Joshua 8:5

5 and I, and all the people who are with me, will approach to the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them;

Joshua 8:5 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:5

And I and all the people that [are] with me will approach unto
the city
That is, Joshua with the main body of the army would march up to the city the next morning, in order to draw out the inhabitants of it to fight them:

and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the
first;
as they had done before, when the three thousand were sent against them, ( Joshua 7:4 Joshua 7:5 ) ;

that we will flee before them;
as the three thousand did, which would animate them to pursue them with the greater eagerness, and to a distance from their city.

Joshua 8:5 In-Context

3 So Yehoshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to `Ai: and Yehoshua chose out thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night.

4 He commanded them, saying, Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; don't go very far from the city, but be all ready:

5 and I, and all the people who are with me, will approach to the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them;

6 and they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: so we will flee before them;

7 and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.