And all the people, [even the people] of war that [were] with him, and went up, and drew nigh,.... To the city of Ai:
and came before the city; as if they intended to besiege it, storm it, or force an entrance into it:
and pitched on the north side of Ai; which was judged fittest for the purpose:
now [there was] a valley between them and Ai; which the Rabbins call the valley of Halacah, as Jarchi says; so that they were upon a hill, at least on rising ground, and might the more easily be seen by the inhabitants of Ai, whom they wanted to draw out of their city.