Joshua 8:20

20 When the men of Ai looked back, they could see the city going up in smoke. They had no place to go, since the Israelites, who had been running toward the desert, had now turned back on them.

Joshua 8:20 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:20

And when the men of Ai looked behind them
On some account or another, perhaps observing that the army of Israel made a full stop and was gazing at the city:

they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven;
from whence they concluded an enemy was there, and had set fire to it:

and they had no power to flee this way or that way;
for if they turned back to their city there was an enemy, how powerful they knew not, possessed of it, and whom they might expect would meet them; and if they pushed forward, there was the whole army of Israel against them, which now turned and faced them, showing no fear of them:

and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the
pursuers;
the people of Israel, that fled by the way of the wilderness, ( Joshua 8:15 ) , turned about, and fell upon the men of Ai that pursued them.

Joshua 8:20 In-Context

18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Hold out the spear in your hand toward the city, because I am handing Ai over to you." So Joshua held out his spear.

19 The men who were hiding got up as soon as he stretched out his hand. They entered the city, captured it, and quickly set it on fire.

20 When the men of Ai looked back, they could see the city going up in smoke. They had no place to go, since the Israelites, who had been running toward the desert, had now turned back on them.

21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men who had been hiding had captured the city and that it was going up in smoke, they turned and attacked the men of Ai.

22 The men who had captured the city also came out and attacked them. The men of Ai were caught between the battle lines of Israel. So Israel attacked them on both sides. None of them survived or escaped.