God’s Word Translation
Joshua 8:1
1The Lord said to Joshua, “Don’t be terrified or afraid. Take all the troops with you, and march against Ai. I am about to hand the king of Ai, his people, city, and land over to you.
Joshua 8:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
- New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the Lord said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
Context of Joshua 8:1
The Lord said to Joshua, “Don’t be terrified or afraid. Take all the troops with you, and march against Ai. I am about to hand the king of Ai, his people, city, and land over to you. 2You will do the same thing to Ai and its king that you did to Jericho and its king. However, you may take its loot and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.” 3So Joshua and all the soldiers started to march against Ai. Joshua picked 30,000 of his best soldiers and sent them out at night
Read all of Joshua 8Joshua 8:1 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ אַל־תִּירָ֣א וְאַל־תֵּחָ֔ת קַ֣ח עִמְּךָ֗ אֵ֚ת כָּל־עַ֣ם הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְק֖וּם עֲלֵ֣ה הָעָ֑י רְאֵ֣ה׀ נָתַ֣תִּי בְיָדְךָ֗ אֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ הָעַי֙ וְאֶת־עַמּ֔וֹ וְאֶת־עִיר֖וֹ וְאֶת־אַרְצֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- Fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- not, neither be thou dismayedחָתַתchâthath · to to be dismayedH2865
- takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- all the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- with thee, and ariseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- to Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
- seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: behold!H7200
- I have givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- into thy handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- and his peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and his cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and his landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for Joshua 8:1
- Joshua 1:9“I have commanded you, ‘Be strong and courageous! Don’t tremble or be terrified, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’ ”
- Joshua 7:6Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes in grief. They put dust on their heads and bowed down to the ground in front of the Lord’s ark. They stayed there until evening.
- Deuteronomy 1:21The Lord your God is giving you this land. Go ahead! Take possession of it, as the Lord God of your ancestors told you. Don’t be afraid or terrified.”
- Deuteronomy 7:18Don’t be afraid of them. Remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 31:8The Lord is the one who is going ahead of you. He will be with you. He won’t abandon you or leave you. So don’t be afraid or terrified.”
- Psalms 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation. Who is there to fear? The Lord is my life’s fortress. Who is there to be afraid of?
- Psalms 46:11The Lord of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
- Isaiah 12:2Look! God is my Savior. I am confident and unafraid, because the Lord is my strength and my song. He is my Savior.”
- Isaiah 41:10Don’t be afraid, because I am with you. Don’t be intimidated; I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will support you with my victorious right hand.
- Isaiah 43:1The Lord created Jacob and formed Israel. Now, this is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
- Jeremiah 46:27“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob. Don’t be terrified, Israel. I’m going to rescue you and your descendants from a faraway land, from the land where you are captives. Then Jacob’s descendants will again have undisturbed peace, and no one will make them afraid.
- Matthew 8:26Jesus said to them, “Why do you cowards have so little faith?” Then he got up, gave an order to the wind and the sea, and the sea became very calm.
- Joshua 8:12Joshua had taken about five thousand men and had them hide between Bethel and Ai, west of the city.
- Joshua 8:25Twelve thousand men and women from Ai died that day.
- Joshua 6:2The Lord said to Joshua, “I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you.
- Psalms 44:3It was not with their swords that they took possession of the land. They did not gain victory with their own strength. It was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your presence ⌞that did it⌟, because you were pleased with them.
Commentaries on Joshua 8:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Fear not - The iniquity being now purged away, because of which God had turned his hand against Israel, there was now no cause to dread any other disaster, and therefore Joshua is ordered to take courage. Take all the people of war with thee - From the letter of this verse it appears that all that were capable of carrying arms were to march out of the camp on this occasion: thirty thousand chosen men formed an ambuscade in one place; five thousand he…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1God rouses Joshua from his dejection Joshua 7:6, and bids him lmarch against Ai with the main body. Though Ai was but a small city (compare Joshua 8:25 and Joshua 7:3), yet the discouragement of the people rendered it inexpedient to send a second time a mere detachment against it; and the people of Ai had, as appears from Joshua 8:17, help from Bethel, and possibly from other places also. It was fitting too that all the people should witness with their…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1God encourages Joshua. (1-2) The taking of Ai. (3-22) The destruction of Ai and its king. (23-29) The law read on Ebal and Gerizim. (30-35) Verses 1-2 When we have faithfully put away sin, that accursed thing which separates between us and God, then, and not till then, we may look to hear from God to our comfort; and God's directing us how to go on in our Christian work and warfare, is a good evidence of his being reconciled to us. God encouraged Joshua…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Do not be afraid or discouraged: God gave Joshua similar encouragement before sending him to Jericho (6:2).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 8:1
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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