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
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
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
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
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
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
Renewed effort after disaster. The Christian warfare, whether from an individual or from a general point of view, is no record of invariable success. The career of each Christian, as of the Christian Church, is a chequered course. It has its periods of triumph and its moments of disaster. We learn here many valuable lessons as to our conduct under adverse circumstances. I. WE ARE NOT TO INDULGE DESPONDENCY . II. WE MUST GIVE HONOUR WHERE HONOUR IS DUE .... read more
We will flee before them. A common expedient of a sagacious general when contending with undisciplined troops is a strong position. Many instances will occur to the student of history, and among others the celebrated feigned flight of William the Conqueror at Hastings. St. Augustine doubts whether this stratagem were lawful. Cajetan and the Jesuit commentators reply that it was so " quia mendacium non tam facile committitur factis, quam verbis " (Cornelius a Lapide). read more
For they will come. Literally, "and they will come." We have drawn. Literally, caused to pluck away (see note on Joshua 4:18 ). Luther translates well by reissen, and the LXX . by ἀποσπάσωμεν . read more
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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