Joshua 8:17

Joshua 8:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And there was not a man left in Ai or Beth–el, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city open and pursued Israel.

Context of Joshua 8:17

15Joshua and his army let the men of Ai chase after them. They pretended to be afraid. They ran towards the desert. 16The king told all the men who remained in the city to chase the Israelites. So they continued to chase after them, far away from their city. No men remained in Ai or Bethel. They all chased after the Israelites. There was nobody left to keep the city safe. 18Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Hold out the spear that is in your hand. Point it towards Ai. I am now giving the city to you.’ So Joshua held out his spear towards Ai. 19As soon as he did this, the men who were hiding behind the city came out quickly. They ran into the city and they took it. Immediately, they used fire to burn it.

Joshua 8:17 word by word

וְלֹֽא־נִשְׁאַ֣ר אִ֗ישׁ בָּעַי֙ וּבֵ֣ית אֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָצְא֖וּ אַחֲרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּעַזְב֤וּ אֶת־הָעִיר֙ פְּתוּחָ֔ה וַֽיִּרְדְּפ֖וּ אַחֲרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And there was not a manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• leftשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
• in Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
• or Beth–elבֵּֽיתְ־אֵלbêyth-'êl · BethelH1008
• that went not outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and they leftעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• openפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
• and pursuedרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291

Cross-references for Joshua 8:17

• Joshua 8:3So Joshua and the whole army marched towards Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 of the best soldiers and he sent some of them out at night time.
• Joshua 11:20The Lord had caused the minds of those people to become hard. So they all decided to fight against the Israelites. The Lord wanted the Israelites to destroy those people completely, as he had commanded Moses.
• Deuteronomy 2:30But Sihon, the king of Heshbon, refused to let us travel through his country. He was too proud to agree with us. The Lord our God had caused him to be like that. He wanted to put King Sihon under your power and give his land to you. You still live in his land today.
• Job 5:13When wise people try to do clever things, he causes those things to give them trouble. He quickly stops their clever ideas.
• Isaiah 19:11The royal officers in Zoan are fools! Pharaoh's wise leaders tell him to do stupid things! They should not boast to Pharaoh that they are wise. They should not say that they are descendants of wise kings from long ago.

Commentaries on Joshua 8:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17There was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el - It is very likely that the principal strength of Beth-el had been previously brought into Ai, as the strongest place to make a stand in; Beth-el being but about three miles distant from Ai, and probably not greatly fortified. Therefore Ai contained on this occasion all the men of Beth-el - all the warriors of that city, as well as its own troops and inhabitants. Others think that the Beth-elites, seeing the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Or Bethel - See the Joshua 8:1 note.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. 17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel: Soldiers often gained from war by taking trophies from defeated enemies or receiving rewards from their king for each enemy killed. The warriors of Bethel likely joined those of Ai because they feared Israel's advance.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 8:17

• Ambush
• Armies
• Beth-El
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Ai
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Ambush
• Bethel
• Heap
• Raise
• Wait
• 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