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

14When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, the men of the city hurried and went out early in the morning so that he and all his people could engage Israel in battle at a suitable place facing the Arabah. But he did not know there was an ambush waiting for him behind the city. 15Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten back by them and fled toward the wilderness. Then all the troops of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. 17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city exposed while they pursued Israel. 18Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold out the javelin in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the city over to you.” So Joshua held out his javelin toward it.

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 20:36Then the Benjaminites realized they had been defeated. The men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin, because they were confident in the ambush they had set against Gibeah.
• Joshua 8:5Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them.
• Judges 20:31Then the Benjaminites came out against the troops and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the troops as before, killing about thirty men of Israel on the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah through the open country.
• Psalms 9:16The Lord has made himself known; he has executed justice, snaring the wicked by the work of their hands.Higgaion. Selah
• Ezekiel 38:11You will say, “I will advance against a land of open villages; I will come against a tranquil people who are living securely, all of them living without walls and without bars or gates” —
• Revelation 16:14For they are demonic spirits performing signs, who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for the battle on the great day of God, the Almighty.
• Revelation 19:19Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the 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