Joshua 7:2
in Joshua 7Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai.
KJV
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth–aven, on the east side of Beth–el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
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This verse in Joshua 7
Commentary
6 notes on this verseSent men from Jericho to Ai - This is the place called Hai, Gen 12:8. It was in the east of Beth-el, north of Jericho, from which it was distant about ten or twelve miles. From Jos 7:4, Jos 7:5 it appears to have been situated upon a hill, and belonged to the Amorites, as we learn from Jos 7:7. It is very likely that it was a strong place, as it chose to risk a siege, notwithstanding the extraordinary destruction of Jericho which it had lately witnessed.
This site's exposition
sent men from Jericho to
on Joshua 7:2-3
Jericho fell by a plan, while Ai is scouted first and the force sized by the claim that “the people of Ai are so few”. Barnes works the town’s strength back from the twelve thousand of 8:25, so the spies’ arithmetic was sound, and left out the reason Jericho fell.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai,....
Whereas when the town was to be taken, though God by his own power would throw down the walls, yet they must all labour thither and labour there too, in walking round it. It did not bode well at all that God's Israel began to think much of their labour, and contrived how to spare their pains. It is required that we work out our salvation, though it is God that works in us.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai--After the sacking of Jericho, the next step was to penetrate into the hills above. Accordingly, spies went up the mountain pass to view the country. The precise site of Ai, or Hai, is indicated with sufficient clearness (Ge 12:8;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Ai, Bethel - See Gen 12:8 note. (Modern travelers place the former at Khan Haiy, in the neighborhood of Deir Diwan.)
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֜ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| מִֽירִיח֗וֹ | miricho | from Jericho | H3405 → | 57 times |
| הָעַ֞י | haai | <the> Ai | H5857 → | 40 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | [is] beside | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | Beth | H1007 → | 14 times |
| אָ֙וֶן֙ | ʾaven | Aven | H1007 → | 14 times |
| מִקֶּ֣דֶם | mikedem | from [the] east | H6924 → | 87 times |
| לְבֵֽית־ | leveit- | of Beth- | H1008 → | 142 times |
| אֵ֔ל | ʾel | -el | H1008 → | 142 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶם֙ | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לֵאמֹ֔ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| עֲל֖וּ | ʾalu | go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| וְרַגְּל֣וּ | veragelu | and spy out | H7270 → | 25 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ | vaiyaalu | and they went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| וַֽיְרַגְּל֖וּ | vayragelu | and they spied out | H7270 → | 25 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָֽי׃ | haai | <the> Ai | H5857 → | 40 times |
וַיִּשְׁלַח֩and he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
אֲנָשִׁ֜יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
מִֽירִיח֗וֹfrom Jericho
mirichoH3405 →57 times
הָעַ֞י<the> Ai
haaiH5857 →40 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עִם־[is] beside
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
בֵּ֥יתBeth
beitH1007 →14 times
אָ֙וֶן֙Aven
ʾavenH1007 →14 times
מִקֶּ֣דֶםfrom [the] east
mikedemH6924 →87 times
לְבֵֽית־of Beth-
leveit-H1008 →142 times
אֵ֔ל-el
ʾelH1008 →142 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵיהֶם֙to them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
לֵאמֹ֔ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
עֲל֖וּgo up
ʾaluH5927 →890 times
וְרַגְּל֣וּand spy out
verageluH7270 →25 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙and they went up
vaiyaaluH5927 →890 times
הָאֲנָשִׁ֔יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
וַֽיְרַגְּל֖וּand they spied out
vayrageluH7270 →25 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָֽי׃<the> Ai
haaiH5857 →40 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
Matthew 10:16Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
it leads to
- Philippians 2:15
so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world
- Luke 10:3
Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
- 1 Corinthians 14:20
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
- Colossians 4:5
Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
- Ephesians 5:15–17
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
- Philippians 2:15
Through
1 Samuel 14:23So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle moved on beyond Beth-aven.
it leads to
- Exodus 14:30
That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.
- Exodus 14:30
Through
Hosea 4:15Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
it leads to
- Hosea 10:5
The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced in its glory— for it has been taken from them into…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hosea 9:15
All their evil appears at Gilgal, for there I hated them. I will drive them from My house for the wickedness of their deeds. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are…
- Hosea 10:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About Joshua
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonConquestJoshuaMoses' minister and successor, one of the two faithful spies; he led Israel across Jordan, around Jericho, and through the conques…
- PlaceJordan valleyJerichoThe city of palms whose walls fell flat at the seventh trumpet-circuit; Rahab's city, later rebuilt under a curse, and the road do…
- PlaceCentral hill countryBethelThe house of God, where Jacob saw the ladder and heard the promise, where he returned to raise an altar, and where Jeroboam’s gold…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.