Charles Ellicott Commentary Joshua 8
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Joshua 8
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Joshua 8
"And Jehovah 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;" — Joshua 8:1 (ASV)
Fear not, neither be thou dismayed. —See Joshua 1:9; Joshua 10:25. In Joshua 1:9, For the Lord thy God is with thee. These words indicate the return of Jehovah to the host of Israel, for the prosecution of the war.
Take all the people. —Not merely “two or three thousand,” as before.
Ai. —In Hebrew, Hâ-ai. Ai is intended for one syllable, not two as it is often pronounced in English. It means “the heap” (of ruins, apparently). In Joshua 8:28, we read that Joshua made it an heap for ever (Tel-ôlâm in Hebrew). Thus its first and last names agree.
It is remarked that while Palestine is full of “Tels” with other names appended to them (such as Tell-es Sultan, and some ten others near Jericho alone), the place called et-Tel near Bethel has no other appendage.
It is not the heap of anything, but simply the heap, to this day; and this fact, which is apparently without parallel, seems to fix the site of Ai at et-Tel. (See Note on Joshua 7:2.)
And his land. —The capture of Ai was not simply the capture of a town or fortress, but of the chief town of a territory, the extent of which we are not told. If we knew the circumstances of the time more precisely, we might understand the strategic reasons which made it desirable to obtain possession of Ai in particular at this stage of the campaign.
"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: set thee an ambush for the city behind it." — Joshua 8:2 (ASV)
Only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take — that is, the material spoil, not the persons of the inhabitants. (See Joshua 11:14.) Jericho was treated exceptionally, in that the material spoil was made chêrem, devoted to destruction, as the thing accursed of God.
"So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night." — Joshua 8:3 (ASV)
And Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men. — Some difficulty arises from the fact that thirty thousand men are mentioned as having been sent away with general instructions to form an ambush in the first instance, while five thousand were ultimately posted between Bethel and Ai. Were there two distinct bodies in ambush, or only one? It does not seem possible to answer this question with absolute certainty; but we ought to notice, in the first place, what Joshua's aim was. He meant to isolate the town of Ai, taking it in front and flank; but there was another town immediately in the rear, less than two miles away. It was necessary, therefore, to employ a sufficient body of men to cut off communications between Bethel and Ai from the outset.
"And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready: 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; and they will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: so we will flee before them; and ye shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city: for Jehovah your God will deliver it into your hand. And it shall be, when ye have seized upon the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of Jehovah shall ye do: see, I have commanded you." — Joshua 8:4-8 (ASV)
Joshua’s general plan of operations is stated in these verses. The following verses explain how it was worked out.
"And Joshua sent them forth; and they went to the ambushment, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people." — Joshua 8:9 (ASV)
They went to lie in ambush. —Or, they went to the lurking-place; and remained between Bethel and Ai. The ambush itself (Joshua 8:2, 7, 19, 21) is described by a slightly different word.
Among the people —that is, at Gilgal.
10) Joshua ... numbered. —Or, rather, mustered the people.
He then went up with the elders of Israel at the head of the main body, and made an imposing demonstration with a large force in front of the town.
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