Joshua 8:28

28 So Joshua burned Ai^[a] and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day.

Joshua 8:28 in Other Translations

28 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.

28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day.

28 So Joshua burned the town of Ai, and it became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day.

28 Joshua burned Ai to the ground. A "heap" of nothing forever, a "no-place" - go see for yourself.

28 So Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap for ever, even a desolation, unto this day.

28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a deserted mound of ruins. It is still in ruins today.

28 Joshua burned Ai and left it a permanent ruin, desolate to this day.

28 So Joshua burned Ai down. He tore it down so it could never be built again. It has been deserted to this very 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 did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed all who lived in Ai.

27 But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the LORD had instructed Joshua.

28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day.

29 He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole and left it there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take the body from the pole and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.

30 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel,

Cross References

• 1. S Numbers 31:10
• 2. Joshua 7:2; Jeremiah 49:3
• 3. S Deuteronomy 13:16; Joshua 10:1
• 4. S Genesis 35:20

Footnotes

• [a]. "Ai" means "the ruin" .