16; Isaiah 31:1. God's will was literally carried out. But what a noble record is given of this simple-minded soldier! "He left nothing undone," Joshua 11:15. It is only as we literally obey that we can count on such success as his. See 2 Timothy 4:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 11

1  Diverse kings overcome at the waters of Merom
10  Hazor is taken and burnt
16  All the country taken by Joshua
21  The Anakims cut off
23  The land rests from war

What do the individual words in Joshua 11:4 mean?

So they went out they and all their armies with them people [as] many [as] the sand that [is] on shore the seashore in multitude and with horses and chariots many very
וַיֵּצְא֣וּ הֵ֗ם וְכָל־ מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם֙ עִמָּ֔ם עַם־ רָ֕ב כַּח֛וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־ שְׂפַת־ הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב וְס֥וּס וָרֶ֖כֶב רַב־ מְאֹֽד

וַיֵּצְא֣וּ  So  they  went  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם֙  their  armies 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
עִמָּ֔ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
עַם־  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
רָ֕ב  [as]  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
כַּח֛וֹל  [as]  the  sand 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹול 
Sense: sand.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שְׂפַת־  shore 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
הַיָּ֖ם  the  seashore 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
לָרֹ֑ב  in  multitude 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹב  
Sense: multitude, abundance, greatness.
וְס֥וּס  and  with  horses 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
וָרֶ֖כֶב  and  chariots 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
רַב־  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
מְאֹֽד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.