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Texts -- Joshua 8:1-29 (NET)

Context
Israel Conquers Ai
8:1 The Lord told Joshua , “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic ! Take the whole army with you and march against Ai ! See , I am handing over to you the king of Ai , along with his people , city , and land . 8:2 Do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho and its king , except you may plunder its goods and cattle . Set an ambush behind the city !” 8:3 Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai . Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night . 8:4 He told them, “Look , set an ambush behind the city . Don’t go very far from the city ; all of you be ready ! 8:5 I and all the troops who are with me will approach the city . When they come out to fight us like before , we will retreat from them. 8:6 They will attack us until we have lured them from the city , for they will say , ‘They are retreating from us like before .’ We will retreat from them. 8:7 Then you rise up from your hiding place and seize the city . The Lord your God will hand it over to you . 8:8 When you capture the city , set it on fire . Do as the Lord says ! See , I have given you orders .” 8:9 Joshua sent them away and they went to their hiding place west of Ai , between Bethel and Ai . Joshua spent that night with the army . 8:10 Bright and early the next morning Joshua gathered the army , and he and the leaders of Israel marched at the head of it to Ai . 8:11 All the troops that were with him marched up and drew near the city . They camped north of Ai on the other side of the valley . 8:12 He took five thousand men and set an ambush west of the city between Bethel and Ai . 8:13 The army was in position– the main army north of the city and the rear guard west of the city . That night Joshua went into the middle of the valley . 8:14 When the king of Ai saw Israel, he and his whole army quickly got up the next day and went out to fight Israel at the meeting place near the Arabah . But he did not realize men were hiding behind the city . 8:15 Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them and they retreated along the way to the desert . 8:16 All the reinforcements in Ai were ordered to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city . 8:17 No men were left in Ai or Bethel ; they all went out after Israel . They left the city wide open and chased Israel . 8:18 The Lord told Joshua , “Hold out toward Ai the curved sword in your hand , for I am handing the city over to you.” So Joshua held out toward Ai the curved sword in his hand . 8:19 When he held out his hand , the men waiting in ambush rose up quickly from their place and attacked . They entered the city , captured it, and immediately set it on fire . 8:20 When the men of Ai turned around , they saw the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction . In the meantime the men who were retreating to the desert turned against their pursuers . 8:21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the city was going up in smoke , they turned around and struck down the men of Ai . 8:22 At the same time the men who had taken the city came out to fight , and the men of Ai were trapped in the middle . The Israelites struck them down , leaving no survivors or refugees . 8:23 But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua . 8:24 When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had chased them toward the desert (they all fell by the sword ), all Israel returned to Ai and put the sword to it . 8:25 Twelve thousand men and women died that day , including all the men of Ai . 8:26 Joshua kept holding out his curved sword until Israel had annihilated all who lived in Ai . 8:27 But Israel did plunder the cattle and the goods of the city , in accordance with the Lord’s orders to Joshua . 8:28 Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanently uninhabited mound (it remains that way to this very day ). 8:29 He hung the king of Ai on a tree , leaving him exposed until evening . At sunset Joshua ordered that his corpse be taken down from the tree . They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and erected over it a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day ).

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Ai

    [ebd] ruins. (1.) One of the royal cities of the Canaanites (Josh. 10:1; Gen. 12:8; 13:3). It was the scene of Joshua's defeat, and afterwards of his victory. It was the second Canaanite city taken by Israel (Josh. 7:2-5; 8:1-29)....
    [isbe] AI - a'-i (`ay, written always with the definite article, ha-`ay, probably meaning "the ruin," kindred root, `awah): (1) A town of central Palestine, in the tribe of Benjamin, near and just east of Bethel (Gen 12:8). It is i...
    [smith] (heap of ruins). A city lying east of Bethel and "beside Bethaven." (Joshua 7:2; 8:9) It was the second city taken by Israel after the passage of the Jordan, and was "utterly destroyed." (Joshua 7:3-5; 8:1; Joshua 9:3; 10:1,...
    [nave] AI 1. A royal city of the Canaanites. Conquest and destruction of, Josh. 7; 8. Rebuilt, Ezra 2:28. Called also Aija, Neh. 11:31; and Aiath, Isa. 10:28. Population of, Josh. 8:25. 2. A city of the Ammonites, Jer. 49:3.

  • Ambush

    [ebd] Joshua at the capture of Ai lay in ambush, and so deceived the inhabitants that he gained an easy victory (Josh. 8:4-26). Shechem was taken in this manner (Judg. 9:30-45. Comp. Jer. 51:12).
    [nave] AMBUSH. Instances of At Ai, Josh. 8:2-22; Shechem, Judg. 9:25, 34; Gibeah, Judg. 20:29-41. Near Zemaraim, 2 Chr. 13:13. By Jehoshaphat, 2 Chr. 20:22. See: Armies. Figurative Jer. 51:12.

  • HEAP

    [ebd] When Joshua took the city of Ai (Josh. 8), he burned it and "made it an heap [Heb. tel] for ever" (8:28). The ruins of this city were for a long time sought for in vain. It has been at length, however, identified with the mo...
    [isbe] HEAP - hep (`aremah, gal, nedh, tel): "Heap" appears (1) in the simple sense of a gathering or pile, as the translation of `aremah, a "heap," in Ruth 3:7 of grain; Neh 4:2 of stones; in 2 Ch 31:6, etc., of the tithes, etc.; ...

  • Joshua

    [nave] JOSHUA 1. Called also Jehoshua, and Jehoshuah, and Oshea. Son of Nun, Num. 13:8; 1 Chr. 7:27. Intimately associated with Moses, Ex. 24:13; 32:17; 33:11. A religious zealot, Num. 11:28. Sent with others to view the promise...

  • Canaan

    [nave] CANAAN 1. Son of Ham, Gen. 9:18, 22, 25-27. Descendants of, Gen. 10:6, 15; 1 Chr. 1:8, 13. 2. Land of (The history of this region is involved in that of the Israelites. The student is therefore referred to Israel, History ...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Strategy

    [nave] STRATEGY, in war, Gen. 14:14, 15; 32:7, 8; Josh. 8:3-25; Judg. 7:16-23; 20:29-43; 2 Sam. 15:32-34, with 2 Sam. 17:7-14; Neh. 6; Isa. 15:1; Jer. 6:5. See: Ambushes; Armies.

  • Armies

    [nave] ARMIES Who of the Israelites were subject to service in, Num. 1:2, 3; 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5; who were exempt from service in, Num. 1:47-50; 2:33; Deut. 20:5-9; Judg. 7:3. Enumeration of Israel's military forces, Num. 1:2, 3; 26...

  • War

    [smith] The most important topic in connection with war is the formation of the army which is destined to carry it on. [ARMY] In (1 Kings 9:22) at a period (Solomon?s reign) when the organization of the army was complete, we have ...
    [nave] WAR Divine approval of, 2 Sam. 22:35. Civil, Judg. 12:1-6; 20; 2 Sam. 2:12-31; 3:1; 20; 1 Kin. 14:30; 16:21; Isa. 19:2; forbidden, 2 Chr. 11:4; averted, Josh. 22:11-34. Enemy harangued by general of opposing side, 2 Kin. 1...

  • Massacre

    [nave] MASSACRE Authorized by Moses, Deut. 20:13, 16. Decree to destroy the Jews, Esth. 3. Instances of Inhabitants of Heshbon, Deut. 2:34; of Bashan, Deut. 3:6; of Ai, Josh. 8:24-26; of Hazor, Josh. 11:11, 12; of the cities of ...

  • PALESTINE, 2

    [isbe] PALESTINE, 2 - III. Palestine in the Historic Books of the Old Testament. 1. Book of Joshua: Joshua is the great geographical book of the Old Testament; and the large majority of the 600 names of places, rivers and mountains...

  • NATURAL FEATURES

    [isbe] NATURAL FEATURES - fe'-turz: As has been pointed out by various authors (compare HGHL), the principal physical features of Palestine run in North and South lines, or rather about from South-Southwest to North-Northeast. The ...

  • EGYPT

    [isbe] EGYPT - e'-jipt: I. THE COUNTRY 1. The Basis of the Land 2. The Nile Valley 3. Earliest Human Remains 4. Climate 5. Conditions of Life 6. The Nile 7. The Fauna 8. The Flora 9. The Prehistoric Races II. THE HISTORY 1. 1st and...

  • DEUTERONOMY

    [isbe] DEUTERONOMY - du-ter-on'-o-mi: 1. Name 2. What Deuteronomy Is 3. Analysis 4. Ruling Ideas 5. Unity 6. Authorship 7. Deuteronomy Spoken Twice 8. Deuteronomy's Influence in Israel's History 9. The Critical Theory LITERATURE 1....

  • ARABAH

    [ebd] plain, in the Revised Version of 2 Kings 14:25; Josh. 3:16; 8:14; 2 Sam. 2:29; 4:7 (in all these passages the A.V. has "plain"); Amos 6:14 (A.V. "wilderness"). This word is found in the Authorized Version only in Josh. 18:18...
    [isbe] ARABAH - ar'-a-ba, a-ra'-ba ha-`arabhah, "the Arabah"): This word indicates in general a barren district, but is specifically applied in whole or in part to the depression of the Jordan valley, extending from Mount Hermon to...

  • Zeal

    [nave] ZEAL, Religious Josh. 24:15, 16; 2 Sam. 24:24, 25; 1 Kin. 9:4; 1 Kin. 15:14; 1 Chr. 29:17; 2 Chr. 15:15; 2 Chr. 19:3; Ezra 7:23; Job 16:19; Psa. 42:1, 2; Psa. 60:4; Psa. 96:2, 3, 10; Psa. 119:139; Prov. 11:30; Eccl. 9:10; ...

  • Communion

    [nave] COMMUNION. With God Psa. 16:7; John 14:16-18, 23; 1 Cor. 10:16; 2 Cor. 6:16; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 4:6; Phil. 2:1, 2; 1 John 1:3; Rev. 3:20 See: Fellowship. Instances of Enoch, Gen. 5:22, 24. Noah, Gen. 6:9, 13-22; 8:15-17...

  • ASCEND

    [isbe] ASCEND - a-send': By derivation the English word implies motion from a lower place to (not merely toward) a higher one; and usage tends to restrict it to cases where the beholder is in the lower, not the higher, position. th...

  • Burial

    [ebd] The first burial we have an account of is that of Sarah (Gen. 23). The first commercial transaction recorded is that of the purchase of a burial-place, for which Abraham weighed to Ephron "four hundred shekels of silver curr...
    [nave] BURIAL Rites of, Jer. 34:5. Soon after death, Deut. 21:23; Josh. 8:29; John 19:38-42; Acts 5:9, 10. With spices, 2 Chr. 16:14; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56. Bier used at, 2 Sam. 3:31; Luke 7:14. Attended by relatives and friend...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 12:4 Possibly Abram viewed Lot as his heir (cf. 11:27-32; 12:4-5; 13:1-2)."Since Mesopotamian law-codes allowed for the adoption of an heir in the case of childlessness, this becomes an attractive hypothesis with respect to L...
  • When the people entered the Promised Land they were to assemble at Shechem (vv. 1-8; cf. 11:29-30). This would be the second stage of the covenant renewal, to be conducted in Canaan. Moses exhorted the Israelites to obey the ...
  • The Book of Joshua evidently came into being several years after the events recorded in the book took place. A number of statements point to a time of composition beyond the conquest and perhaps beyond the lifetime of Joshua....
  • As I have explained previously, the date of the Exodus was about 1446 B.C. (cf. 1 Kings 6:1).7Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness (Exod. 16:35; Num. 14:33-34). Thus Israel crossed the Jordan River and entered the land abo...
  • I. The conquest of the land chs. 1-12A. Preparations for entering Canaan chs. 1-21. God's charge to Joshua 1:1-92. Joshua's charge to Israel 1:10-183. The spying out of Jericho ch. 2B. Entrance into the land 3:1-5:121. Passag...
  • In one sense verses 1-9 are a preamble to the whole book. They contain the basic principles that were to guide Joshua and Israel so they could obtain all that God had promised their forefathers.1:1 The first word of the book ...
  • At Jericho, Israel learned God's strength. At Ai, she learned her own weakness. She could only conquer her enemies as she remained faithful to God's covenant."We are never in greater danger than right after we have won a grea...
  • When the people had dealt with the sin of Achan as God had commanded, Israel was ready to engage the enemy again.8:1-2 In view of Israel's defeat God's encouraging words were necessary to strengthen Joshua's resolve (cf. 1:9)...
  • The writer identified 31 kings in the order in which Joshua defeated them."Many of the same names appear in the Amarna letters, thus confirming the historicity of our text."158"The description was not complete. Shechem is not...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. "The Province-List of Judah."Vetus Testamentum9 (1959):225-46.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwel...
  • After Gideon's death the Israelites again wandered from the Lord (cf. 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). They even made a covenant with Baal in disobedience to God's law. "Baal-berith"(v. 33) means "Baal of the covenant."Ironica...
  • The story of Abimelech connects directly with the story of Gideon. It is the sequel to and indeed the climax of the Gideon story. Though Abimelech sought a place of leadership in Israel, God did not raise him up as a judge. H...
  • Before Abimelech's sole surviving brother went into hiding he uttered a protest against Abimelech that predicted the effect of his rule. Jotham (lit. Yahweh is perfect, honest) stood on the same mountain where six of Israel's...
  • Verses 29-36a give an overview of the battle, and 36b-48 provide a more detailed explanation.Israel's strategy was similar to what God had specified against Ai (Josh. 8:1-29) and what Abimelech used against Shechem (9:33-44)....
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • Admirably Saul sought no personal revenge on those who initially had failed to support him (10:27; cf. Judg. 20:13; Luke 19:27). Furthermore he gave God the glory for his victory (cf. Jon. 2:9; Ps. 20:7; Prov. 21:31). He was ...
  • It is not clear why the northern tribes had invited Rehoboam to the northern town of Shechem. They may have done so for a coronation over Israel separate from his coronation over Judah.125On the other hand the northern tribes...
  • Jehoash (Joash) had respect and affection for Elisha. He anticipated the loss that the death of God's spiritual warrior would be to Israel (v. 14). He recognized that Israel's real defense lay in Yahweh's angelic army and in ...
  • This is the first in a series of three parables designed to impress on the overly optimistic exiles that there was no possibility that Jerusalem would escape destruction (cf. chs. 16-17).15:1-2 The Lord asked Ezekiel how the ...
  • This pericope is unique to the fourth Gospel.19:31 The "day of preparation"was Friday, the day before the Sabbath (Saturday, cf. v. 14; Mark 15:42). The Jews considered sundown the beginning of a new day. In this case the new...
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