Joshua 8:16

16 All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Yehoshua, and were drawn away from the city.

Joshua 8:16 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:16

And all the people that were in Ai [were] called together to
pursue after them
Because the host of Israel was very numerous, it was judged proper that all the people in Ai should assist in pursuing them, not only to kill the more in the pursuit, but to carry off the spoil and prisoners they should take; or rather the sense is, that all the people in Ai, which were come out with the king to battle, when they saw Israel flee, "cried" ^F24, or shouted, as soldiers do when victorious, "in" or "while pursuing" ^F25 after them;

and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city;
at some considerable distance from it; which was the design to be answered by feigning a flight.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 (wqezw) "vociferantes", V. L. "vociferati sunt", Pagninus, Montanus.
F25 (Pdrl) "persequendo", Pagninus, Montanus.

Joshua 8:16 In-Context

14 It happened, when the king of `Ai saw it, that they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Yisra'el to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the `Aravah; but he didn't know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

15 Yehoshua and all Yisra'el made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

16 All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Yehoshua, and were drawn away from the city.

17 There was not a man left in `Ai or Beit-El, who didn't go out after Yisra'el: and they left the city open, and pursued after Yisra'el.

18 The LORD said to Yehoshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward `Ai; for I will give it into your hand. Yehoshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.