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 main camp, he and all his troops got up early in the morning. They rushed out toward the plains to meet Israel for battle, just where ⌞Joshua⌟ expected. However, the king didn’t know there were troops behind the city waiting to attack him. 15Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated. They ran away toward the desert. All the troops in the city were called out to chase them. As they chased Joshua, they were lured away from the city. 17Not one man was left in Ai or Bethel; they all went after Israel. So the city was left unprotected as they chased Israel. 18Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold out the spear in your hand toward the city, because I am handing Ai over to you.” So Joshua held out his spear.

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 men of Benjamin realized they were defeated. The Israelites had allowed the men of Benjamin to take back some ground. The Israelites relied on those waiting in ambush near Gibeah.
• Joshua 8:5I’ll approach the city with the rest of the troops. When they come out to attack us as they did the first time, we will run away from them.
• Judges 20:31The men of Benjamin went out to attack Israel’s troops and were led away from the city. They started to inflict casualties as before. They killed about 30 men from Israel in the open country and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah.
• Psalms 9:16The Lord is known by the judgment he has carried out. The wicked person is trapped by the work of his own hands. Higgaion Selah
• Ezekiel 38:11You will say, “I’ll attack a land with unwalled villages. I will attack peaceful people who live safely. All of them live without walls, locks, or gates.
• Revelation 16:14They are spirits of demons that do miracles. These spirits go to the kings of the whole world and gather them for the war on the frightening day of God Almighty.
• Revelation 19:19I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered to wage war against the rider on the horse and 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