English Standard Version
Joshua 8:2
2And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it."
Joshua 8:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.
- New International Version (NIV)You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town.”
Context of Joshua 8:2
1And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it." 3So 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. 4And he commanded them, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready.
Read all of Joshua 8Joshua 8:2 word by word
וְעָשִׂ֨יתָ לָעַ֜י וּלְמַלְכָּ֗הּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשִׂ֤יתָ לִֽירִיחוֹ֙ וּלְמַלְכָּ֔הּ רַק־שְׁלָלָ֥הּ וּבְהֶמְתָּ֖הּ תָּבֹ֣זּוּ לָכֶ֑ם שִׂים־לְךָ֥ אֹרֵ֛ב לָעִ֖יר מֵאַחֲרֶֽיהָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And thou shalt doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- to Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
- and her kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- unto Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405
- only the spoilשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
- thereof, and the cattleבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- thereof, shall ye take for a preyבָּזַזbâzaz · to plunderH962
- unto yourselves: layשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- thee an ambushאָרַב'ârab · to ambushH693
- for the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- behindאַחַר'achar · afterH310
Cross-references for Joshua 8:2
- Joshua 8:24When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword.
- Joshua 6:21Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.
- Joshua 10:1As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
- Deuteronomy 3:2But the Lord said to me, 'Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.'
- Deuteronomy 20:14but the women and the little ones, the livestock, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as plunder for yourselves. And you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the Lord your God has given you.
- Job 27:16Though he heap up silver like dust, and pile up clothing like clay,
- Psalms 39:6Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
- Proverbs 13:22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.
- Proverbs 28:20A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
- Jeremiah 17:11Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool.
- Luke 12:20But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'
- Joshua 8:7Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand.
- Judges 20:29So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah.
- 2 Chronicles 13:13Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
- 2 Chronicles 20:22And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.
- Jeremiah 51:12"Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon; make the watch strong; set up watchmen; prepare the ambushes; for the Lord has both planned and done what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
Commentaries on Joshua 8:2
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Unlike other ancient nations that went to war to gain wealth, Israel acted as God's agent to judge the people of Canaan. Their plunder and livestock were secondary. The strategy for capturing Ai involved planning an ambush. Joshua followed God's simple instructions effectively. behind the town: On its west side (8:12).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-281-2. The Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not--By the execution of justice on Achan, the divine wrath was averted, the Israelites were reassured, defeat was succeeded by victory; and thus the case of Ai affords a striking example of God's disciplinary government, in which chastisements for sin are often made to pave the way for the bestowment of those temporal benefits, which, on account of sin, have been withdrawn, or withheld for a time. Joshua, who had been…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 8:2
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries