Joshua 8:3

Joshua 8:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night.

Context of Joshua 8:3

1Now the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear or be dismayed (intimidated). Take all the men of war with you and set out, go up to Ai; see, I have given the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land into your hand. 2You shall do [the same] to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; [except that] you shall take only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. Set up an ambush for the city behind it [on the west side].” So Joshua set out with all the people of war to go up against Ai; then Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men, and sent them out at night. 4He commanded them, saying, “Listen closely, you are going to lie in wait and ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far away from the city, but all of you be ready. 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.

Joshua 8:3 word by word

וַיָּ֧קָם יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ וְכָל־עַ֥ם הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה לַעֲל֣וֹת הָעָ֑י וַיִּבְחַ֣ר יְ֠הוֹשֻׁעַ שְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֤לֶף אִישׁ֙ גִּבּוֹרֵ֣י הַחַ֔יִל וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֖ם לָֽיְלָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• aroseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• and all the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• to go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• against Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
• chose outבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• mightyגִּבּוֹרgibbôr gibbôr · mighty manH1368
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of valourחַ֫יִלchayil · strengthH2428
• and sent them awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915

Cross-references for Joshua 8:3

• Matthew 24:39and they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be [unexpected judgment].
• Matthew 25:6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! The bridegroom [is coming]! Go out to meet him.’
• 1 Thessalonians 5:2For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the [return of the] Lord is coming just as a thief [comes unexpectedly and suddenly] in the night.
• 2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a [mighty and thunderous] roar, and the [material] elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be burned up.

Commentaries on Joshua 8:3

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Thirty thousand men - comparing Joshua 8:3 and Joshua 8:12 (“five thousand men”), there is probably a mistake in the numbers of this verse, where an early copyist may have written the sign for 30,000 instead of that for 5,000. Sent them away by night - The selected 5,000 would accordingly post themselves in the main ravine between Ai and Bethel in the night and early morning. The neighhorhood in which Ai was situated is described as “a wild entanglement…Read the comment
• 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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Set out to attack Ai: This first sentence provides a summary. Details follow in the next paragraphs. The Hebrew words translated 30,000 might mean 30 units (see study note on Exodus 12:37) or 30 chieftains (leaders of groups or tribes). As the battle continued, this group waited in hiding for a surprise attack (an ambush). They remained hidden until Joshua called them into action (Joshua 8:18–19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. So Joshua ... chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour--Joshua despatched thirty thousand men under cover of night, to station themselves at the place appointed for the ambuscade. Out of this number a detachment of five thousand was sent forward to conceal themselves in the immediate precincts of the town, in order to seize the first opportunity of throwing themselves into it [Jos 8:12].Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 8:3

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Ai
• Joshua
• Ambush
• Heap
• Raise
• Wait
• Army
• Choose; Chosen
• Egypt
• Exodus, the 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