Joshua 8:8

8 It shall be, when you have seized on the city, that you shall set the city on fire; according to the word of the LORD shall you do: behold, I have commanded you.

Joshua 8:8 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:8

And it shall be, when ye have taken the city
Entered it and become masters of it:

[that] ye shall set the city on fire;
not the whole city, only some outlying houses of it, to make a smoke which might be seen both by Israel and the men of Ai, for different purposes; for the spoil of the city was first to be taken before it was utterly burnt with fire:

according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do;
plunder the city, destroy the inhabitants of it, and then burn it:

see I have commanded you;
delivered the command of the Lord unto them, and therefore were left without excuse, and could not plead ignorance; besides, he was their general, and he expected his orders to be obeyed, as they ought to have been.

Joshua 8:8 In-Context

6 and they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: so we will flee before them;

7 and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

8 It shall be, when you have seized on the city, that you shall set the city on fire; according to the word of the LORD shall you do: behold, I have commanded you.

9 Yehoshua sent them forth; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Beit-El and `Ai, on the west side of `Ai: but Yehoshua lodged that night among the people.

10 Yehoshua arose up early in the morning, and mustered the people, and went up, he and the Zakenim of Yisra'el, before the people to `Ai.