Joshua 8:13

13 And all the tother host dressed the battle array to the north, so [that] the last men of the multitude reached to the west coast of the city. Then Joshua went in that night, and stood in the midst of [the] valley;

Joshua 8:13 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:13

And when they had set the people
In battle array, as in ( 1 Kings 20:12 ) ; that is, Joshua and the officers of the army:

[even] all the host that [was] on the north of the city;
where Joshua and the main army were:

and the liers in wait on the west of the city:
both the first and second ambush; when all, were prepared and got ready by their several officers, to act the part they were to do:

Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley;
according to Ben Gersom, to see whether the guards or sentinels which were placed there were awake or asleep, lest the men of Ai should come suddenly upon them and smite them; but perhaps it might be to pray and meditate.

Joshua 8:13 In-Context

11 And when they had come, and had gone up against the city, they stood at the north coast of the city, betwixt the which city and them a valley was in the midst. (And they came toward the city, and arrived at the north side of it, and there was a valley between them and the city.)

12 And Joshua had chosen five thousand men, and he had set them in [the] ambushments betwixt Bethel and Ai, in the west part of the same city. (And Joshua chose five thousand men, and he put them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.)

13 And all the tother host dressed the battle array to the north, so [that] the last men of the multitude reached to the west coast of the city. Then Joshua went in that night, and stood in the midst of [the] valley;

14 and when the king of Ai had seen this, he hasted (and rose up) early, and went out with all the host of the city, and he dressed (the) battle array against the desert; and he wist not that ambushments were hid behind his back. (and when the king of Ai had seen this, he hastened, and rose up early, and went out of the city with all of his army, and he directed the battle array toward the wilderness; but he did not know that men were hidden in ambush behind his back.)

15 Forsooth Joshua and all the multitude of Israel gave place, feigning dread, and fleeing (away) by the way of (the) wilderness;