Joshua 8:16

Joshua 8:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.

Context of Joshua 8:16

14Now when the king [and the people] of Ai saw it, the men of the city hurried and got up early and went out to meet Israel in battle, the king and all his people at the appointed [time and] place before the desert plain (the Arabah). But he did not know that there was an ambush against him [waiting] behind the city [on the west side]. 15So Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them, and ran toward the wilderness. Then all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city. 17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel; so they left the city open and unguarded and they pursued Israel. 18Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Reach out with the spear that is in your hand [and point it] toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” So Joshua reached out with the spear in his hand [and pointed it] toward the city.

Joshua 8:16 word by word

וַיִּזָּעֲק֗וּ כָּל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּעַ֔י לִרְדֹּ֖ף אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וַֽיִּרְדְּפוּ֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ וַיִּנָּתְק֖וּ מִן־הָעִֽיר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• in Aiעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• in Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
• were calledזָעַקzâ‛aq · to cry outH2199
• together to pursueרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• and were drawn awayנָתַקnâthaq · to tearH5423
• from the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892

Cross-references for Joshua 8:16

• Judges 20:36So the Benjamites realized that they were defeated. Then men of Israel gave ground to the Benjamites, because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had placed against Gibeah.
• Joshua 8:5Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out to meet us [for battle] as [they did] the first time, we will run away from them.
• Judges 20:31The Benjamites went out against their army and were lured away from the city, and they began to strike and kill some of the people as at other times, on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel.
• Psalms 9:16The Lord has made Himself known; He executes judgment; The wicked are trapped by the work of their own hands. Higgaion (meditation) Selah.
• Ezekiel 38:11and you will say, ‘I will go up against an open country; I will come against those who are at rest and peaceful, who live securely, all of them living without walls and having neither bars nor gates,
• Revelation 16:14for they are [actually] the spirits of demons, performing [miraculous] signs. And they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
• Revelation 19:19Then I saw the beast and the kings and political leaders of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Him who is mounted on the [white] horse and against His army.

Commentaries on Joshua 8:16

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-22Verses 3-22 Observe Joshua's conduct and prudence. Those that would maintain their spiritual conflicts must not love their ease. Probably he went into the valley alone, to pray to God for a blessing, and he did not seek in vain. He never drew back till the work was done. Those that have stretched out their hands against their spiritual enemies, must never draw them back.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1715-17. Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them--the pretended flight in the direction of the wilderness; that is, southeast, into the Ghor, the desert valley of the Jordan, decoyed all the inhabitants of Ai out of the city, while the people of Beth-el hastened to participate in the expected victory. It is supposed by some, from "the city," and not "cities," being spoken of, that the effective force of Beth-el had been concentrated in…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 8:16

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Ai
• Joshua
• Ambush
• Heap
• Raise
• Wait
• Exodus, the Book of
• Joshua, Book of

Commentaries on Joshua 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings