| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Joshua Chapter
Eight
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 8
Joshua
is encouraged to go up and take Ai, and is directed what method to make use of,
Joshua 8:1;
accordingly he set an ambush on the west side of it, and, he and the rest of
the army went up before it, Joshua 8:3; which,
when the king of Ai saw, he and all his forces came cut against them, and the
Israelites making a feint as if they were beaten, drew on the men of Ai to
pursue them, upon which the ambush arose and entered the city and set fire to
it, Joshua 8:14; the
smoke of which being observed by Joshua and Israel, they turned back upon the
pursuers, and the ambush sallying out of the city behind them, made an entire
destruction of them, then slew all the inhabitants, took the spoil, burnt the
city, and hanged the king of it, Joshua 8:20; after
this Joshua built an altar at Ebal, wrote the law on stones, and read the
blessings and curses in it before all Israel, Joshua 8:30.
Joshua 8:1 Now
the Lord
said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war
with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of
Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
YLT
1And Jehovah saith unto
Joshua, `Fear not, nor be affrighted, take with thee all the people of war, and
rise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his
people, and his city, and his land,
And the Lord said unto Joshua,.... Immediately after
the execution of Achan, the fierceness of his anger being turned away:
fear not, neither be thou dismayed; on account of the defeat
of his troops he had sent to take Ai:
take all the people of war with thee; all above
twenty years of age, which, with the forty thousand of the tribes on the other
side Jordan he brought over with him, must make an arm, five hundred thousand
men; these Joshua was to take with so much to animate and encourage him, or to
terrify the enemy, nor because such a number was necessary for the reduction of
Ai, which was but a small city; but that all might have a part in the spoil and
plunder of it, which they were denied at Jericho, and chiefly to draw all the
men out of the city, seeing such a numerous host approaching:
and arise, go up to Ai; which lay high, and
Joshua being now in the plains of Jericho; see Gill on Joshua 7:2,
see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people,
and his city, and his land; this city, though a small one, had a king
over it, as most cities in the land of Canaan had; the number of his people in
it were twelve thousand, and his land were the fields about it; all which were
given to Joshua by the Lord, and were as sure as if he had them already in his
hand.
Joshua 8:2 2 And you shall do to Ai and
its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you
shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”
YLT
2and thou hast done to Ai
and to her king as thou hast done to Jericho and to her king; only, its spoil
and its cattle ye spoil for yourselves; set for thee an ambush for the city at
its rear.'
And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst to Jericho and
her king,.... Burn the one and slay the other:
only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for
a prey unto yourselves; which they were not allowed to do at Jericho:
lay thee an ambush for the city behind it; at the west
side of it: some have called in question the lawfulness of the ambush, but, as
this was appointed by the Lord, there is no room for it.
Joshua 8:3 3 So Joshua arose, and all
the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty
men of valor and sent them away by night.
YLT
3And Joshua riseth, and all
the people of war, to go up to Ai, and Joshua chooseth thirty thousand men, mighty
ones of valour, and sendeth them away by night,
So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai,.... As the
Lord had commanded him:
and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour; out of all
the men of war; these were a select company, picked men, not the whole army, as
some have thought, for he was ordered to take all the people of war, as he did:
and sent them away by night; from the main army, that
they might pass the city and get behind it undiscovered, for they were sent for
an ambush; and of these some were to take the city, and be left in it to burn
it, and some to smite the men of Ai, as Abarbinel notes.
Joshua 8:4 4 And he commanded them,
saying: “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do
not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
YLT
4and commandeth them,
saying, `See, ye are liers in wait against the city, at the rear of the city,
ye go not very far off from the city, and all of you have been prepared,
And he commanded them, saying,.... At the time he sent
them away:
behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind
the city; that is, on the west side of it, Joshua 8:9,
go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready; to enter into
it, as soon as the forces are drawn out eastward to meet the army of Israel.
Joshua 8:5 5 Then I and all the people
who are with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when
they come out against us as at the first, that we shall flee before them.
YLT
5and I and all the people
who [are] with me draw near unto the city, and it hath come to pass when they
come out to meet us as at the first, and we have fled before them,
And I and all the people that are with me will approach
unto the city,.... That is, Joshua with the main body of the army would march
up to the city the next morning, in order to draw out the inhabitants of it to
fight them:
and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at
the first; as they had done before, when the three thousand were sent
against them, Joshua 7:4,
that we will flee before them; as the three thousand
did, which would animate them to pursue them with the greater eagerness, and to
a distance from their city.
Joshua 8:6 6 For they will come out
after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are
fleeing before us as at the first.’ Therefore we will flee before them.
YLT
6and they have come out
after us till we have drawn them out of the city, for they say, They are
fleeing before us as at the first, and we have fled before them,
For they will come out after us,.... Of which there could
be no doubt, when they should see them run from them:
till we have drawn them from the city; some distance
from it, that they could not return soon enough to save it from the ambush, or
prevent their entrance into it, and burning it:
for they will say, they will flee before us, as at the first; they run away
as they did before, and let us pursue them and smite them as we did then:
therefore we will flee before them; to draw them out of the
city, and make your way easy to get into it,
Joshua 8:7 7 Then you shall rise from
the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will deliver it
into your hand.
YLT
7and ye rise from the
ambush, and have occupied the city, and Jehovah your God hath given it into
your hand;
Then ye shall rise up from the ambush,.... When they
should see a signal made, that in Joshua 8:18; and
when their watch, they might set in a proper place, should see Israel flee, and
the men of Ai at a distance from their city, pursuing, and give notice of it to
the ambush:
and seize upon the city; enter into it, and take
possession of it, its fortresses, and secure its passes:
for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand; Joshua
expresses himself with great confidence, having the promise of God, and relying
on it.
Joshua 8:8 8 And it will be, when you
have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire. According to
the commandment of the Lord
you shall do. See, I have commanded you.”
YLT
8and it hath been, when ye
capture the city, ye burn the city with fire, according to the word of Jehovah
ye do, see, I have commanded you.'
And it shall be, when ye have taken the city,.... Entered
it and become masters of it:
that ye shall set
the city on fire; not the whole city, only some outlying houses of it, to make a
smoke which might be seen both by Israel and the men of Ai, for different
purposes; for the spoil of the city was first to be taken before it was utterly
burnt with fire:
according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do; plunder the
city, destroy the inhabitants of it, and then burn it:
see I have commanded you; delivered the command of
the Lord unto them, and therefore were left without excuse, and could not plead
ignorance; besides, he was their general, and he expected his orders to be
obeyed, as they ought to have been.
Joshua 8:9 9 Joshua therefore sent them
out; and they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the
west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
YLT
9And Joshua sendeth them
away, and they go unto the ambush, and abide between Bethel and Ai, on the west
of Ai; and Joshua lodgeth on that night in the midst of the people.
Joshua therefore sent them forth,.... The thirty thousand
chosen men:
and they went to lie in ambush; as they were ordered, Joshua 8:2,
and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; for as Ai was
on the east of Bethel, Joshua 7:2. Bethel
must be on the west of Ai, as Jarchi notes:
but Joshua lodged that night among the people; the main body
of the army, to direct them in the affair of war, how they should behave the
next day, when they came to fight; and to inspire them with courage and
confidence, that they might not be afraid, because of their having been smitten
before by this people, so Ben Gersom; or rather that he and they might be ready
in the morning to march towards Ai, as Jarchi and Kimchi.
Joshua 8:10 10 Then Joshua rose up early
in the morning and mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel,
before the people to Ai.
YLT
10And Joshua riseth early in
the morning, and inspecteth the people, and goeth up, he and the elders of
Israel, before the people to Ai;
And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people,.... To see if
there were any wanting, and to put them in proper order for their march:
and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai; these elders
were either the seventy elders who went with Joshua as council to him; or it
may be rather they were inferior officers, who went at the head of their
respective corps under them.
Joshua 8:11 11 And all the people of war
who were with him went up and drew near; and they came before the city
and camped on the north side of Ai. Now a valley lay between them and
Ai.
YLT
11and all the people of war
who [are] with him have gone up, and draw nigh and come in over-against the
city, and encamp on the north of Ai; and the valley [is] between him and Ai.
And all the people, even the people of war that were
with him, and went up, and drew nigh,.... To the city of Ai:
and came before the city; as if they intended to
besiege it, storm it, or force an entrance into it:
and pitched on the north side of Ai; which was judged fittest
for the purpose:
now there was a valley between them and Ai; which the
Rabbins call the valley of Halacah, as Jarchi says; so that they were upon a
hill, at least on rising ground, and might the more easily be seen by the
inhabitants of Ai, whom they wanted to draw out of their city.
Joshua 8:12 12 So he took about five
thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of
the city.
YLT
12And he taketh about five
thousand men, and setteth them an ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of
the city;
And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush,.... This was
another ambush, as both Jarchi and Kimchi observe; and the latter adds, perhaps
he set them nearer the city than the former; though some are of opinion that
these are the same ambush spoken of, whose number is here given, being set on
the same side of the city; and they suppose that Joshua had with him but thirty
thousand men in all, five thousand of which he sent to lie in ambush, and the
other twenty five thousand remained with him; but it seems clear that all the
men of war were to be taken, and were taken by them, and that out of them
thirty thousand were sent by him to lie in wait at first, and now five thousand
more:
between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city; and though
they were on the same side of the city with the first and larger ambush, yet,
as Abarbinel observes, they might be set nearer the city and to the army; and
he supposes the first ambush was to take the city, and the second little
ambush, as he calls it, was placed, that when the men of the city came out,
they might make a noise and a stir, and skirmish with them, that so they might
not come upon the camp suddenly.
Joshua 8:13 13 And when they had set the
people, all the army that was on the north of the city, and its rear
guard on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the
valley.
YLT
13and they set the people,
all the camp which [is] on the north of the city, and its rear on the west of
the city, and Joshua goeth on that night into the midst of the valley.
And when they had set the people,.... In battle array, as
in 1 Kings 20:12; that
is, Joshua and the officers of the army:
even all the host
that was on the north of the city; where Joshua and the
main army were:
and the liers in wait on the west of the city: both the
first and second ambush; when all, were prepared and got ready by their several
officers, to act the part they were to do:
Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley; according to
Ben Gersom, to see whether the guards or sentinels which were placed there were
awake or asleep, lest the men of Ai should come suddenly upon them and smite
them; but perhaps it might be to pray and meditate.
Joshua 8:14 14 Now it happened, when the
king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and
went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place
before the plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against
him behind the city.
YLT
14And it cometh to pass, when
the king of Ai seeth [it], that hasten, and rise early, and go out do the men
of the city to meet Israel for battle, he and all his people, at the appointed
season, at the front of the plain, and he hath not known that an ambush [is]
against him, on the rear of the city.
And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it,.... Not the
ambush on the west side, but the host or army on the north side, or, however,
some of his people gave him notice of it:
that they hasted and rose up early; or made haste to rise
out of their beds, on the alarm given of Israel's near approach:
and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle; being raised
out of their beds and accoutred with armour, and put into a military order,
they marched out with their king at the head of them, to give Israel battle:
he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; which was
before the city, the same with the valley mentioned, Joshua 8:11; the
city was built on an eminence, and this plain or valley lay at the bottom of
it; and on an eminence on the other side of the valley the army of Israel was
pitched; wherefore the king of Ai and all his men of war went out hither to
attack Israel, and this is said to be at an appointed time; it is difficult to
say what is meant by it, when they seem to have hurried out as best as they
could, as soon as they perceived the Israelites were near them: Ben Gersom and
Abarbinel think it was the same time of the day they went out at first, which
the king might choose as lucky, being before successful, and to encourage the
men, that as they conquered then they should now; which seems not amiss, though
perhaps it rather designs an appointed place, as their rendezvous, and where to
attack Israel, and where they had been before victorious:
but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him
behind the city; that he knew nothing of, and therefore took no precaution
against them to prevent their design.
Joshua 8:15 15 And Joshua and all Israel
made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
YLT
15And Joshua and all Israel [seem]
stricken before them, and flee the way of the wilderness,
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them,.... Or
smitten, as some of them might be in the pursuit:
and fled by the way of the wilderness; not a barren
desert, but, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, a place for the pasture of
cattle; though perhaps it is the same with the wilderness of Bethaven, Joshua 18:12.
EpiphaniusF23Contr. Haeres. l. 1. tom. 2. makes mention of the
wilderness of Bethel and Ephraim as near Jericho.
Joshua 8:16 16 So all the people who were
in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were
drawn away from the city.
YLT
16and all the people who
[are] in the city are called to pursue after them, and they pursue after
Joshua, and are drawn away out of the city,
And all the people that were in Ai were called together to
pursue after them,.... Because the host of Israel was very numerous, it was judged
proper that all the people in Ai should assist in pursuing them, not only to
kill the more in the pursuit, but to carry off the spoil and prisoners they
should take; or rather the sense is, that all the people in Ai, which were come
out with the king to battle, when they saw Israel flee, "cried"F24וזעקו "vociferantes", V. L. "vociferati
sunt", Pagninus, Montanus. , or shouted, as soldiers do when victorious,
"in" or "while pursuing"F25לרדף
"persequendo", Pagninus, Montanus. after them:
and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city; at some
considerable distance from it; which was the design to be answered by feigning
a flight.
Joshua 8:17 17 There was not a man left
in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city open and
pursued Israel.
YLT
17and there hath not been
left a man in Ai and Bethel who hath not gone out after Israel, and they leave
the city open, and pursue after Israel.
And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel that went not out
after Israel,.... For as these two places were very near to each other, but a
mile apart, they were in confederacy, and acted together, and could easily be
called to the help of each other when required: though there is a difficulty
how the men of Bethel could join those of Ai, when the ambush lay between them
both, Joshua 8:12; they
either went another way, or the ambush purposely let them pass, for fear of a
discovery by a skirmish with them, and that Bethel as well as Ai might be
cleared of its armed inhabitants, and so fall an easy prey to them as well as
Ai: this must be understood only of men of war; for otherwise there were
inhabitants left, as old men, and such as were unfit for war, afterwards slain,
Joshua 8:24,
and they left the city open: they did not stay to
shut the gates, nor left porters or any guards about, to take care of, protect,
and defend the city:
and pursued after Israel; with great eagerness and
vehemence, not having the least apprehension of their city being in any danger.
Joshua 8:18 18 Then the Lord said to
Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I
will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was
in his hand toward the city.
YLT
18And Jehovah saith unto
Joshua, `Stretch out with the javelin which [is] in thy hand towards Ai, for
into thy hand I give it;' and Joshua stretcheth out with the javelin which [is]
in his hand toward the city,
And the Lord said unto Joshua, stretch out the spear that is
in thy hand towards Ai,.... On which was a flag, as Abarbinel and Ben Melech think; and
which is not improbable, and served for a signal for the ambush to come out and
seize the city, as both they and Jarchi observe, as well as a signal also to
the army of Israel to prepare to turn and face about, and engage with the
enemy; though they did not actually do this until they saw the smoke of the
city, Joshua 8:21,
for I will give it into thine hand; of which the stretching
out of his spear seems also to be a confirming sign to him, and which he kept
stretched out until all the inhabitants of Ai were destroyed, Joshua 8:26,
and Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand
toward the city: and therefore must turn himself towards it; and it is highly
probable that at the same time there was a full stop of the army, and that they
immediately turned or prepared to turn about.
Joshua 8:19 19 So those in ambush
arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his
hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to set the city on
fire.
YLT
19and the ambush hath risen
[with] haste, out of its place, and they run at the stretching out of his hand,
and go into the city, and capture it, and hasten, and burn the city with fire.
And the ambush arose quickly out of their place,.... As soon
as the sentinels set in proper places observed the signal, and gave them notice
of it, which was the stretching out of the spear, as appears by what follows:
and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand; and the spear
in his hand; from whence it is plain, that though the Lord is said to bid
Joshua do this now, he had orders from him for it before and the ambush must
have been made acquainted with it before they were sent away; and this was only
a renewal of the order from the Lord, and which pointed out the proper time,
the very crisis, when it should be stretched out:
and they entered into the city; without any difficulty,
the gates being open:
and took it; took possession of it, and the strong holds in it:
and hasted and set the city on fire; that is, they made haste
to set some houses on fire as the signal to the army of Israel to return.
Joshua 8:20 20 And when the men of Ai
looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to
heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or that way, and the people who
had fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.
YLT
20And the men of Ai look
behind them, and see, and lo, the smoke of the city hath gone up unto the
heavens, and there hath not been in them power to flee hither and thither --
and the people who are fleeing to the wilderness have turned against the
pursuer, --
And when the men of Ai looked behind them,.... On some
account or another, perhaps observing that the army of Israel made a full stop
and was gazing at the city:
they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven; from whence
they concluded an enemy was there, and had set fire to it:
and they had no power to flee this way or that way; for if they
turned back to their city there was an enemy, how powerful they knew not,
possessed of it, and whom they might expect would meet them; and if they pushed
forward, there was the whole army of Israel against them, which now turned and
faced them, showing no fear of them:
and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the
pursuers; the people of Israel, that fled by the way of the wilderness, Joshua 8:15, turned
about, and fell upon the men of Ai that pursued them.
Joshua 8:21 21 Now when Joshua and all
Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city
ascended, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.
YLT
21and Joshua and all Israel
have seen that the ambush hath captured the city, and that the smoke of the
city hath gone up, and they turn back and smite the men of Ai;
And when Joshua,.... Or "for Joshua"F26ויהושע "et enim Josua", Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator; so Masius. :
and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city; which they
knew by the smoke, as follows:
and that the smoke of the city ascended; in large
columns, which sufficiently indicated that the whole city was taken and fired
by the ambush:
then, or, "and":
they turned again and slew the men of Ai; great numbers
of them.
Joshua 8:22 22 Then the others came out
of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel,
some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, so that
they let none of them remain or escape.
YLT
22and these have come out
from the city to meet them, and they are in the midst of Israel, some on this
side, and some on that, and they smite them till he hath not left to them a
remnant and escaped one;
And the other issued out of the city against them,.... That is,
the ambush, or at least a part of them:
so that they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and
some on that side; or, as we commonly say, they were between two fires, the ambush
on one side, the army of Israel on the other:
and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or
escape; not one was saved alive, excepting their king, as in Joshua 8:23; no
quarter was given them, nor any suffered to make their escape.
Joshua 8:23 23 But the king of Ai they
took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
YLT
23and the king of Ai they
caught alive, and bring him near unto Joshua.
And the king of Ai they took alive,.... They spared him, and
reserved him for a more shameful death:
and brought him to Joshua; their general;
delivering him into his hands as his prisoner, to do will, him as seemed good
in his sight.
Joshua 8:24 24 And it came to pass when
Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in
the wilderness where they pursued them, and when they all had fallen by the
edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to
Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.
YLT
24And it cometh to pass, at
Israel's finishing to slay all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the
wilderness in which they pursued them (and they fall all of them by the mouth
of the sword till their consumption), that all Israel turn back to Ai, and
smite it by the mouth of the sword;
And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all
the inhabitants of Ai,.... That came out against them:
in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them; both in the
arable lands that were sown with corn, and now clothed with it, the wheat
especially, not being gathered in, as not yet ripe, and in the pasture ground,
designed by the wilderness, see Joshua 8:15; so
Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it:
and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword; and were
slain by it:
until they were consumed; and not one left:
that all the Israelites returned unto Ai; both the
ambush that came out of it, and the army that came against it:
and smote it with the edge of the sword; that is, the
inhabitants that were left in it unfit for war, as old men, infirm persons,
women and children, as follows.
Joshua 8:25 25 So it was that all
who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand—all the
people of Ai.
YLT
25and all who fall during the
day, of men and of women, are twelve thousand -- all men of Ai.
And so it was, that all that fell that day,.... Partly in
the city, and partly in the field, both by the ambush and the army: both of men
and women:
were twelve
thousand, even all the men of Ai; so that the city was not
a very large one, and the numbers of inhabitants were comparatively but few, as
in Joshua 7:3.
Joshua 8:26 26 For Joshua did not draw
back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly
destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
YLT
26And Joshua hath not brought
back his hand which he stretched out with the javelin till that he hath devoted
all the inhabitants of Ai;
For Joshua drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out his
spear,.... But continued it, and that stretched out:
until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai; just as the
hand of Moses was held up, and kept held up until Amalek was discomfited by
Joshua, Exodus 17:12.
Joshua 8:27 27 Only the livestock and the
spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word
of the Lord
which He had commanded Joshua.
YLT
27only, the cattle and the
spoil of that city have Israel spoiled for themselves, according to the word of
Jehovah which He commanded Joshua.
Only the cattle, and the spoil of the city, Israel took for a prey
unto themselves,.... Even all their substance, as besides their cattle, also
their gold, silver, household goods, merchandise, &c.
according unto the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua, Joshua 8:2.
Joshua 8:28 28 So Joshua burned Ai and
made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day.
YLT
28And Joshua burneth Ai, and
maketh it a heap age-during -- a desolation unto this day;
And Joshua burnt Ai,.... The whole
city, fire being only set before to a few houses, to make a smoke as a signal;
he did with it as he had done with Jericho, for so he was ordered, Joshua 8:2,
and made it an heap for ever; that is, for a long
time, for it appears to have been rebuilt, and to have been inhabited by the
Jews, after their return from their Babylonish captivity, Nehemiah 11:31,
even a desolation
unto this day; to the time of the writing of this book; and by what has been
just observed, it appears that Ezra could not be the writer of it, since this
city was inhabited in his time.
Joshua 8:29 29 And the king of Ai he
hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua
commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the
entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that
remains to this day.
YLT
29and the king of Ai he hath
hanged on the tree till even-time, and at the going in of the sun hath Joshua
commanded, and they take down his carcase from the tree, and cast it unto the
opening of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones till
this day.
And the king of Ai he
hanged on a tree until eventide,.... By way of terror to other kings in the
land of Canaan, that should refuse to submit unto him:
and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should
take his carcass down from the tree; according to the law in Deuteronomy 21:23;
and that the land might not be defiled:
and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city; this was
done, according to Ben Gersom and Abarbinel, that it might be publicly known to
the rest of the kings of the nations, that they might be afraid to fight with
Israel:
and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth
unto this day; as a sepulchral monument, showing that there was a person lay
interred there; whether there was any inscription on the stone, showing who he
was, does not appear; it looks as if it was only a rude heap of stones; and
such kind of sepulchral monuments were common in former times in other countries.
Joshua 8:30 30 Now Joshua built an altar
to the Lord
God of Israel in Mount Ebal,
YLT
30Then doth Joshua build an
altar to Jehovah, God of Israel, in mount Ebal,
Then Joshua built an altar
unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal. As was commanded, Deuteronomy 27:5.
The Samaritan Chronicle says, it was built in Mount Gerizim; but there is a
difficulty arises, when this was done by Joshua; it should seem by inserting
the account here, that it was done immediately after the destruction of Ai; and
Mercator endeavours to prove that Ebal was near to Ai, but what he has said
does not give satisfaction; for certain it is, that Ebal and Gerizim were near
Shechem in Samaria, at a great distance from Ai, see Judges 9:6. The
JewsF1Misn. Sotah, c. 7. sect. 5. Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 30.
Jarchi in loc. generally are of opinion, that this was done as soon as Israel,
even the very day, they passed over Jordan, which they think the letter of the
command required, Deuteronomy 11:29;
though it does not, only that it should be done after they were passed over it;
Ebal being at too great a distance from Jordan for them to accomplish it on
that day, being, as they themselves sayF2T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 36. 1.
, sixty miles from Jordan; so that they are obliged to make Israel travel that
day an hundred twenty miles, and as they assert they didF3T. Hieros.
Sotah, fol. 21. 3. and which they must do, if what they say was true, it being
sixty miles to Ebal, and sixty more to return again to Gilgal that night, where
they encamped, but this is incredible: and as this account of Joshua's building
the altar is too soon after he had passed Jordan, what R. IshmaelF4Apud
ib. has pitched upon is too late, who says this was not done till after
fourteen years, when the land was conquered, which was seven years doing, and
when it was divided, which were seven years more; what Josephus saysF5Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 1. sect. 14. is more probable than either, which is, that Joshua, five
years after he had entered Canaan, when he had placed the tabernacle at Shiloh,
went from thence and built an altar at Ebal; as for what R. Eliezer suggestsF6,
that Ebal and Gerizim here mentioned are not the Ebal and Gerizim of the
Samaritans, only two hills were made, and they were called by these names,
cannot merit any belief or regard.
Joshua 8:31 31 as Moses the servant of
the Lord
had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law
of Moses: “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.”[a] And they
offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed peace
offerings.
YLT
31as Moses, servant of
Jehovah, commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law
of Moses -- an altar of whole stones, over which he hath not waved iron -- and
they cause to go up upon it burnt-offerings to Jehovah, and sacrifice
peace-offerings;
As Moses the servant of
the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the
law of Moses,.... Deuteronomy 27:5,
an altar of whole stones, on which no man hath lift up any
iron; See Gill on Exodus 20:25; see
Gill on Deuteronomy 27:5,
and; see Gill on Deuteronomy 27:6,
and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and
sacrificed peace offerings; by way of thanksgiving for the good land
they were introduced into, and this was what they were ordered to do by Moses, Deuteronomy 27:6.
Joshua 8:32 32 And there, in the presence
of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses,
which he had written.
YLT
32and he writeth there on the
stones the copy of the law of Moses, which he hath written in the presence of
the sons of Israel.
And he wrote there upon
the stones a copy of the law of Moses,.... Not upon the stones
of which the altar was made, though some have so thought; but upon other stones
erected in the form of a pillar, and plastered over, Deuteronomy 27:4;
which copy of the law was not the whole book of Deuteronomy, as some, at least
only an abstract of the laws in it; but rather the decalogue, as Abarbinel; or
the blessings and curses later read, as Ben Gersom:
which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel: they being
witness of it, that he did what was enjoined.
Joshua 8:33 33 Then all Israel, with
their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before
the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger
as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of
Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of
the Lord
had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
YLT
33And all Israel, and its
elders, and authorities, and its judges, are standing on this side and on that
of the ark, over-against the priests, the Levites, bearing the ark of the
covenant of Jehovah, as well the sojourner as the native, half of them
over-against mount Gerizim, and the half of them over-against mount Ebal, as
Moses servant of Jehovah commanded to bless the people of Israel at the first.
And all Israel, and their
elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark, and on that
side,.... Some on Ebal, and some on Gerizim:
before the priests and the Levites, which bare the ark of the
covenant of the Lord; it being brought out of the tabernacle on this occasion, and
bottle by the priests and Levites:
as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; that is, as
well the proselytes as the native Israelites, both appeared and were in the
same situation:
half of them over against Mount Gerizim; that is, half
of the tribes, and these were Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and
Benjamin:
and half of them over against Mount Ebal; which were
the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:12
and See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:13,
as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they
should bless the people of Israel, as in Deuteronomy 27:12.
Joshua 8:34 34 And afterward he read all
the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is
written in the Book of the Law.
YLT
34And afterwards he hath
proclaimed all the words of the law, the blessing and the reviling, according
to all that is written in the book of the law;
And afterwards he read all
the words of the law,.... Not the whole Pentateuch, nor the whole book of Deuteronomy,
but either some parts of it, the decalogue, or whatsoever he had written on the
stones, and as follows:
the blessings and cursings, according to all that was written in
the book of the law; Deuteronomy 27:14;
See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:11.
Joshua 8:35 35 There was not a word of
all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly
of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living
among them.
YLT
35there hath not been a thing
of all that Moses commanded which Joshua hath not proclaimed before all the
assembly of Israel, and the women, and the infants, and the sojourner who is
going in their midst.
There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua
read not,.... So punctually, precisely, and exactly did he observe the
instructions and commands that were given him by Moses; and this he did in the
most public manner:
before all the congregation of Israel; who were on
this occasion called together, and not before the men only, but
with the women, and little ones: who all had a concern in
the things that were read to them: yea, even
and the strangers that were conversant among them; not the
proselytes of righteousness only, but the proselytes of the gate, that dwelt,
walked, and conversed with them.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)