Josué 8:12

12 Y tomó como cinco mil hombres, y los puso en emboscada entre Bet-el y Hai, a la parte occidental de la ciudad

Josué 8:12 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:12

And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in
ambush
This was another ambush, as both Jarchi and Kimchi observe; and the latter adds, perhaps he set them nearer the city than the former; though some are of opinion that these are the same ambush spoken of, whose number is here given, being set on the same side of the city; and they suppose that Joshua had with him but thirty thousand men in all, five thousand of which he sent to lie in ambush, and the other twenty five thousand remained with him; but it seems clear that all the men of war were to be taken, and were taken by them, and that out of them thirty thousand were sent by him to lie in wait at first, and now five thousand more:

between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city;
and though they were on the same side of the city with the first and larger ambush, yet, as Abarbinel observes, they might be set nearer the city and to the army; and he supposes the first ambush was to take the city, and the second little ambush, as he calls it, was placed, that when the men of the city came out, they might make a noise and a stir, and skirmish with them, that so they might not come upon the camp suddenly.

Josué 8:12 In-Context

10 Y levantándose Josué muy de mañana, contó al pueblo, y subió él, con los ancianos de Israel, delante del pueblo contra Hai

11 Y toda la gente de guerra que con él estaba, subió, y se acercó, y llegaron delante de la ciudad, y asentaron el campamento a la parte del norte de Hai; y el valle estaba entre él y Hai

12 Y tomó como cinco mil hombres, y los puso en emboscada entre Bet-el y Hai, a la parte occidental de la ciudad

13 Y el pueblo, todo el campamento que estaba al lado del norte, se acercó a la ciudad; y su emboscada al occidente de la ciudad. Y Josué fue aquella noche al medio del valle

14 Lo cual cuando vio el rey de Hai, se levantó prestamente de mañana, y salió con los hombres de la ciudad contra Israel para pelear, él y todo su pueblo en un tiempo señalado, por el llano, no sabiendo que le estaba puesta emboscada a las espaldas de la ciudad