Joshua 8:28

28 So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day.

Joshua 8:28 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:28

And Joshua burnt Ai
The whole city, fire being only set before to a few houses, to make a smoke as a signal; he did with it as he had done with Jericho, for so he was ordered, ( Joshua 8:2 ) ;

and made it an heap for ever;
that is, for a long time, for it appears to have been rebuilt, and to have been inhabited by the Jews, after their return from their Babylonish captivity, ( Nehemiah 11:31 ) ;

[even] a desolation unto this day;
to the time of the writing of this book; and by what has been just observed, it appears that Ezra could not be the writer of it, since this city was inhabited in his time.

Joshua 8:28 In-Context

26 For Joshua didn't draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for prey to themselves, according to the word of Yahweh which he commanded Joshua.

28 So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, to this day.

29 The king of Ai he hanged on a tree until the evening: and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised thereon a great heap of stones, to this day.

30 Then Joshua built an altar to Yahweh, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal,