For Joshua drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out his spear ,.... But continued it, and that stretched out: until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai ; just as the hand of Moses was held up, and kept held up until Amalek was discomfited by Joshua, Exodus 17:12 . read more
Only the cattle, and the spoil of the city, Israel took for a prey unto themselves ,.... Even all their substance, as besides their cattle, also their gold, silver, household goods, merchandise, &c.; according unto the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua , Joshua 8:2 . read more
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... read more
And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide ,.... By way of terror to other kings in the land of Canaan, that should refuse to submit unto him: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree ; according to the law in Deuteronomy 21:23 ; and that the land might not be defiled: and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city ; this was done, according to Ben Gersom and Abarbinel, that it might be publicly known to... read more
Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal. As was commanded, Deuteronomy 27:5 . The Samaritan Chronicle says, it was built in Mount Gerizim; but there is a difficulty arises, when this was done by Joshua; it should seem by inserting the account here, that it was done immediately after the destruction of Ai; and Mercator endeavours to prove that Ebal was near to Ai, but what he has said does not give satisfaction; for certain it is, that Ebal and Gerizim were near... read more
As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses ,.... Deuteronomy 27:5 , an altar of whole stones, on which no man hath lift up any iron ; See Gill on Exodus 20:25 ; see Gill on Deuteronomy 27:5 , and; see Gill on Deuteronomy 27:6 , and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings ; by way of thanksgiving for the good land they were introduced into, and this was what... read more
And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses ,.... Not upon the stones of which the altar was made, though some have so thought; but upon other stones erected in the form of a pillar, and plastered over, Deuteronomy 27:4 ; which copy of the law was not the whole book of Deuteronomy, as some, at least only an abstract of the laws in it; but rather the decalogue, as Abarbinel; or the blessings and curses later read, as Ben Gersom: which he wrote in the presence of the... read more
And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark, and on that side ,.... Some on Ebal, and some on Gerizim: before the priests and the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord ; it being brought out of the tabernacle on this occasion, and bottle by the priests and Levites: as well the stranger, as he that was born among them ; that is, as well the proselytes as the native Israelites, both appeared and were in the same... read more
And afterwards he read all the words of the law ,.... Not the whole Pentateuch, nor the whole book of Deuteronomy, but either some parts of it, the decalogue, or whatsoever he had written on the stones, and as follows: the blessings and cursings, according to all that was written in the book of the law ; Deuteronomy 27:14 ; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:11 . read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:25
And so it was, that all that fell that day ,.... Partly in the city, and partly in the field, both by the ambush and the army: both of men and women: were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai ; so that the city was not a very large one, and the numbers of inhabitants were comparatively but few, as in Joshua 7:3 . read more