Joshua 8:14

when the king of Ai saw it It was early on the following morning that the king of Ai discovered the advance of the army against him. The words apply to the forces of Joshua, the ambush was of course hidden from his view. Ai was a "royal" city. Comp. Joshua 8:23; Joshua 8:29; Joshua 10:1; Joshua 12:9.

at a time appointed Rather, at the place appointed, at some spot before agreed upon suitable for marshalling his forces. It was "before the plain," i.e. before the "ambush," at the entrance of the depressed tract which runs down to the Jordan valley, probably = "the wilderness of Beth-aven," Joshua 18:12.

he wist not Comp. Judges 20:34, "And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men but they knew notthat evil was near them." For "wist," see above, ch. Joshua 2:4.