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
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