וַיַּעֲל֤וּ מִן־הָעָם֙ שָׁ֔מָּה כִּשְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים אִ֑ישׁ וַיָּנֻ֕סוּ לִפְנֵ֖י אַנְשֵׁ֥י הָעָֽי׃
(Joshua 7:4)
Literal English Translation
And about three thousand men went up from the people there, but they fled before the men of ʿAi.
Word-by-Word Explanation
- וַיַּעֲלוּ – “And they went up”Verb, from the root עָלָה (“to go up”).
– The וַ prefix marks narrative past (vav-consecutive).
– Form: 3rd person masculine plural → “they went up.”
Hebrew often uses “go up” for traveling to a location, especially a city or holy site. - מִן־הָעָם – “from the people”Preposition + Noun.
– מִן = “from”
– הָעָם = “the people”
Together: “from the people” (i.e., a portion of the group). - שָׁמָּה – “there”Adverb. Indicates direction—“to there” or simply “there.” It shows the destination of their going up.
- כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת – “about three”Prefix + Number.
– כְּ = “about” or “approximately”
– שְׁלֹשֶׁת = construct form of “three (of something)”
Used with large round numbers in Hebrew narrative to mean “about.” - אֲלָפִים – “thousands”Plural noun. From אֶלֶף = “thousand.”
When paired with שְׁלֹשֶׁת, it means “three thousand.” - אִישׁ – “man” or “men”Though it’s singular in form, it serves here as a collective noun meaning “men.” Together with the previous words: “about three thousand men.”
- וַיָּנֻסוּ – “and they fled”Verb, from נוּס (“to flee”).
– 3rd person masculine plural, with וַ prefix = “and they fled.”
This verb carries a sense of panic or shameful retreat. - לִפְנֵי – “before”Preposition, literally “to the face of,” but idiomatically means “in front of” or “before.”
- אַנְשֵׁי – “the men of”Noun in construct form from אִישׁ, “man.” Plural and linked to the next word. “The men of…”
- הָעָי – “ʿAi”Proper noun. A Canaanite city. The name looks like “ruin” in Hebrew. This is the army that Israel unexpectedly lost to.
Word Order and Sentence Flow
The Hebrew flows naturally for a historical narrative:
→ וַיַּעֲלוּ – Starts with the verb (“and they went up”)
→ מִן־הָעָם שָׁמָּה – Tells who went and where
→ כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ – Quantifies the group
→ וַיָּנֻסוּ לִפְנֵי אַנְשֵׁי הָעָי – The surprise twist: they fled!
This order builds suspense. Hebrew often saves the key action or twist until the end.
Action Breakdown: Who Went Where—and What Happened?
| Hebrew Phrase | Plain English | What It Tells Us |
|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲלוּ | And they went up | Action begins |
| מִן־הָעָם | from the people | Partial group selected |
| שָׁמָּה | there | Destination |
| כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ | about three thousand men | How many went |
| וַיָּנֻסוּ | and they fled | Unexpected failure |
| לִפְנֵי אַנְשֵׁי הָעָי | before the men of ʿAi | Who they fled from |
Brick by Brick: Building Hebrew Understanding
“You’ve just read about a Hebrew military mission—and a shocking retreat!”
This verse gave you:
– A vav-consecutive story flow (וַיַּעֲלוּ, וַיָּנֻסוּ)
– A construct chain for describing people (אַנְשֵׁי הָעָי)
– A helpful number construction (כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים)
And you saw how Hebrew places key twists at the end of the verse.
With just one sentence, you’ve unlocked movement, numbers, grammar, and drama—all in ancient Hebrew. Keep going—your understanding is on the rise!
