Joshua 8:19

19 And Joshua stretched out his hand his spear toward the city, and the ambuscade rose up quickly out of their place; and they came forth when he stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city, and took it; and they hasted and burnt the city with fire.

Joshua 8:19 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:19

And the ambush arose quickly out of their place
As soon as the sentinels set in proper places observed the signal, and gave them notice of it, which was the stretching out of the spear, as appears by what follows:

and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand;
and the spear in his hand; from whence it is plain, that though the Lord is said to bid Joshua do this now, he had orders from him for it before and the ambush must have been made acquainted with it before they were sent away; and this was only a renewal of the order from the Lord, and which pointed out the proper time, the very crisis, when it should be stretched out:

and they entered into the city;
without any difficulty, the gates being open:

and took it;
took possession of it, and the strong holds in it:

and hasted and set the city on fire;
that is, they made haste to set some houses on fire as the signal to the army of Israel to return.

Joshua 8:19 In-Context

17 There was no one left in Gai who did not pursue after Israel; and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

18 And the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch forth thy hand with the spear that is in thy hand toward the city, for I have delivered it into thy hands; and the liers in wait shall rise up quickly out of their place.

19 And Joshua stretched out his hand his spear toward the city, and the ambuscade rose up quickly out of their place; and they came forth when he stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city, and took it; and they hasted and burnt the city with fire.

20 And when the inhabitants of Gai looked round behind them, then they saw the smoke going up out of the city to heaven, and they were no longer able to flee this way or that way.

21 And Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambuscade had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up to heaven; and they turned and smote the men of Gai.

Footnotes

• [a]. set it on fire.