ヨシュア記 8:8-13 JCB

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 8:8

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:9

Joshua therefore sent them forth ,.... The thirty thousand chosen men: and they went to lie in ambush ; as they were ordered, Joshua 8:2 , and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai ; for as Ai was on the east of Bethel, Joshua 7:2 . Bethel must be on the west of Ai, as Jarchi notes: but Joshua lodged that night among the people ; the main body of the army, to direct them in the affair of war, how they should behave the next day, when they came to fight; and to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:10

And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people ,.... To see if there were any wanting, and to put them in proper order for their march: and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai ; these elders were either the seventy elders who went with Joshua as council to him; or it may be rather they were inferior officers, who went at the head of their respective corps under them. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:11

And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, and went up, and drew nigh ,.... To the city of Ai: and came before the city ; as if they intended to besiege it, storm it, or force an entrance into it: and pitched on the north side of Ai ; which was judged fittest for the purpose: now there was a valley between them and Ai ; which the Rabbins call the valley of Halacah, as Jarchi says; so that they were upon a hill, at least on rising ground, and might the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:12

And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush ,.... This was another ambush, as both Jarchi and Kimchi observe; and the latter adds, perhaps he set them nearer the city than the former; though some are of opinion that these are the same ambush spoken of, whose number is here given, being set on the same side of the city; and they suppose that Joshua had with him but thirty thousand men in all, five thousand of which he sent to lie in ambush, and the other twenty five... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 8:8

Ye shall set the city on fire - Probably this means no more than that they should kindle a fire in the city, the smoke of which should be an indication that they had taken it. For as the spoils of the city were to be divided among the people, had they at this time set fire to the city itself, all the property must have been consumed, for the five thousand men did not wait to save any thing, as they immediately issued out to attack the men of Ai in the rear. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 8:10

Numbered the people - העם את ויפקד vaiyiphkod eth haam , he visited the people - inspected their ranks to see whether every thing was in perfect readiness, that in case they should be needed they might be led on to the attack. There is no doubt that Joshua had left the rest of the army so disposed and ready, part of it having probably advanced towards Ai, that he might easily receive reinforcements in case of any disaster to the thirty thousand which had advanced against the city;... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 8:13

Verse 13 13.Joshua went that night, etc It is not probable that all were called out from the camp, but the army was composed of those who were more accustomed to war. That it was sufficiently numerous appears from the fact, that five thousand were withdrawn from it for ambuscade. At first thirty-five thousand appear to be enumerated, but it is clear from the context that the number was not so great. I am rather inclined to conjecture that thirty thousand were led out for open fight, and that... read more

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

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

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:13

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 8:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 8:10

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 8:13

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