Joshua 8:18-22

8:18 The Lord told Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the curved sword in your hand, for I am handing the city ¹  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. ²  They entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire. 8:20 When the men of Ai turned around, they saw ³  the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction. ⁴  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, ⁵  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. ⁶  The Israelites struck them down, leaving no survivors or refugees.

[8:18]  ¹ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the city of Ai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:19]  ² tn Heb “and ran.”

[8:20]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “and there was not in them hands to flee here or there.” The Hebrew term יָדַיִם (yadayim, “hands”) is idiomatic for “strength.”

[8:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “and that the smoke of the city ascended.”

[8:22]  ⁶ tn Heb “and these went out from the city to meet them and they were for Israel in the middle, some on this side, and others on the other side.”