Joshua 8:13

_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._ Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. The deep and steep-sided glen to the north of Tell-el-hajar, into which one looks down from the Tell, fully agrees with this account (Van de Velde). Joshua himself took up his position on the north side of 'the ravine'-the deep chasm of the Wady El-Murogede: "that night" means, while it was dark, probably after midnight, or very early in the morning (John 20:1). The king of Ai, in the early dawn, rouses his slumbering subjects, and makes a hasty sally with all his people who were capable of bearing arms, once more to surprise and annihilate them....

13._Joshua went that night, _etc It is not probable that all were called out from the camp, but the army was composed of those who were more accustomed to war. That it was sufficiently numerous appears from the fact, that five thousand were withdrawn from it for ambuscade. At first thirty-five thousand appear to be enumerated, but it is clear from the context that the number was not so great. I am rather inclined to conjecture that thirty thousand were led out for open fight, and that five thousand were specially set apart for an ambuscade. Joshua hastens to execute the task assigned to him, commencing his march in the morning, and in this haste we see how effectual the promise had proved. Had not the mind of all been freed from fear he never could have found them so prompt to obey. Apparently, indeed, little prudence is shown in sending so large a body to proceed by hidden paths to a pl...

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....

Joshua went down by night into the valley where He would be seen at daylight by the men of Ai, and was accompanied no doubt by a picked body of troops. The king of Ai, in the morning, would see neither the ambush in his rear, nor the whole of the great host of Israel among the hills away to the north on his left; but supposing, as it appears, that the Israelites before him were a body detached as on the former occasion to assail his city, he sallied out promptly to attack them....

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 WHEN THEY HAD SET THE PEOPLE,.... In battle array, as in 1 Kings 20:12; that is, Joshua and the officers of the army: [EVEN] ALL THE HOST THAT [WAS] ON THE NORTH OF THE CITY; where Joshua and the main army were: AND THE LIERS IN WAIT ON THE WEST OF THE CITY: both the first and second ambush; when all, were prepared and got ready by their several officers, to act the part they were to do: JOSHUA WENT THAT NIGHT INTO THE MIDST OF THE VALLEY; according to Ben Gersom, to see whether the guards or sentinels which were placed there were awake or asleep, lest the men of Ai should come suddenly upon them and smite them; but perhaps it might be to pray and meditate....

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

WENT. Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "lodged in"....

_VER._ 13. _AND WHEN THEY HAD SET THE PEOPLE, &C.—ON THE NORTH_— Or, _on the north-east._ The meaning here is, that the whole army of Israel posted itself to the north or northeast of Ai, in the mountains, while the thirty or thirty-five thousand men in ambush turned behind the city to the west, and all these troops remained in this position the rest of the day and the night following: or else, this verse must be considered to express briefly what follows; namely, that Joshua, who went in the night from his camp at Gilgal at the head of thirty thousand men, took his station to the north of Ai, in a valley, where he lay under covert; that the skirt of one of his wings turned off west of the place, and that from thence he sent the five thousand, who also went and lay in ambush on the west, but lower down, between Ai and Beth-el. Now we may very well suppose, that all this was done in one n...