Joshua 8:16

16 So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city.

Joshua 8:16 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:16

And all the people that were in Ai [were] called together to
pursue after them
Because the host of Israel was very numerous, it was judged proper that all the people in Ai should assist in pursuing them, not only to kill the more in the pursuit, but to carry off the spoil and prisoners they should take; or rather the sense is, that all the people in Ai, which were come out with the king to battle, when they saw Israel flee, "cried" ^F24, or shouted, as soldiers do when victorious, "in" or "while pursuing" ^F25 after them;

and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city;
at some considerable distance from it; which was the design to be answered by feigning a flight.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 (wqezw) "vociferantes", V. L. "vociferati sunt", Pagninus, Montanus.
F25 (Pdrl) "persequendo", Pagninus, Montanus.

Joshua 8:16 In-Context

14 When the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the inhabitants of the city, hurried out early in the morning to the meeting place facing the Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

15 And Joshua and all Israel made a pretense of being beaten before them, and fled in the direction of the wilderness.

16 So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city.

17 There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel; they left the city open, and pursued Israel.

18 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Stretch out the sword that is in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched out the sword that was in his hand toward the city.