Joshua 8:11

11 All those^[a] who were with him went up and approached the city, arriving opposite Ai, and camped to the north of it, with a valley between them and the city.

Joshua 8:11 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:11

And all the people, [even the people] of war that [were] with
him, and went up, and drew nigh
To the city of Ai:

and came before the city;
as if they intended to besiege it, storm it, or force an entrance into it:

and pitched on the north side of Ai;
which was judged fittest for the purpose:

now [there was] a valley between them and Ai;
which the Rabbins call the valley of Halacah, as Jarchi says; so that they were upon a hill, at least on rising ground, and might the more easily be seen by the inhabitants of Ai, whom they wanted to draw out of their city.

Joshua 8:11 In-Context

9 So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the ambush site and waited between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But he spent that night with the troops.

10 Joshua started early the next morning and mobilized them. Then he and the elders of Israel led the troops up to Ai.

11 All those who were with him went up and approached the city, arriving opposite Ai, and camped to the north of it, with a valley between them and the city.

12 Now Joshua had taken about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

13 The military force was stationed in this way: the main camp to the north of the city and its rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.

Footnotes

• [a] Lit the people of war