Ver. 2. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai.— To forward the conquest of the land of Canaan, Joshua made the fertile plain of Jericho the centre of his camp, whence he sent detachments to seize upon the neighbouring towns, till the Israelites should see themselves masters of an extent of country sufficient to be divided among the tribes: the event, however, did not take place till about six years after. See Usher's Annals. As soon as he had established the best order he could in his camp, he immediately detached two or three thousand men against the king of Ai, whose capital was about ten or twelve miles distant from Jericho. Ai or Hai has been already spoken of in the history of Abraham. On comparing what Joshua here says of it, with what is mentioned Genesis 12:8 it appears to have been on the north of Jericho, and east of Beth-el, which lay at but a very small distance. Masius places Ai three leagues from Jericho, and one league from Bethel. It was situated upon a hill, ver. 5 and belonged to the Amorites, ver. 7.
Beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el— This town, not far from Beth-el, gave its name to a neighbouring desart. It was certainly, as well as Beth-el, upon the confines of the tribe of Benjamin, toward the north. See chap. Joshua 18:12. The prophet Hosea gives Beth-el itself the name of Beth-aven, in an allegorical sense, because Beth-aven signifies a house of iniquity; and Beth-el well deserved this odious appellation when the impious Jeroboam placed there his golden calves. This puts it beyond doubt, that these two towns have been confounded together, and that Beth-el was the same as Beth-aven.