God’s Word Translation
Joshua 8:2
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.”
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.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- 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.”
Context of Joshua 8:2
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. You 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 4with these orders: “Set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far away from the city. Everyone must be 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 8:24Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the fields and in the desert where they had been pursued. They put them all to death; not one person survived. Then the Israelites went back to Ai and killed everyone left there.
- Joshua 6:21They claimed everything in it for the Lord. With their swords they killed men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.
- Joshua 10:1King Adoni Zedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and claimed it for the Lord the same way he had destroyed Jericho and its king. He also heard that the people of Gibeon had made peace with the people of Israel and were living with them.
- Deuteronomy 3:2The Lord said to me, “Don’t be afraid of him. I’ll hand him, all his troops, and his land over to you. Do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.”
- Deuteronomy 20:14But take the women and children, the cattle and everything else in the city, including all its goods, as your loot. You may enjoy your enemies’ goods that the Lord your God has given you.
- Job 27:16Though he collects silver like dust and piles up clothing like dirt,
- Psalms 39:6Each person who walks around is like a shadow. They are busy for no reason. They accumulate riches without knowing who will get them.”
- Proverbs 13:22Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners is stored away for a righteous person.
- Proverbs 28:20A trustworthy person has many blessings, but anyone in a hurry to get rich will not escape punishment.
- Jeremiah 17:11A person who gets rich dishonestly is like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay. During his lifetime, he will lose his wealth. In the end, he will be a godless fool.”
- Luke 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! I will demand your life from you tonight! Now who will get what you’ve accumulated?’
- Joshua 8:7you come out of hiding and capture the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you.
- Judges 20:29Then Israel placed troops in ambush around Gibeah.
- 2 Chronicles 13:13But Jeroboam had set an ambush to attack them from behind. So Jeroboam’s army was in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
- 2 Chronicles 20:22As they started to sing praises, the Lord set ambushes against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir who had come into Judah. They were defeated.
- Jeremiah 51:12Raise your battle flag in front of the walls of Babylon. Strengthen the guards. Station watchmen. Prepare ambushes. The Lord will carry out his plans against the people who live in 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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