Joshua 8:28

28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a deserted mound of ruins. It is still in ruins today.

Joshua 8:28 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:28

And Joshua burnt Ai
The whole city, fire being only set before to a few houses, to make a smoke as a signal; he did with it as he had done with Jericho, for so he was ordered, ( Joshua 8:2 ) ;

and made it an heap for ever;
that is, for a long time, for it appears to have been rebuilt, and to have been inhabited by the Jews, after their return from their Babylonish captivity, ( Nehemiah 11:31 ) ;

[even] a desolation unto this day;
to the time of the writing of this book; and by what has been just observed, it appears that Ezra could not be the writer of it, since this city was inhabited in his time.

Joshua 8:28 In-Context

26 Joshua did not lower his hand holding the spear until he had completely destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27 Israel took the loot and the livestock of that city for themselves, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.

28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a deserted mound of ruins. It is still in ruins today.

29 Joshua hung the king of Ai's [dead body] on a pole and left him there until evening. When the sun went down, Joshua gave the order to take his body down. They threw it in the entrance of the city and made a large pile of stones over it. That pile is still there today.

30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD God of Israel.