Joshua 8:18-31 NIV

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 8:23-29

We have here an account of the improvement which the Israelites made of their victory over Ai. 1. They put all to the sword, not only in the field, but in the city, man, woman, and child, none of them remained, Josh. 8:24. God, the righteous Judge, had passed this sentence upon them for their wickedness, so that the Israelites were only the ministers of his justice and the executioners of his doom. Once in this story, and but once, mention is made of the men of Beth-el, as confederates with... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 8:30-35

This religious solemnity of which we have here an account comes in somewhat surprisingly in the midst of the history of the wars of Canaan. After the taking of Jericho and Ai, we should have expected that the next news would be of their taking possession of the country, the pushing on of their victories in other cities, and the carrying of the war into the bowels of the nation, now that they had made themselves masters of these frontier towns. But here a scene opens of quite another nature;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:18

And the Lord said unto Joshua, stretch out the spear that is in thy hand towards Ai ,.... On which was a flag, as Abarbinel and Ben Melech think; and which is not improbable, and served for a signal for the ambush to come out and seize the city, as both they and Jarchi observe, as well as a signal also to the army of Israel to prepare to turn and face about, and engage with the enemy; though they did not actually do this until they saw the smoke of the city, Joshua 8:21 , for I will... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:19

And the ambush arose quickly out of their place ,.... As soon as the sentinels set in proper places observed the signal, and gave them notice of it, which was the stretching out of the spear, as appears by what follows: and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand ; and the spear in his hand; from whence it is plain, that though the Lord is said to bid Joshua do this now, he had orders from him for it before and the ambush must have been made acquainted with it before they were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:20

And when the men of Ai looked behind them ,.... On some account or another, perhaps observing that the army of Israel made a full stop and was gazing at the city: they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven ; from whence they concluded an enemy was there, and had set fire to it: and they had no power to flee this way or that way ; for if they turned back to their city there was an enemy, how powerful they knew not, possessed of it, and whom they might expect... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:21

And when Joshua ,.... Or "for Joshua" F26 ויהושע "et enim Josua", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Masius. : and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city ; which they knew by the smoke, as follows: and that the smoke of the city ascended ; in large columns, which sufficiently indicated that the whole city was taken and fired by the ambush: then , or, "and": they turned again and slew the men of Ai ; great numbers of them. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:22

And the other issued out of the city against them ,.... That is, the ambush, or at least a part of them: so that they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side ; or, as we commonly say, they were between two fires, the ambush on one side, the army of Israel on the other: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape ; not one was saved alive, excepting their king, as in Joshua 8:23 ; no quarter was given them, nor any suffered to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:23

And the king of Ai they took alive ,.... They spared him, and reserved him for a more shameful death: and brought him to Joshua ; their general; delivering him into his hands as his prisoner, to do will, him as seemed good in his sight. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:24

And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai ,.... That came out against them: in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them ; both in the arable lands that were sown with corn, and now clothed with it, the wheat especially, not being gathered in, as not yet ripe, and in the pasture ground, designed by the wilderness, see Joshua 8:15 ; so Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it: and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword ;... read more

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

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 8:23-29

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 8:30-35

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:23

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 8:24

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