Joshua 2:7

2:7 Meanwhile ¹  the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River ²  near the fords. ³  The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them. ⁴ 

Joshua 2:5

2:5 When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left. ⁵  I don’t know where they were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!”

Joshua 8:16

8:16 All the reinforcements ⁶  in Ai ⁷  were ordered ⁸  to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city.

Joshua 6:8

6:8 When Joshua gave the army its orders, ⁹  the seven priests carrying the seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved ahead and blew the horns as the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed behind.

Joshua 8:20

8:20 When the men of Ai turned around, they saw ¹⁰  the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction. ¹¹  In the meantime the men who were retreating to the desert turned against their pursuers.

[2:7]  ¹ tn Another way to translate vv. 6-7 would be, “While she took them up to the roof and hid them…, the king’s men tried to find them….” Both of the main clauses have the subject prior to the predicate, perhaps indicating simultaneous action. (On the grammatical point, see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 42, §235.) In this case Rahab moves the Israelite spies from the hiding place referred to in v. 4 to a safer and less accessible hiding place.

[2:7]  ² tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.

[2:7]  ³ tn Heb “And the men chased after them [on] the road [leading to] the Jordan to the fords.” The text is written from the perspective of the king’s men. As far as they were concerned, they were chasing the spies.

[2:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “And they shut the gate after – as soon as the ones chasing after them went out.” The expressions “after” and “as soon as” may represent a conflation of alternate readings.

[2:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “And the gate was to be shut in the darkness and the men went out.”

[8:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “All the people.”

[8:16]  ¹⁰ tc Some textual witnesses read “the city.”

[8:16]  ¹¹ tn Or “were summoned”; or “were mustered.”

[6:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “when Joshua spoke to the people.”

[8:20]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and they saw, and look.” The Hebrew term הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to the scene and invites the audience to view the events from the perspective of the men of Ai.

[8:20]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and there was not in them hands to flee here or there.” The Hebrew term יָדַיִם (yadayim, “hands”) is idiomatic for “strength.”