ヨシュア記 8:1-13 JC

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 8:1-2

Israel were very happy in having such a commander as Joshua, but Joshua was more happy in having such a director as God himself; when any difficulty occurred, he needed not to call a council of war who had God so nigh unto him, not only to answer, but even to anticipate, his enquiries. It should seem, Joshua was now at a stand, had scarcely recovered the discomposure he was put into by the trouble Achan gave them, and could not think, without fear and trembling, of pushing forward, lest there... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 8:3-22

We have here an account of the taking of Ai by stratagem. The stratagem here used, we are sure, was lawful and good; God himself appointed it, and we have no reason to think but that the like is lawful and good in other wars. Here was no league broken, no treaty of peace, that the advantage was gained; no, these are sacred things, and not to be jested with, nor used to serve a turn; truth, when once it is plighted, becomes a debt even to the enemy. But in this stratagem here was no untruth... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:1

And the Lord said unto Joshua ,.... Immediately after the execution of Achan, the fierceness of his anger being turned away: fear not, neither be thou dismayed ; on account of the defeat of his troops he had sent to take Ai: take all the people of war with thee ; all above twenty years of age, which, with the forty thousand of the tribes on the other side Jordan he brought over with him, must make an arm, five hundred thousand men; these Joshua was to take with so much to animate and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:2

And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst to Jericho and her king ,.... Burn the one and slay the other: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves ; which they were not allowed to do at Jericho: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it ; at the west side of it: some have called in question the lawfulness of the ambush, but, as this was appointed by the Lord, there is no room for it. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:3

So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai ,.... As the Lord had commanded him: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour ; out of all the men of war; these were a select company, picked men, not the whole army, as some have thought, for he was ordered to take all the people of war, as he did: and sent them away by night ; from the main army, that they might pass the city and get behind it undiscovered, for they were sent for an ambush; and of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:4

And he commanded them, saying ,.... At the time he sent them away: behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city ; that is, on the west side of it, Joshua 8:9 , go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready ; to enter into it, as soon as the forces are drawn out eastward to meet the army of Israel. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:5

And I and all the people that are with me will approach unto the city ,.... That is, Joshua with the main body of the army would march up to the city the next morning, in order to draw out the inhabitants of it to fight them: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first ; as they had done before, when the three thousand were sent against them, Joshua 7:4 , that we will flee before them ; as the three thousand did, which would animate them to pursue... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:6

For they will come out after us ,.... Of which there could be no doubt, when they should see them run from them: till we have drawn them from the city ; some distance from it, that they could not return soon enough to save it from the ambush, or prevent their entrance into it, and burning it: for they will say, they will flee before us, as at the first ; they run away as they did before, and let us pursue them and smite them as we did then: therefore we will flee before them ; to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:7

Then ye shall rise up from the ambush ,.... When they should see a signal made, that in Joshua 8:18 ; and when their watch, they might set in a proper place, should see Israel flee, and the men of Ai at a distance from their city, pursuing, and give notice of it to the ambush: and seize upon the city ; enter into it, and take possession of it, its fortresses, and secure its passes: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand ; Joshua expresses himself with great... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:8

And it shall be, when ye have taken the city ,.... Entered it and become masters of it: that ye shall set the city on fire ; not the whole city, only some outlying houses of it, to make a smoke which might be seen both by Israel and the men of Ai, for different purposes; for the spoil of the city was first to be taken before it was utterly burnt with fire: according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do ; plunder the city, destroy the inhabitants of it, and then burn it: ... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 8:1-2

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 8:3-22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:8

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