81 Now the Lord said to Joshua , " Do not fear or 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 . 2 "You shall do to Ai and its king just as you did to Jericho and its king ; you shall take only its spoil and its cattle as plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind e it."
3 So Joshua rose with all the people of war to go up to Ai ; and Joshua chose 30,000 e men , valiant warriors , and sent them out at night . 4 He commanded them, saying , "See , you are going to ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far from the city , but all of you be ready . 5 "Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city . And when they come out to meet us as at the first , we will flee before them. 6 "They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city , for they will say , 'They are fleeing before us as at the first .' So we will flee before them. 7 "And you shall rise from your ambush and take possession of the city , for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand . 8 "Then it will be when you have seized the city , that you shall set the city on fire . You shall do it according to the word of the Lord . See , I have commanded you." 9 So Joshua sent them away , and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai , on the west side of Ai ; but Joshua spent that night among the people . 10 Now Joshua rose early in the morning and mustered the people , and he went up with the elders of Israel before the people to Ai . 11 Then all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near and arrived in front of the city , and camped on the north side of Ai . Now there was a valley between him and Ai . 12 And he took about 5,000 e men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai , on the west side of the city . 13 So they stationed the people , all the army that was on the north side of the city , and its rear guard on the west side of the city , and Joshua spent that night in the midst of the valley . 14 It came about when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose up early and went out to meet Israel in battle , he and all his people at the appointed place before the desert plain . But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind e the city . 15 Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness . 16 And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city . 17 So not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel , and they left the city unguarded and pursued Israel . 18 Then the Lord said to Joshua , " Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai , for I will give it into your hand ." So Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city . 19 The men in ambush rose quickly from their place , and when he had stretched out his hand , they ran and entered the city and captured it, and they quickly set the city on fire . 20 When the men of Ai turned back and looked , behold , the smoke of the city ascended to the sky , and they had no place to flee this way or that, for the people who had been fleeing to the wilderness turned against the pursuers . 21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the smoke of the city ascended , they turned back and slew the men of Ai . 22 The others came out from the city to encounter them, so that they were trapped in the midst of Israel , some on this side and some on that side ; and they slew them until no one was left of those who survived or escaped .
23 But they took alive the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua . 24 Now when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them were fallen by the edge of the sword until they were destroyed , then all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword . 25 All who fell that day , both men and women , were 12,000 e e -all the people of Ai . 26 For Joshua did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai . 27 Israel took only the cattle and the spoil of that city as plunder for themselves, according to the word of the Lord which He had commanded Joshua . 28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever , a desolation until this day .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 8:1-28
Commentary on Joshua 8:1-2
(Read Joshua 8:1-2)
When we have faithfully put away sin, that accursed thing which separates between us and God, then, and not till then, we may look to hear from God to our comfort; and God's directing us how to go on in our Christian work and warfare, is a good evidence of his being reconciled to us. God encouraged Joshua to proceed. At Ai the spoil was not to be destroyed as at Jericho, therefore there was no danger of the people's committing such a trespass. Achan, who caught at forbidden spoil, lost that, and life, and all; but the rest of the people, who kept themselves from the accursed thing, were quickly rewarded for their obedience. The way to have the comfort of what God allows us, is, to keep from what he forbids us. No man shall lose by self-denial.
Commentary on Joshua 8:3-22
(Read Joshua 8:3-22)
Observe Joshua's conduct and prudence. Those that would maintain their spiritual conflicts must not love their ease. Probably he went into the valley alone, to pray to God for a blessing, and he did not seek in vain. He never drew back till the work was done. Those that have stretched out their hands against their spiritual enemies, must never draw them back.
Commentary on Joshua 8:23-29
(Read Joshua 8:23-29)
God, the righteous Judge, had sentenced the Canaanites for their wickedness; the Israelites only executed his doom. None of their conduct can be drawn into an example for others. Especial reason no doubt there was for this severity to the king of Ai; it is likely he had been notoriously wicked and vile, and a blasphemer of the God of Israel.