New Living Translation
Joshua 8:2
2You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town.”
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
1Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land. You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town.” 3So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 of his best warriors and sent them out at night 4with these orders: “Hide in ambush close behind the town and be ready for action.
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 8:24When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside.
- Joshua 6:21They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.
- Joshua 10:1Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies.
- Deuteronomy 3:2But the Lord told me, ‘Do not be afraid of him, for I have given you victory over Og and his entire army, and I will give you all his land. Treat him just as you treated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.’
- Deuteronomy 20:14But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the plunder from your enemies that the Lord your God has given you.
- Job 27:16“Evil people may have piles of money and may store away mounds of clothing.
- Psalms 39:6We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.
- Proverbs 13:22Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.
- Proverbs 28:20The trustworthy person will get a rich reward, but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble.
- Jeremiah 17:11Like a partridge that hatches eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means. At midlife they will lose their riches; in the end, they will become poor old fools.
- Luke 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
- Joshua 8:7you will jump up from your ambush and take possession of the town, for the Lord your God will give it to you.
- Judges 20:29So the Israelites set an ambush all around Gibeah.
- 2 Chronicles 13:13Meanwhile, Jeroboam had secretly sent part of his army around behind the men of Judah to ambush them.
- 2 Chronicles 20:22At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.
- Jeremiah 51:12Raise the battle flag against Babylon! Reinforce the guard and station the watchmen. Prepare an ambush, for the Lord will fulfill all his plans against 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries