Joshua 8:11
in Joshua 8Then all the troops who were with him marched up and approached the city. They arrived in front of Ai and camped to the north of it, with the valley between them and the city.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the people, even the men of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between him and Ai.
KJV
And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.
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This verse in Joshua 8
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
So Joshua sent them out
on Joshua 8:9-11
The whole army goes up this time, where the spies at 7:3 had said two or three thousand would do. Joshua spends the night among the people and musters them at first light. Clarke marks the word at verse 10 as the one for inspecting a rank.
This site's exposition
camped to the north of it
The main army camps north of Ai, and verse 12 sets the ambush on the west. John Gill places the ambush on that side of the town. The pursuit of verse 15 runs the other way, so the men are drawn away from the side where the ambush waits.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, and went up, and drew nigh,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And he went up. He fulfilled that which God had said to him, “If he goes at their head, they will cross, and if not, they will not cross.”
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
He took about five thousand men. One ambush contingent following the other each approaching nearer to the city than its fellow. 4 The question is, what was the purpose of this second ambush party? Some suggest that these five thousand men were not to enter the city.
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
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֨ם | haam | the people of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָ֜ה | hamilchamah | <the> war | H4421 → | 320 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אִתּ֗וֹ | ʾito | [was] with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| עָלוּ֙ | ʾalu | they went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| וַֽיִּגְּשׁ֔וּ | vaiyigeshu | and they approached | H5066 → | 125 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| נֶ֣גֶד | neged | before | H5048 → | 151 times |
| הָעִ֑יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ | vaiyachanu | and they encamped | H2583 → | 143 times |
| מִצְּפ֣וֹן | mitzefon | from [the] north of | H6828 → | 153 times |
| לָעַ֔י | laai | <to> Ai | H5857 → | 40 times |
| וְהַגַּ֖י | vehagai | and the valley | H1516 → | 59 times |
| בֵּינָ֥יו | beinov | [was] between it | H996 → | 407 times |
| וּבֵין־ | uvein- | and between | H996 → | 407 times |
| הָעָֽי׃ | haai | <the> Ai | H5857 → | 40 times |
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֨םthe people of
haamH5971 →1873 times
הַמִּלְחָמָ֜ה<the> war
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אִתּ֗וֹ[was] with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
עָלוּ֙they went up
ʾaluH5927 →890 times
וַֽיִּגְּשׁ֔וּand they approached
vaiyigeshuH5066 →125 times
וַיָּבֹ֖אוּand they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
נֶ֣גֶדbefore
negedH5048 →151 times
הָעִ֑ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙and they encamped
vaiyachanuH2583 →143 times
מִצְּפ֣וֹןfrom [the] north of
mitzefonH6828 →153 times
לָעַ֔י<to> Ai
laaiH5857 →40 times
וְהַגַּ֖יand the valley
vehagaiH1516 →59 times
בֵּינָ֥יו[was] between it
beinovH996 →407 times
וּבֵין־and between
uvein-H996 →407 times
הָעָֽי׃<the> Ai
haaiH5857 →40 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).