Joshua 8:16
in Joshua 8Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the people that were in the city were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
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.
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This verse in Joshua 8
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them
on Joshua 8:16-17
Bethel empties itself into the field with Ai, the two towns about three miles apart, and Clarke takes it that Bethel’s fighting men had already moved into Ai. This chapter never records Bethel taken. Its king is listed among the defeated at 12:16, and Judges 1:22-25 tells of the house of Joseph taking the town later.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
But perhaps you say to me, "In what manner are the people in front placed as though fleeing?" In a most suitable manner. For truly, those who follow Jesus seem to flee from legal burdens and precepts, from the observation of the sabbath, from the circumcision of the flesh, and from cutting the throats of enemies. But on the other hand, the one who has followed Christ, the fulfillment and fullness of the law, does not flee.
At first, we were overcome because of sins, and those who were living in Ai destroyed very many of us. Ai means chaos. But we know chaos to be the place or habitation of opposing powers, of which the devil is the king and chief. Against him, as Jesus [Joshua] comes, he divides the people into two parts; he stations some in the front and others in the rear, so they may come behind the enemies unexpectedly.
But another thing occurs to me in this place as I consider Jesus [Joshua] fleeing before the face of the army of Ai. Why do you think it is that Jesus [Joshua] is described as fleeing? Let us consider whether perhaps there may be something that we may conquer by fleeing, and that there is some perfect virtue in flight. Paul the apostle teaches us saying, "Flee fornication." You see therefore that there is a certain "spirit of fornication" that we ought to flee, all who wish to remain chastely and piously and modestly in Christ.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
All the people - Namely, all that were able to bear arms, for old men and children were unfit for the pursuit or fight; and that they were yet left, may seem from ver. 24, 25.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-24-anchored-16-16
And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Pretended to be stricken. This is an expression of נֶגַע, plague, or beating. They gave the appearance of being beaten before them.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּזָּעֲק֗וּ | vaiyizaaku | and they were called together | H2199 → | |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָם֙ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּעַ֔י | bair | [was] in <the> Ai | H5857 → | 40 times |
| לִרְדֹּ֖ף | lirdof | to pursue | H7291 → | 143 times |
| אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם | ʾachareihem | after them | H310 → | 715 times |
| וַֽיִּרְדְּפוּ֙ | vaiyirdefu | and they pursued | H7291 → | 143 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֣י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| וַיִּנָּתְק֖וּ | vaiyinateku | and they were drawn out | H5423 → | 27 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָעִֽיר׃ | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
וַיִּזָּעֲק֗וּand they were called together
vaiyizaakuH2199 →
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָם֙the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בָּעַ֔י[was] in <the> Ai
bairH5857 →40 times
לִרְדֹּ֖ףto pursue
lirdofH7291 →143 times
אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑םafter them
ʾachareihemH310 →715 times
וַֽיִּרְדְּפוּ֙and they pursued
vaiyirdefuH7291 →143 times
אַחֲרֵ֣יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
וַיִּנָּתְק֖וּand they were drawn out
vaiyinatekuH5423 →27 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָעִֽיר׃the city
hairH5892 →1090 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 16:14These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
it leads to
- Revelation 17:14
They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen…
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- Revelation 20:8
and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.
- 1 John 5:19
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
- Revelation 17:14
Through
Judges 20:31The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads,…
it leads to
- Joshua 8:14–16
When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But…
- Judges 19:13–14
He continued, “Come, let us try to reach one of these towns to spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.”
- Isaiah 10:29
They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.
- Joshua 8:14–16
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 8.2 and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 8.6.