Joshua 8:3

Joshua 8:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.
• New International Version (NIV)So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night
• English Standard Version (ESV)So 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night.

Context of Joshua 8:3

1The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Take the whole army with you and march against Ai! See, I am handing over to you the king of Ai, along with his people, city, and land. 2Do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho and its king, except you may plunder its goods and cattle. Set an ambush behind the city!” Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai. Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night. 4He told them, “Look, set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city; all of you be ready! 5I and all the troops who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them.

Joshua 8:3 word by word

וַיָּ֧קָם יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ וְכָל־עַ֥ם הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה לַעֲל֣וֹת הָעָ֑י וַיִּבְחַ֣ר יְ֠הוֹשֻׁעַ שְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֤לֶף אִישׁ֙ גִּבּוֹרֵ֣י הַחַ֔יִל וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֖ם לָֽיְלָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• aroseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• and all the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• to go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• against Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
• chose outבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• mightyגִּבּוֹרgibbôr gibbôr · mighty manH1368
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of valourחַ֫יִלchayil · strengthH2428
• and sent them awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915

Cross-references for Joshua 8:3

• Matthew 24:39And they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. It will be the same at the coming of the Son of Man.
• Matthew 25:6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’
• 1 Thessalonians 5:2For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night.
• 2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; when it comes, the heavens will disappear with a horrific noise, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze, and the earth and every deed done on it will be laid bare.

Commentaries on Joshua 8:3

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Thirty thousand men - comparing Joshua 8:3 and Joshua 8:12 (“five thousand men”), there is probably a mistake in the numbers of this verse, where an early copyist may have written the sign for 30,000 instead of that for 5,000. Sent them away by night - The selected 5,000 would accordingly post themselves in the main ravine between Ai and Bethel in the night and early morning. The neighhorhood in which Ai was situated is described as “a wild entanglement…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. 3Set out to attack Ai: This first sentence provides a summary. Details follow in the next paragraphs. The Hebrew words translated 30,000 might mean 30 units (see study note on Exodus 12:37) or 30 chieftains (leaders of groups or tribes). As the battle continued, this group waited in hiding for a surprise attack (an ambush). They remained hidden until Joshua called them into action (Joshua 8:18–19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. So Joshua ... chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour--Joshua despatched thirty thousand men under cover of night, to station themselves at the place appointed for the ambuscade. Out of this number a detachment of five thousand was sent forward to conceal themselves in the immediate precincts of the town, in order to seize the first opportunity of throwing themselves into it [Jos 8:12].Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 8:3

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Ai
• Joshua
• Ambush
• Heap
• Raise
• Wait
• Army
• Choose; Chosen
• Egypt
• 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