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 Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurried out early in the morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn’t realize there was an ambush behind the town. 15Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten. Then all the men in the town were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from the town. 17There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not chase after the Israelites, and the town was left wide open. 18Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Point the spear in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the town over to you.” Joshua did as he was commanded.

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 saw that they were beaten. The Israelites had retreated from Benjamin’s warriors in order to give those hiding in ambush more room to maneuver against Gibeah.
• Joshua 8:5When our main army attacks, the men of Ai will come out to fight as they did before, and we will run away from them.
• Judges 20:31When the men of Benjamin came out to attack, they were drawn away from the town. And as they had done before, they began to kill the Israelites. About thirty Israelites died in the open fields and along the roads, one leading to Bethel and the other leading back to Gibeah.
• Psalms 9:16The Lord is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. Quiet Interlude
• Ezekiel 38:11You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence!
• Revelation 16:14They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.
• Revelation 19:19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting 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