Joshua 8:20-30

20 viri autem civitatis qui persequebantur Iosue respicientes et videntes fumum urbis ad caelum usque conscendere non potuerunt ultra huc illucque diffugere praesertim cum hii qui simulaverant fugam et tendebant ad solitudinem contra persequentes fortissime restitissent

21 vidensque Iosue et omnis Israhel quod capta esset civitas et fumus urbis ascenderet reversus percussit viros Ahi

22 siquidem et illi qui ceperant et succenderant civitatem egressi ex urbe contra suos medios hostium ferire coeperunt cum ergo ex utraque parte adversarii caederentur ita ut nullus de tanta multitudine salvaretur

23 regem quoque urbis Ahi adprehendere viventem et obtulerunt Iosue

24 igitur omnibus interfectis qui Israhelem ad deserta tendentem fuerant persecuti et in eodem loco gladio corruentibus reversi filii Israhel percusserunt civitatem

25 erant autem qui in eo die conciderant a viro usque ad mulierem duodecim milia hominum omnes urbis Ahi

26 Iosue vero non contraxit manum quam in sublime porrexerat tenens clypeum donec interficerentur omnes habitatores Ahi

27 iumenta autem et praedam civitatis diviserunt sibi filii Israhel sicut praeceperat Dominus Iosue

28 qui succendit urbem et fecit eam tumulum sempiternum

29 regem quoque eius suspendit in patibulo usque ad vesperum et solis occasum praecepitque et deposuerunt cadaver eius de cruce proieceruntque in ipso introitu civitatis congesto super eum magno acervo lapidum qui permanet usque in praesentem diem

30 tunc aedificavit Iosue altare Domino Deo Israhel in monte Hebal

Joshua 8:20-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 8

Joshua is encouraged to go up and take Ai, and is directed what method to make use of, Jos 8:1,2; accordingly he set an ambush on the west side of it, and, he and the rest of the army went up before it, Jos 8:3-13; which, when the king of Ai saw, he and all his forces came cut against them, and the Israelites making a feint as if they were beaten, drew on the men of Ai to pursue them, upon which the ambush arose and entered the city and set fire to it, Jos 8:14-19; the smoke of which being observed by Joshua and Israel, they turned back upon the pursuers, and the ambush sallying out of the city behind them, made an entire destruction of them, then slew all the inhabitants, took the spoil, burnt the city, and hanged the king of it, Jos 8:20-29; after this Joshua built an altar at Ebal, wrote the law on stones, and read the blessings and curses in it before all Israel, Jos 8:30-35.