Joshua 8:11

_AND ALL THE PEOPLE, EVEN THE PEOPLE OF WAR THAT WERE WITH HIM, WENT UP, AND DREW NIGH, AND CAME BEFORE THE CITY, AND PITCHED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF AI: NOW THERE WAS A VALLEY BETWEEN THEM AND AI._ All the people. [The Septuagint translation gives a different and somewhat ambiguous idea of the mode of attack-Greek: kai pas ho laos ho polemistees met' autou anebeesan, kai poreuomenoi eelthon ezenantias tees poleoos apo anatoloon, kai ta henedra tees poleoos apo thalassees-And all the mentor war that were with him went up, and in their march came before the city on the east, and the ambush before the city from the sea (on the west).] THERE WAS A VALLEY (LITERALLY THE VALLEY) BETWEEN THEM AND AI....

3-22 Observe Joshua's conduct and prudence. Those that would maintain their spiritual conflicts must not love their ease. Probably he went into the valley alone, to pray to God for a blessing, and he did not seek in vain. He never drew back till the work was done. Those that have stretched out their hands against their spiritual enemies, must never draw them back....

EXPOSITION THE CAPTURE OF AI.— JOSHUA 8:1 FEAR NOT. Joshua was down cast at his former failure, and well he might. "Treacherous Israelites are to be dreaded more than malicious Canaanites" (Matthew Henry). TAKE ALL THE PEOPLE OF WAX WITH THEE. Not, as has been before stated, because 3,000 men were too few to take the city, for the capture of Jericho was a far greater marvel than that of Ai with this number of men. The true reason is indicated by Calvin, and is indeed suggested by the words "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed." It was to reassure the people, whose hearts had "melted and become as water." Sometimes God calls upon His people for a display of faith, as when He led them through the Jordan, or commanded them to compass Jericho seven days. But

AND ALL THE PEOPLE, [EVEN THE PEOPLE] OF WAR THAT [WERE] WITH HIM, AND WENT UP, AND DREW NIGH,.... To the city of Ai: AND CAME BEFORE THE CITY; as if they intended to besiege it, storm it, or force an entrance into it: AND PITCHED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF AI; which was judged fittest for the purpose: NOW [THERE WAS] A VALLEY BETWEEN THEM AND AI; which the Rabbins call the valley of Halacah, as Jarchi says; so that they were upon a hill, at least on rising ground, and might the more easily be seen by the inhabitants of Ai, whom they wanted to draw out of their city....

8. THE OVERTHROW OF AI CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The advance commanded (Joshua 8:1)_ 2. The strategy of Joshua (Joshua 8:3) 3. Ai's defeat (Joshua 8:14) 4. Joshua's obedience (Joshua 8:30) Sin confessed, judged and put away restored communion with the Lord. If any burden remained upon the mind of Joshua, it was removed by the repeated words of comfort and cheer. “Fear not, neither be thou dismayed.” The failure is no longer mentioned, but instead, comfort and assurance is given and victory promised. He deals in the same gracious way with us, whenever we have failed and humbled ourselves before Him in self-judgment. H

CAPTURE OF AI. Here we have the second and the successful attempt to take Ai. That two accounts have been combined is obvious. In Joshua 8:3 Joshua sends 30,000 men as an ambuscade against the city; in Joshua 8:12, he sends 5000 men. No doubt 30,000 is an error for 3000. The writer of 20, who tells us that the whole population of Ai was 12,000, is also the writer of Joshua 8:3. We may take it that he was far more likely to write 3000 than 30,000. In Joshua 8:17 the words and Bethel are an unintelligent insertion of a late editor. They are not in the LXX, and if the ambush was between Bethel and Ai, it is difficult to see how the inhabitants of Bethel could com

_VER._ 11. _AND CAME—AND PITCHED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF AI_— Those who came with Joshua were _all the people of war who were with him; i.e._ evidently the bulk of the army, in opposition to _the thirty thousand men_ who had been detached in the night-time. It was about three leagues from Gilgal to Ai. See Calmet. The army at noon might be over against this latter town, having only the valley to cross to reach the high places on which it was situated. But Joshua clearly conducted it in such a manner, that it was concealed by mountains which lay on that side, and which covered their march from the sight of the men of Ai....

_The Conquest of Ai Joshua 8:9-29_ 9Joshua therefore sent them forth; and they went to lie in ambush, and abode behind Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people. 10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai. 12 And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13 And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. 14 And it came to pass, whe

THE CONQUEST OF AI. THE COVENANT CONFIRMED UPON MT. EBAL 1-29. The Taking of Ai. Edersheim explains that Joshua detailed a corps of 30,000 men, of whom 5,000 were placed W. of Ai in a wood. The 25,000 pitched K of Ai, and subsequently moved forward into the valley below the city. Then came the feigned attack and retreat eastward, the signal from Joshua, and the assault by the ambush from the rear. It should be noted, however, that there are two accounts of the ambush, one in Joshua 8:3; Joshua 8:9, in which 30,000 are said to have been concealed, and the other in Joshua 8:10, in which only 5,000 are said to have been in hiding. These discrepancies in figures are very common....

COME IN, AND RECEIVE GOD’S PROMISES! JOSHUA _BRIAN ROWLANDS_ Maps to help you to study this book are on the Internet at www.easyenglish.info. CHAPTER 8 V1 Then the *Lord spoke again. ‘Do not be afraid. Do not think that you are weak’, he said to Joshua. ‘Take the whole army with you and go to attack Ai. I will give the king, all his people, the city and its land to you. V2 You must destroy the city and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. But this time you may take their good things and all their animals for yourselves. Hide some of your men behind the city.’ V3 So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose 30 000 of the best fighting men and sent them out by night. V4 ‘Listen careful