Joshua 8:13
in Joshua 8So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So they set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers-in-wait that were on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
KJV
And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
⋯
This verse in Joshua 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Joshua went down by night into the valley where He would be seen at daylight by the men of Ai, and was accompanied no doubt by a picked body of troops. The king of Ai, in the morning, would see neither the ambush in his rear, nor the whole of the great host of Israel among the hills away to the north on his left; but supposing, as it appears, that the Israelites before him were a body detached as on the former occasion to assail his city, he sallied out promptly to attack them.
This site's exposition
about five thousand men
on Joshua 8:12-13
Joshua goes into the valley while it is still night, so the king sees one body of men. Barnes reads the king’s mistake from that, taking the men for a detachment like the one he had beaten. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown identify the ravine with the wady below the tell.
This site's exposition
Joshua went into the valley
The purpose of this night descent is read two ways. Matthew Henry takes it as going to set the troops in order for the attack. He also records the conjecture of Bishop Patrick that Joshua went into the valley alone to pray for a blessing on the enterprise.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
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.
The Reformation1 voice
Joshua went that night, etc It is not probable that all were called out from the camp, but the army was composed of those who were more accustomed to war. That it was sufficiently numerous appears from the fact, that five thousand were withdrawn from it for ambuscade.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): He went that night into the midst of the valley, to make the necessary dispositions for an attack, and to see that every thing was in good order. It is the pious conjecture of the learned bishop Patrick that he went into the valley alone, to pray to God for a blessing upon his enterprise, and he did not seek in vain.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And when they had set the people,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Joshua himself took up his position on the north side of "the ravine"--the deep chasm of the wady El-Murogede; "that night"--means, while it was dark, probably after midnight, or very early in the morning (Joh 20:1).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The people positioned. This positioning expresses readiness to wage war near the [city] wall. This is similar to what is said regarding Ben-Hadad, in I Melachim:12, (who said to his servants:) “Position yourselves against the city and they positioned themselves.”
2 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.
At the appointed time. At the time of day they had astrologically predicted previously, saying “at that time we will go out,” for they were sorcerers and diviners.
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
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּשִׂ֨ימוּ | vaiyasimu | and they set | H7760 → | 584 times |
| הָעָ֜ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֗ה | hamachaneh | the camp | H4264 → | 215 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מִצְּפ֣וֹן | mitzefon | [was] from [the] north | H6828 → | 153 times |
| לָעִ֔יר | lair | of the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲקֵב֖וֹ | akevo | rearguard its | H6119 → | |
| מִיָּ֣ם | miyam | from [the] west | H3220 → | 396 times |
| לָעִ֑יר | lair | of the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| בַּלַּ֥יְלָה | balaylah | in the night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| הַה֖וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בְּת֥וֹךְ | betokh | in [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הָעֵֽמֶק׃ | haemek | the valley | H6010 → | 69 times |
וַיָּשִׂ֨ימוּand they set
vaiyasimuH7760 →584 times
הָעָ֜םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֗הthe camp
hamachanehH4264 →215 times
אֲשֶׁר֙which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מִצְּפ֣וֹן[was] from [the] north
mitzefonH6828 →153 times
לָעִ֔ירof the city
lairH5892 →1090 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עֲקֵב֖וֹrearguard its
akevoH6119 →
מִיָּ֣םfrom [the] west
miyamH3220 →396 times
לָעִ֑ירof the city
lairH5892 →1090 times
וַיֵּ֧לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
בַּלַּ֥יְלָהin the night
balaylahH3915 →233 times
הַה֖וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
בְּת֥וֹךְin [the] middle of
betokhH8432 →418 times
הָעֵֽמֶק׃the valley
haemekH6010 →69 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 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
Joshua 8:8And when you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do as the LORD has commanded! See, I have given you orders.”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 13:28
Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid.…
- Joshua 1:16
So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go.
- Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Judges 4:6
She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten…
- Joshua 6:24
Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.
- 2 Samuel 13:28
Through
Joshua 8:12Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
it leads to
- Joshua 8:2–3
And 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 up an ambush behind…
- Joshua 8:2–3
Where this verse is studied
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 8.2.