1 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Joshua, H3091 Fear H3372 not, neither be thou dismayed: H2865 take H3947 all the people H5971 of war H4421 with thee, and arise, H6965 go up H5927 to Ai: H5857 see, H7200 I have given H5414 into thy hand H3027 the king H4428 of Ai, H5857 and his people, H5971 and his city, H5892 and his land: H776
2 And thou shalt do H6213 to Ai H5857 and her king H4428 as thou didst H6213 unto Jericho H3405 and her king: H4428 only the spoil H7998 thereof, and the cattle H929 thereof, shall ye take for a prey H962 unto yourselves: lay H7760 thee an ambush H693 for the city H5892 behind H310 it.
3 So Joshua H3091 arose, H6965 and all the people H5971 of war, H4421 to go up H5927 against Ai: H5857 and Joshua H3091 chose out H977 thirty H7970 thousand H505 mighty H1368 men H376 of valour, H2428 and sent them away H7971 by night. H3915
4 And he commanded H6680 them, saying, H559 Behold, H7200 ye shall lie in wait H693 against the city, H5892 even behind H310 the city: H5892 go H7368 not very H3966 far H7368 from the city, H5892 but be ye all ready: H3559
5 And I, and all the people H5971 that are with me, will approach H7126 unto the city: H5892 and it shall come to pass, when they come out H3318 against H7125 us, as at the first, H7223 that we will flee H5127 before H6440 them,
6 (For they will come out H3318 after H310 us) till we have drawn H5423 them from the city; H5892 for they will say, H559 They flee H5127 before H6440 us, as at the first: H7223 therefore we will flee H5127 before H6440 them.
7 Then ye shall rise up H6965 from the ambush, H693 and seize H3423 upon the city: H5892 for the LORD H3068 your God H430 will deliver H5414 it into your hand. H3027
8 And it shall be, when ye have taken H8610 the city, H5892 that ye shall set H3341 the city H5892 on fire: H784 according to the commandment H1697 of the LORD H3068 shall ye do. H6213 See, H7200 I have commanded H6680 you.
9 Joshua H3091 therefore sent them forth: H7971 and they went H3212 to lie in ambush, H3993 and abode H3427 between Bethel H1008 and Ai, H5857 on the west side H3220 of Ai: H5857 but Joshua H3091 lodged H3885 that night H3915 among H8432 the people. H5971
10 And Joshua H3091 rose up early H7925 in the morning, H1242 and numbered H6485 the people, H5971 and went up, H5927 he and the elders H2205 of Israel, H3478 before H6440 the people H5971 to Ai. H5857
11 And all the people, H5971 even the people of war H4421 that were with him, went up, H5927 and drew nigh, H5066 and came H935 before the city, H5892 and pitched H2583 on the north side H6828 of Ai: H5857 now there was a valley H1516 between them and Ai. H5857
12 And he took H3947 about five H2568 thousand H505 men, H376 and set H7760 them to lie in ambush H693 between Bethel H1008 and Ai, H5857 on the west side H3220 of the city. H5857 H5892
13 And when they had set H7760 the people, H5971 even all the host H4264 that was on the north H6828 of the city, H5892 and their liers in wait H6119 on the west H3220 of the city, H5892 Joshua H3091 went H3212 that night H3915 into the midst H8432 of the valley. H6010
14 And it came to pass, when the king H4428 of Ai H5857 saw H7200 it, that they hasted H4116 and rose up early, H7925 and the men H582 of the city H5892 went out H3318 against H7125 Israel H3478 to battle, H4421 he and all his people, H5971 at a time appointed, H4150 before H6440 the plain; H6160 but he wist H3045 not that there were liers in ambush H693 against him behind H310 the city. H5892
15 And Joshua H3091 and all Israel H3478 made as if they were beaten H5060 before H6440 them, and fled H5127 by the way H1870 of the wilderness. H4057
16 And all the people H5971 that were in Ai H5857 H5892 were called H2199 together to pursue H7291 after H310 them: and they pursued H7291 after H310 Joshua, H3091 and were drawn away H5423 from the city. H5892
17 And there was not a man H376 left H7604 in Ai H5857 or Bethel, H1008 that went not out H3318 after H310 Israel: H3478 and they left H5800 the city H5892 open, H6605 and pursued H7291 after Israel. H3478
18 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Joshua, H3091 Stretch out H5186 the spear H3591 that is in thy hand H3027 toward Ai; H5857 for I will give H5414 it into thine hand. H3027 And Joshua H3091 stretched out H5186 the spear H3591 that he had in his hand H3027 toward the city. H5892
19 And the ambush H693 arose H6965 quickly H4120 out of their place, H4725 and they ran H7323 as soon as he had stretched out H5186 his hand: H3027 and they entered H935 into the city, H5892 and took H3920 it, and hasted H4116 and set H3341 the city H5892 on fire. H784
20 And when the men H582 of Ai H5857 looked H6437 behind H310 them, they saw, H7200 and, behold, the smoke H6227 of the city H5892 ascended up H5927 to heaven, H8064 and they had no power H3027 to flee H5127 this way or that way: H2008 and the people H5971 that fled H5127 to the wilderness H4057 turned back H2015 upon the pursuers. H7291
21 And when Joshua H3091 and all Israel H3478 saw H7200 that the ambush H693 had taken H3920 the city, H5892 and that the smoke H6227 of the city H5892 ascended, H5927 then they turned again, H7725 and slew H5221 the men H582 of Ai. H5857
22 And the other H428 issued out H3318 of the city H5892 against H7125 them; so they were in the midst H8432 of Israel, H3478 some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote H5221 them, so that H5704 they let H7604 none of them remain H8300 or escape. H6412
23 And the king H4428 of Ai H5857 they took H8610 alive, H2416 and brought H7126 him to Joshua. H3091
24 And it came to pass, when Israel H3478 had made an end H3615 of slaying H2026 all the inhabitants H3427 of Ai H5857 in the field, H7704 in the wilderness H4057 wherein they chased H7291 them, and when they were all fallen H5307 on the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 until they were consumed, H8552 that all the Israelites H3478 returned H7725 unto Ai, H5857 and smote H5221 it with the edge H6310 of the sword. H2719
25 And so it was, that all that fell H5307 that day, H3117 both of men H376 and women, H802 were twelve H8147 H6240 thousand, H505 even all the men H582 of Ai. H5857
26 For Joshua H3091 drew H7725 not his hand H3027 back, H7725 wherewith he stretched out H5186 the spear, H3591 until he had utterly destroyed H2763 all the inhabitants H3427 of Ai. H5857
27 Only the cattle H929 and the spoil H7998 of that city H5892 Israel H3478 took for a prey H962 unto themselves, according unto the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 which he commanded H6680 Joshua. H3091
28 And Joshua H3091 burnt H8313 Ai, H5857 and made H7760 it an heap H8510 for ever, H5769 even a desolation H8077 unto this day. H3117
29 And the king H4428 of Ai H5857 he hanged H8518 on a tree H6086 until eventide: H6256 H6153 and as soon as the sun H8121 was down, H935 Joshua H3091 commanded H6680 that they should take H3381 his carcase H5038 down H3381 from the tree, H6086 and cast H7993 it at the entering H6607 of the gate H8179 of the city, H5892 and raise H6965 thereon a great H1419 heap H1530 of stones, H68 that remaineth unto this day. H3117
30 Then Joshua H3091 built H1129 an altar H4196 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 in mount H2022 Ebal, H5858
31 As Moses H4872 the servant H5650 of the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 as it is written H3789 in the book H5612 of the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 an altar H4196 of whole H8003 stones, H68 over which no man hath lift up H5130 any iron: H1270 and they offered H5927 thereon burnt offerings H5930 unto the LORD, H3068 and sacrificed H2076 peace offerings. H8002
32 And he wrote H3789 there upon the stones H68 a copy H4932 of the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 which he wrote H3789 in the presence H6440 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
33 And all Israel, H3478 and their elders, H2205 and officers, H7860 and their judges, H8199 stood H5975 on this side the ark H727 and on that side before the priests H3548 the Levites, H3881 which bare H5375 the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD, H3068 as well the stranger, H1616 as he that was born H249 among them; half H2677 of them over H413 against H4136 mount H2022 Gerizim, H1630 and half H2677 of them over against H4136 mount H2022 Ebal; H5858 as Moses H4872 the servant H5650 of the LORD H3068 had commanded H6680 before, H7223 that they should bless H1288 the people H5971 of Israel. H3478
34 And afterward H310 he read H7121 all the words H1697 of the law, H8451 the blessings H1293 and cursings, H7045 according to all that is written H3789 in the book H5612 of the law. H8451
35 There was not a word H1697 of all that Moses H4872 commanded, H6680 which Joshua H3091 read H7121 not before all the congregation H6951 of Israel, H3478 with the women, H802 and the little ones, H2945 and the strangers H1616 that were conversant H1980 among H7130 them.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 8
Commentary on Joshua 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
The embarrassment which Achan's sin gave to the affairs of Israel being over, we have them here in a very good posture again, the affairs both of war and religion. Here is,
Jos 8:1-2
Israel were very happy in having such a commander as Joshua, but Joshua was more happy in having such a director as God himself; when any difficulty occurred, he needed not to call a council of war who had God so nigh unto him, not only to answer, but even to anticipate, his enquiries. It should seem, Joshua was now at a stand, had scarcely recovered the discomposure he was put into by the trouble Achan gave them, and could not think, without fear and trembling, of pushing forward, lest there should be in the camp another Achan; then God spoke to him, either by vision, as before (ch. 5), or by the breastplate of judgment. Note, When we have faithfully put away sin, that accursed thing, which separates between us and God, then, and not till then, we may expect to hear from God to our comfort; and God's directing us how to go on in our Christian work and warfare is a good evidence of his being reconciled to us. Observe here,
Jos 8:3-22
We have here an account of the taking of Ai by stratagem. The stratagem here used, we are sure, was lawful and good; God himself appointed it, and we have no reason to think but that the like is lawful and good in other wars. Here was no league broken, no treaty of peace, that the advantage was gained; no, these are sacred things, and not to be jested with, nor used to serve a turn; truth, when once it is plighted, becomes a debt even to the enemy. But in this stratagem here was no untruth told; nothing was concealed but their own counsels, which no enemy ever pretended a right to be entrusted with; nothing was dissembled, nothing counterfeited but a retreat, which was no natural or necessary indication at all of their inability to maintain their onset, or of any design not to renew it. The enemy ought to have been upon their guard, and to have kept within the defence of their own walls. Common prudence, had they been governed by it, would have directed them not to venture on the pursuit of an army which they saw was so far superior to them in numbers, and leave their city unguarded; but (si populus vult decipi, decipiatur-if the people will be deceived, let them) if the Canaanites will be so easily imposed upon, and in pursuit of God's Israel will break through all the laws of policy and good management, the Israelites are not at all to be blamed for taking advantage of their fury and thoughtlessness; nor is it any way inconsistent with the character God is pleased to give of them, that they are children that will not lie. Now in the account here given of this matter,
Jos 8:23-29
We have here an account of the improvement which the Israelites made of their victory over Ai.
Jos 8:30-35
This religious solemnity of which we have here an account comes in somewhat surprisingly in the midst of the history of the wars of Canaan. After the taking of Jericho and Ai, we should have expected that the next news would be of their taking possession of the country, the pushing on of their victories in other cities, and the carrying of the war into the bowels of the nation, now that they had made themselves masters of these frontier towns. But here a scene opens of quite another nature; the camp of Israel is drawn out into the field, not to engage the enemy, but to offer sacrifice, to hear the law read, and to say Amen to the blessings and the curses. Some think this was not done till after some of the following victories were obtained which were read of, ch. 10 and 11. But it should seem by the maps that Shechem (near to which these two mountains Gerizim and Ebal were) was not so far off from Ai but that when they had taken that they might penetrate into the country as far as those two mountains, and therefore I would not willingly admit a transposition of the story; and the rather because, as it comes in here, it is a remarkable instance,
Twice Moses had given express orders for this solemnity; once Deu. 11:29, 30, where he seems to have pointed to the very place where it was to be performed; and again Deu. 27:2, etc. It was a federal transaction: the covenant was now renewed between God and Israel upon their taking possession of the land of promise, that they might be encouraged in the conquest of it, and might know upon what terms they held it, and come under fresh obligations to obedience. In token of the covenant,