Joshua 8:4

Joshua 8:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
• New International Version (NIV)with these orders: “Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from it. All of you be on the alert.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he commanded them, saying: “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

Context of Joshua 8:4

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!” 3Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai. Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night. He 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. 6They will attack us until we have lured them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are retreating from us like before.’ We will retreat from them.

Joshua 8:4 word by word

וַיְצַ֨ו אֹתָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר רְ֠אוּ אַתֶּ֞ם אֹרְבִ֤ים לָעִיר֙ מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י הָעִ֔יר אַל־תַּרְחִ֥יקוּ מִן־הָעִ֖יר מְאֹ֑ד וִהְיִיתֶ֥ם כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם נְכֹנִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• them, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Beholdרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: behold!H7200
• ye shall lie in waitאָרַב'ârab · to ambushH693
• against the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• behindאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• goרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368
• not veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• but be ye all readyכּוּןkûn · to establish: prepareH3559

Cross-references for Joshua 8:4

• Joshua 8:16All the reinforcements in Ai were ordered to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city.
• Judges 9:25The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting bandits in the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it.
• Judges 20:29So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah.
• 1 Samuel 15:2Here is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed Israel along the way when Israel came up from Egypt.
• Acts 23:21So do not let them persuade you to do this, because more than forty of them are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request.”
• Ecclesiastes 7:19Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than ten rulers in a city.
• Ecclesiastes 9:16So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.

Commentaries on Joshua 8:4

• 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. 4-9Joshua told the selected group what to expect from Israel’s main army. This special unit would be separated from Joshua’s direct command for almost two days. Because of this, they needed to understand clearly what they were supposed to do. Israel’s success in this second attack on Ai depended on exact timing. The group had to rush into the town at the right moment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. behind the city--is rendered (Jos 8:9), "on the west side of Ai."Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 8:4

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Ai
• 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