Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Joshua 8:14 - 8:29

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Joshua 8:14 - 8:29


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Ai Taken and Destroyed

v. 14. And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early,
believing they had only the army to the north of the city to deal with; and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he (the king) and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain, in the only place where a battle in open formation was possible, near the steppes of Beth-aven, east of Bethel; but he wist not that there were liers-in-ambush against him behind the city.

v. 15. And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them,
they feigned fear and weakness, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

v. 16. And all the people that were in Ai,
all the able-bodied men, were called together to pursue after them; and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city, leaving the latter altogether unprotected.

v. 17. And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel,
the inhabitants of the latter city having joined the forces of Ai, that went not out after Israel; and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel, thinking that the army of Israel was fleeing in utter and hopeless rout.

v. 18. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand.
Joshua was probably occupying some higher point from which he was easily visible, or he may have been mounted and his figure easily distinguishable even at a distance. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

v. 19. And the ambush,
to whom the outposts had immediately signaled to that effect, arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city, whose defenders were all engaged in the pursuit of the Israelites, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

v. 20. And when the men of Ai looked behind them,
their attention being drawn in that direction by the behavior of the Israelites, who turned to watch for the signal of the smoke's rising, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to nee this way or that way, they were paralyzed with sudden terror; and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. The whole situation of the men of Ai, who now saw before them the enemy, behind them the burning town, is admirably pictured in a few strokes.

v. 21. And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended,
for this was the sign for which they had been waiting, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

v. 22. And the other,
the Israelites who had lain in ambush, issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side, caught in a trap from which there was no escape. And they, the Israelites, smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape, the entire army of Ai, together with its allies, being destroyed.

v. 23. And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua,
who was to rule regarding his disposal.

v. 24. And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness, wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword,
put all its inhabitants to death.

v. 25. And so it was that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai,
the adult inhabitants.

v. 26. For Joshua drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out the spear until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
This he did according to the universal rule of the ancients, which required the general to hold the signal of battle aloft until he desired the battle to be ended.

v. 27. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the Lord which He commanded Joshua,


v. 28. And Joshua burned Ai, and made it an heap forever,
a heap of ashes and broken stones, even a desolation unto this day; its ruins were still visible at the time when the author wrote this account.

v. 29. And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide,
Num_25:4; and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree, Deu_21:23, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day. The entire story teaches that we should indeed use all our physical and mental powers in the work given us by the Lord, but that everything depends upon His almighty power and blessing. It is He who must give us the victory in every battle.