Joshua 8:11-21

11 cumque venissent et ascendissent ex adverso civitatis steterunt ad septentrionalem urbis plagam inter quam et eos vallis media erat

12 quinque milia autem viros elegerat et posuerat in insidiis inter Bethaven et Ahi ex occidentali parte eiusdem civitatis

13 omnis vero reliquus exercitus ad aquilonem aciem dirigebat ita ut novissimi multitudinis occidentalem plagam urbis adtingerent abiit ergo Iosue nocte illa et stetit in vallis medio

14 quod cum vidisset rex Ahi festinavit mane et egressus est cum omni exercitu civitatis direxitque aciem contra desertum ignorans quod post tergum laterent insidiae

15 Iosue vero et omnis Israhel cesserunt loco simulantes metum et fugientes per viam solitudinis

16 at illi vociferantes pariter et se mutuo cohortantes persecuti sunt eos cumque recessissent a civitate

17 et ne unus quidem in urbe Ahi et Bethel remansisset qui non persequeretur Israhel sicut eruperant aperta oppida relinquentes

18 dixit Dominus ad Iosue leva clypeum qui in manu tua est contra urbem Ahi quoniam tibi tradam eam

19 cumque elevasset clypeum ex adverso civitatis insidiae quae latebant surrexerunt confestim et pergentes ad civitatem ceperunt et succenderunt eam

20 viri autem civitatis qui persequebantur Iosue respicientes et videntes fumum urbis ad caelum usque conscendere non potuerunt ultra huc illucque diffugere praesertim cum hii qui simulaverant fugam et tendebant ad solitudinem contra persequentes fortissime restitissent

21 vidensque Iosue et omnis Israhel quod capta esset civitas et fumus urbis ascenderet reversus percussit viros Ahi

Joshua 8:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 8

Joshua is encouraged to go up and take Ai, and is directed what method to make use of, Jos 8:1,2; accordingly he set an ambush on the west side of it, and, he and the rest of the army went up before it, Jos 8:3-13; which, when the king of Ai saw, he and all his forces came cut against them, and the Israelites making a feint as if they were beaten, drew on the men of Ai to pursue them, upon which the ambush arose and entered the city and set fire to it, Jos 8:14-19; the smoke of which being observed by Joshua and Israel, they turned back upon the pursuers, and the ambush sallying out of the city behind them, made an entire destruction of them, then slew all the inhabitants, took the spoil, burnt the city, and hanged the king of it, Jos 8:20-29; after this Joshua built an altar at Ebal, wrote the law on stones, and read the blessings and curses in it before all Israel, Jos 8:30-35.