Joshua 8:20
in Joshua 8When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
KJV
And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
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This verse in Joshua 8
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
When the men of Ai turned and looked back
on Joshua 8:20-22
Israel runs this tactic against Benjamin at Gibeah in Judges 20, with an ambush, a feigned flight and a signal of smoke, and at Judges 20:40 the Benjamites look back to see the city burning. The tactic God prescribes here against a Canaanite city is turned on an Israelite tribe two books later. The men of Ai are caught between the two forces and “could not escape in any direction”.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And when the men of Ai looked behind them,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
They had no power to flee this way or that way - They were in utter consternation; they saw that the city was taken, they found themselves in the midst of their foes; that their wives, children, and property, had fallen a prey to their enemies, in consequence of which they were so utterly panic-struck as to be incapable of making any resistance.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּפְנ֣וּ | vaiyifnu | and they turned | H6437 → | 135 times |
| אַנְשֵׁי֩ | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| הָעַ֨י | haai | <the> Ai | H5857 → | 40 times |
| אַחֲרֵיהֶ֜ם | ʾachareihem | behind them | H310 → | 715 times |
| וַיִּרְא֗וּ | vaiyiru | and they saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֨ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עָלָ֜ה | ʾalah | it went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עֲשַׁ֤ן | ʾashan | [the] smoke of | H6227 → | |
| הָעִיר֙ | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָה | hashamaymah | the heavens towards | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הָיָ֨ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בָהֶ֥ם | vahem | in <the> them | ||
| יָדַ֛יִם | yadayim | hands | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לָנ֖וּס | lanus | to flee | H5127 → | 159 times |
| הֵ֣נָּה | henah | hither | H2008 → | 49 times |
| וָהֵ֑נָּה | vahenah | and hither | H2008 → | 49 times |
| וְהָעָם֙ | vehaam | and the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַנָּ֣ס | hanas | which was fleeing | H5127 → | 159 times |
| הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר | hamidbar | the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| נֶהְפַּ֖ךְ | nehpakh | it turned back | H2015 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָרוֹדֵֽף׃ | harodef | the pursuer | H7291 → | 143 times |
וַיִּפְנ֣וּand they turned
vaiyifnuH6437 →135 times
אַנְשֵׁי֩[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
הָעַ֨י<the> Ai
haaiH5857 →40 times
אַחֲרֵיהֶ֜םbehind them
ʾachareihemH310 →715 times
וַיִּרְא֗וּand they saw
vaiyiruH7200 →1300 times
וְהִנֵּ֨הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
עָלָ֜הit went up
ʾalahH5927 →890 times
עֲשַׁ֤ן[the] smoke of
ʾashanH6227 →
הָעִיר֙the city
hairH5892 →1090 times
הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָהthe heavens towards
hashamaymahH8064 →421 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
הָיָ֨הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
בָהֶ֥םin <the> them
vahem
יָדַ֛יִםhands
yadayimH3027 →1618 times
לָנ֖וּסto flee
lanusH5127 →159 times
הֵ֣נָּהhither
henahH2008 →49 times
וָהֵ֑נָּהand hither
vahenahH2008 →49 times
וְהָעָם֙and the people
vehaamH5971 →1873 times
הַנָּ֣סwhich was fleeing
hanasH5127 →159 times
הַמִּדְבָּ֔רthe wilderness
hamidbarH4057 →270 times
נֶהְפַּ֖ךְit turned back
nehpakhH2015 →
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָרוֹדֵֽף׃the pursuer
harodefH7291 →143 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 18:9Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
it leads to
- Revelation 19:3
And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 18:18
and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 18:3
All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance…
- Revelation 17:2
The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
- Ezekiel 26:16–17
All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled over…
- Revelation 19:3
Through
Revelation 19:3And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 34:10
It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.
- Revelation 14:11
And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of…
- Revelation 18:9
Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
- Isaiah 34:10
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth.