Joshua 8:1-35 - L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

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AI TOTALLY DESTROYED

(vs.1-29)

Now the Lord gives explicit instructions to Joshua as to attacking Ai. How different these were to the plans Joshua used at first! God tells Joshua not to be afraid, but to take with him all the men of war, not only 3000 men (v.1). It was God who would deliver them into the hand of Joshua, so that there was no doubt of their gaining the victory. They must do with Ai as they had done with Jericho, but in this case the people could take the spoil for themselves (v.2).

God had given the total victory over Jericho, which symbolizes the world as a system of evil. But as to Ai, though God was behind all that Israel did, yet they were to fight in various ways, for Ai speaks of the details of worldliness that hinder the spiritual progress of believers. In their overcoming these things, small as they seem to be, believers will gain spiritually. Thus Israel in this case gained through the spoils.

First they were told to set an ambush behind the city. Joshua therefore chose 30,000 valiant warriors, telling them to lie in wait behind the city, not far from it, and being ready for conflict (v.4). They would wait for Joshua and those with him to show themselves before the city, with the confidence that Ai's men would come out to attack them as before. Israel would then act as though they were beaten and retreat with the men of Ai in pursuit. This would give the ambush time to enter the city and set it on fire (vs.5-8). The men therefore remained in ambush that night (v.9).

Early the next morning Joshua mustered his army and brought them to the north side of Ai, where they encamped (v.11). He also set about 5,000 men in ambush on the west side of the city. Thus there were 30,000 lying in wait behind the city and 5,000 on the west side and a large army with Joshua at the front of the city.

Then Joshua and his army marched into the valley in view of the city gates (v.13). The king of Ai immediately led his army out of the gates to attack Israel as he did before, being ignorant of the ambushes that had been laid (v.14). Joshua and his army retreated then, fleeing from Ai. All the army of Ai joined in pursuit of Israel, leaving the city without defense (vs.15-17). They were not like the men of Jericho who kept their city tightly closed against Israel, but felt themselves strong in taking the offensive, no doubt encouraged by the fact that they had done so before and won.

When Ai had been left defenseless, the Lord told Joshua to stretch out his spear toward Ai (v.18). This was the signal for which the ambush was waiting, and they rushed into the city and set it on fire before the army of Ai knew what was happening (v.19). When-they saw their city on fire, they found themselves caught in the middle, for those they pursued turned back and struck down the men of Ai (v.21). Those who had torched the city came out and attacked from behind, thus in a short time destroying all the army of Ai (v.22).

The king of Ai was taken alive and when the army had been destroyed, the armies of Israel returned into the city and finished the destruction, so that 12,000 were killed that day, the entire population of Ai (v.25). The livestock and other spoil was taken by the Israelites, however, as God had instructed (v.27). The king of Ai was hanged, then his body buried by a great heap of stones at the entrance of the city.

In all of this history we are reminded of some distinct ways in which scripture instructs us to deal with evil:

(1) Entrenched against evil -- those pitched on the north side of Ai (v.11).

Compare Ephesians 6:13.

(2) Watching against evil -- those who laid in ambush (v.12).

Compare 1 Corinthians 16:13.

(3) Appearing against evil -- Joshua's group going into the midst of the valley (v.13).

Compare Ephesians 5:11.

(4) Fleeing from evil -- Joshua's retreat (v.15).

Compare 2 Timothy 2:22.

(5) Putting evil to death -- the destruction of the army of Ai (v.26).

Compare Colossians 3:5.

THE ALTAR IN MOUNT EBAL

(vs.30-35)

It is refreshing to see how quickly Joshua responded to God's command inDeuteronomy 27:2-8 in building an altar on Mount Ebal, an altar of whole stones. It is reported that this altar has recently been unearthed by archaeologists, who have found it to be of very large dimensions. On this altar the Israelites offered both burnt offerings and peace offerings (v.31). Besides this, Joshua wrote a copy of the law of Moses (v.32). God did not have Israel rush immediately into further conquests, but rather sought to have them soberly consider their relationship to Him, to give Him the worship due His name and be found in a spirit of dependence on Him and obedience to His law,

More time was then taken for Israel to be gathered together, with half the congregation in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal. The ark was in the center, attended by the priests, but all Israel was required to be present. These two mountains were in close proximity, and Joshua was obeying God's command inDeuteronomy 27:11-13. Curses were connected with Mount Ebal and blessings with Mount Gerizim. Here Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings (v.34). Moses had rehearsed this with Israel before, but this was needed as a constant reminder to them.

No one was exempt from hearing this discourse. Women, little children and strangers living among them must be included too (v.35).

Related Commentaries of Joshua 8:1

Joshua 8:1-35

1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:

2 And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

3 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.

4 And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:

5 And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,

6 (For they will come out after us) till we have drawna them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.

7 Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

8 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

9 Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

11 And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.

12 And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

13 And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

14 And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.

15 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

16 And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

17 And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

18 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

19 And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

20 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no powerb to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

21 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

22 And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

23 And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

24 And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

25 And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

26 For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.

28 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.

29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.

30 Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,

31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

32 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

33 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.