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Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 8:1

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And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:

Ch. Jos 8:1-29. The Capture of Ai

1. And the Lord said unto Joshua ] The same encouraging address, and one much needed after all that had taken place, is now given as that recorded in Jos 1:9. The sin of Israel having been removed, the Almighty once more assures Joshua of His presence to give success in the reduction of Ai.

all the people of war ] Not three thousand men only as at the first attempt.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

God rouses Joshua from his dejection Jos 7:6, and bids him lmarch against Ai with the main body. Though Ai was but a small city (compare Jos 8:25 and Jos 7:3), yet the discouragement of the people rendered it inexpedient to send a second time a mere detachment against it; and the people of Ai had, as appears from Jos 8:17, help from Bethel, and possibly from other places also. It was fitting too that all the people should witness with their own eyes the happy consequences of having faithfully put away the sin which had separated them from God.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Jos 8:1-2

Fear not . . . I have given into thy hand the king Of Ai.

The use of failure

Fear not. How much of our misery arises from fear! How many a beating heart, how many a shaking nerve, how many a sleepless night have come, not from evil experienced, but from evil apprehended! To save one from the apprehension of evil is sometimes more important, as it is usually far more difficult, than to save one from evil itself. An affectionate father finds that one of his most needed services to his children is to allay their fears. Never is he doing them a greater kindness than when he uses his larger experience of life to assure them, in some anxiety, that there is no cause for fear. Our heavenly Father finds much occasion for a similar course. Virtually the command to Joshua is to try again. Success, though denied to the first effort, often comes to the next, or at least to a subsequent one. Even apart from spiritual considerations, it is those who try oftenest who succeed best. There is little good in a man who abandons an undertaking simply because he has tried once and failed. Who does not recall in this connection the story of Alfred the Great? Or of Robert the Bruce watching the spider in the barn that at last reached the roof after sixteen failures? Or, looking to what has a more immediate bearing on the kingdom of God, who has not admired the perseverance of Livingstone, undaunted by fever and famine and the ferocity of savage chiefs; unmoved by his longings for home and dreams of plenty and comfort that mocked him when he awoke to physical wretchedness and want? Such perseverance gives a man the stamp of true nobility. To Christian men especially failure brings very valuable lessons. There is always something to be learned from it. In our first attempt we were too self-confident. We went too carelessly about the matter, and did not sufficiently realise the need of Divine support. In the case of Joshua and his people, one of the chief lessons derived from their failure before Ai was the evil of covering sin. Alas, this policy is the cause of failures innumerable in the spiritual life! In numberless ways it interrupts Divine fellowship, withdraws the Divine blessing, and grieves the Holy Spirit. Joshua is instructed to go up again against Ai, but in order to interest and encourage the people he resorts to a new plan of attack. A stratagem is to be put in operation. (W. G. Blaikie, D. D.)

The right policy

I. These words were spoken to give encouragment. God began His address with the exhortation, Fear not. This indeed constitutes the burden of comfort which it contains. God would renew Joshuas confidence; for this is always essential to success in the work of the Lord. Without holy confidence there can be no good hopes, no wise plans, no buoyant energy, no patient endurance, no successful campaign. The fact that this was an old exhortation made it doubly dear. Israels sins had been confessed, acknowledged, judged, therefore God is faithful and just to forgive it, thoroughly, absolutely. These words of God also contain a promise. Ai is thine; this is the pledge given. It was sure, for Gods Word is never broken. And it was as sweet as it was sure. It was the encouragement of a perfect love that had long been experienced and enjoyed; a new outpouring of its glory most grateful and precious.

II. But God thus addressed Joshua in order to reprove an error. The spies had said, Let not all the people go up, &c. Here God says, Take all the people with thee, and arise, go up to Ai. Here God points out the error of division in His work, the error of thinking that part can do the work designed for the whole. The policy of the spies was a policy of pride. They were elated with their marvellous success at Jericho, with that brilliant victory so easily won; and therefore when they came to look at Ai their hearts were filled with contempt. And the feelings which influenced them still possess the human heart. How dangerous is success to the individual, to the congregation, to the Church I The policy of the spies was also one of ignorance and disobedience. It was opposed to the Divine design and command. So is it now. God has never said to any of His children, Son, go to church, enjoy the services, criticise the sermons, bury yourself in business and pleasure from Monday till Saturday. No, but He does say, Son, go work. And He says that to every son whom He acknowledges. No Christian can shake off his responsibility for personal service. And no one can buy himself off, for the conscription is universal. We must each put our hand to this work as we have opportunity, and if we do not, we show ourselves ignorant or prove ourselves disobedient. Moreover, this policy of the spies was a policy of inconsistency. In adopting it Joshua fell from his own model. He had begun in the spirit and was continuing in the flesh. The taking of Jericho was the pattern for faith to follow. What is the model set by God before His Church in the prosecution of the campaign of salvation? Without dispute, the Day of Pentecost. And what were the characteristics of that day? Unity of spirit, unity of labour. Likewise, this policy sprang from presumption. Joshua in listening to the advice of the spies acted according to the dictates of carnal wisdom. If all the people go against Ai they will tread on each other and be a hindrance rather than a help. If all the people quit the camp there will be a useless expenditure of energy. It is absurd to use 50,000 men when 5,000 are quite capable of doing the work. So they argued; and so the modern descendants of these wise spies say, Not all the people. If all are engaged in this work, many mistakes will be made, much energy will be wasted, much folly will be wrought, much injury to the good cause will be done. What! Has not God ordained that all are to take part in this campaign? Let us take heed, then, lest in our wisdom we perchance become guilty of presumptuously opposing God, who has ordained by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Certainly it is delightful to see zeal well directed, but any zeal for the good of souls is better than lethargy, indifference, death. Still further, this policy of the spies was a policy of infatuation. That Joshua entertained this proposal and acted on it was a sign that for the while he was left to himself on account of that sin which had defiled all Israel. Its unanimous adoption by the people (for both those who went to Ai and those who stayed in the camp signified their approval of it) was a clear token of the Divine displeasure, and brought its own punishment in the universal disgrace which followed. Thus does God often deal with men when they will not hearken to His voice. He makes them eat of the fruit of their own ways. May we ever be saved from such infatuation. Let us fall every one into the ranks of this great army of salvation. Let us buckle on the sword of the Spirit. Let us march to the attack on Satans citadels with united front; and we also, like Israel, will divide the spoil and share the glory of the victory.

III. God gave this command to Joshua in order to teach a lesson. Jericho was taken in one way, Ai in another: therefore methods may vary; they are not stereotyped, cast-iron rules, which cannot be altered. There are essential and there are non-essential elements in the mode of conducting the Divine work. It is essential that all Gods people should take part in the work. All were employed at Jericho; all were to be employed at Ai. It is essential that there be organisation and arrangement. It was an army, not a rabble, which did the work at Jericho; so was it at Ai. But there are non-essentials also. There are great diversities of operation in this army of the Cross. God does not always act exactly in the same way. He has different modes of reaching the human heart and conscience in different ages, in different countries, and among different classes. What is suitable in one set of circumstances may be very unsuitable in another. (A. B. Mackay.)

The taking of Ai Spiritualised

1. It appears, in the first place, that in going out to battle with anything that is doomed we must have a right character and a right cause. The Lord would not allow a blow to be struck at the city by a wicked hand; He will have judgment executed by righteousness; He will have the law proclaimed by lips that have been circumcised and anointed. The first great inquiry of man is a moral inquiry, not an inquest about numbers, places: and possible issues–but, Is this thing right? and am I right who attempt to do the work? That being the case, go forward.

2. The next great lesson of this incident is that we must all advance upon the doomed institution. When the idea of taking Ai was first broached, there were clever men in Israel who said, Let two or three thousand of us go up and take the city. I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city (Jos 8:5). That must be the rule of the Church in all its great moral wars. The battle is not to be handed over to a few persons, however skilful and zealous. The work of teaching the world and saving the world is a work committed to the whole Christian body. The living Church of the living God is one. When the Church realises its totality, when every man is part of an army and not an isolated warrior, then every Ai doomed of Heaven shall reel under the battering-ram which the Church will employ. There are to be no mere critics; there are to be thousands of active soldiers.

3. This being so, the incident brings before us in a very suggestive and picturesque manner the fact that we must excel the enemy in shrewdness. The Church is to be shrewder than the world, believers are to be keener of mind and more active in every energy than unbelievers. It is evident, moreover, that if we are to do any real work in the world in the name of God and in the cause of Christ we must be about our business night and day. In Jos 8:10 we read, And Joshua rose up early in the morning; in verse 13 we read, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. How useful some men might be if they had the spirit of consecration: what time they have on hand!

4. We should miss one great lesson of this story if we did not note that we are bound to set fire to every devoted abomination. Ai was burned. We are not called to compromise, to paltering, to arranging, to expediency where ignorance is concerned, or slavery, or vice, or wrong. Things must be so burned down that they can never grow again. And after destruction, what then? Positive religion comes next: Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal (verse 30). It is no use building your altar until you have burned the abomination. A great destructive work is to be done first, and in the doing of it, there will be great outcry about change, and novelty, and reprisal, and revolution. If you have not been faithful in the work of destruction, you cannot be faithful in the work of construction. It is lying unto the Holy Ghost to build an altar upon the basis of a rotten life. So we are called to thoroughness of work. There is to be no superficial action here. And after the altar, what? The law–the law of righteousness, the law of God. Verse 32 reads, And Joshua wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. This is complete work-destruction, the erected altar, the inscribed law. This is healthy work. (J. Parker, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

CHAPTER VIII

The Lord encourages Joshua, and promises to deliver Ai into his

hands, and instructs him how he is to proceed against it, 1, 2.

Joshua takes thirty thousand of his best troops, and gives

them instructions concerning his intention of taking Ai by

stratagem, 3-8.

The men dispose themselves according to these directions, 9-13.

The king of Ai attacks the Israelites, who, feigning to be

beaten, fly before him, in consequence of which all the troops

of Ai issue out, and pursue the Israelites, 14-17.

Joshua, at the command of God, stretches out his spear towards

Ai, and then five thousand men that he had placed in ambush in

the valley rise up, enter the city, and set it on fire, 18, 19.

Then Joshua and his men turned against the men of Ai, and, at

the same time, those who had taken the city sallied forth and

attacked them in the rear; thus the men of Ai were defeated,

their king taken prisoner, the city sacked, and twelve thousand

persons slain, 20-26.

The Israelites take the spoils, and hang the king of Ai, 27-29.

Joshua builds an altar to God on Mount Ebal, and writes on it a

copy of the law of Moses, 30-32.

The elders, officers, and judges, stand on each side of the ark,

one half over against Mount Gerizim, and the other against

Mount Ebal, and read all the blessings and curses of the law,

according to the command of Moses, 33-35.

NOTES ON CHAP. VIII

Verse 1. Fear not] The iniquity being now purged away, because of which God had turned his hand against Israel, there was now no cause to dread any other disaster, and therefore Joshua is ordered to take courage.

Take all the people of war with thee] From the letter of this verse it appears that all that were capable of carrying arms were to march out of the camp on this occasion: thirty thousand chosen men formed an ambuscade in one place; five thousand he placed in another, who had all gained their positions in the night season: with the rest of the army he appeared the next morning before Ai, which the men of that city would naturally suppose were the whole of the Israelitish forces; and consequently be the more emboldened to come out and attack them. But some think that thirty thousand men were the whole that were employed on this occasion; five thousand of whom were placed as an ambuscade on the west side of the city between Beth-el and Ai, Jos 8:12, and with the rest he appeared before the city in the morning. The king of Ai seeing but about twenty-five thousand coming against him, and being determined to defend his city and crown to the last extremity, though he had but twelve thousand persons in the whole city, Jos 8:25, scarcely one half of whom we can suppose to be effective men, he was determined to risk a battle; and accordingly issued out, and was defeated by the stratagem mentioned in the preceding part of this chapter.

Several eminent commentators are of opinion that the whole Israelitish force was employed on this occasion, because of what is said in the first verse; but this is not at all likely.

1. It appears that but thirty thousand were chosen out of the whole camp for this expedition, the rest being drawn up in readiness should their co-operation be necessary. See Jos 8:3; Jos 8:10.

2. That all the people were mustered in order to make this selection, Jos 8:1.

3. That these thirty thousand were sent off by night, Jos 8:3, Joshua himself continuing in the camp a part of that night, Jos 8:9, with the design of putting himself at the head of the army next morning.

4. That of the thirty thousand men five thousand were directed to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city, Jos 8:12; the twenty-five thousand having taken a position on the north side of the city, Jos 8:11.

5. That the whole of the troops employed against Ai on this occasion were those on the north and west, Jos 8:13, which we know from the preceding verses were composed of thirty thousand chosen men.

6. That Joshua went in the course of the night, probably before daybreak, into the valley between Beth-el and Ai, where the ambuscade of five thousand men was placed, Jos 8:13, and gave them the proper directions how they were to proceed, and agreed on the sign he was to give them at the moment he wished them to act, see Jos 8:18: and that, after having done so, he put himself at the head of the twenty-five thousand men on the north side of the city: for we find him among them when the men of Ai issued out, Jos 8:15, though he was the night before in the valley on the west side, where the ambuscade lay, Jos 8:13.

7. That as Ai was but a small city, containing only twelve thousand inhabitants, it would have been absurd to have employed an army of several hundred thousand men against them.

8. This is confirmed by the opinion of the spies, Jos 7:3, who, from the smallness of the place, the fewness of its inhabitants, and the panic-struck state in which they found them, judged that three thousand troops would be quite sufficient to reduce the place.

9. That it appears this judgment was correctly enough formed, as the whole population of the place amounted only to twelve thousand persons, as we have already seen, Jos 8:25.

10. That even a less force might have been sufficient for the reduction of this place, had they been supplied with battering-rams, and such like instruments, which it does not appear the Israelites possessed.

11. That this is the reason why Joshua employed the stratagems detailed in this chapter: having no proper instruments or machines by means of which he might hope to take the city by assault, (and to reduce it by famine, which was quite possible, would have consumed too much time,) he used the feigned flight, Jos 8:19, to draw the inhabitants from the city, that the ambush, Jos 8:12; Jos 8:15, might then enter, and take possession of it.

12. That had he advanced with a greater force against the city the inhabitants would have had no confidence in risking a battle, and consequently would have kept within their walls, which would have defeated the design of the Israelites, which was to get them to issue from their city.

13. That, all these circumstances considered thirty thousand men, disposed as above, were amply sufficient for the reduction of the city, and were the whole of the Israelitish troops which were employed on the occasion.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Take all the people of war with thee; partly to strengthen them against those fears which their late defeat had wrought in them; and partly that all of them might be partakers of this first spoil, and thereby be encouraged to proceed in their work. The weak multitude were not to go, because they might have hindered them in the following stratagem; and it was but fit that the military men who run the greatest hazards, should have the precedency and privilege in the spoils.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1, 2. The Lord said unto Joshua,Fear notBy the execution of justice on Achan, the divine wrathwas averted, the Israelites were reassured, defeat was succeeded byvictory; and thus the case of Ai affords a striking example of God’sdisciplinary government, in which chastisements for sin are oftenmade to pave the way for the bestowment of those temporal benefits,which, on account of sin, have been withdrawn, or withheld for atime. Joshua, who had been greatly dispirited, was encouraged by aspecial communication promising him (see Jos 1:6;Deu 31:6-8) success in thenext attempt, which, however, was to be conducted on differentprinciples.

take all the people of warwith thee, and arise, go up to AiThe number of fighting menamounted to six hundred thousand, and the whole force was ordered onthis occasion, partly because the spies, in their self-confidence,had said that a few were sufficient to attack the place (Jos7:3), partly to dispel any misgivings which the memory of thelate disaster might have created, and partly that the circumstance ofthe first spoil obtained in Canaan being shared among all, mightoperate both as a reward for obedience in refraining from the bootyof Jericho, and as an incentive to future exertions (De6:10). The rest of the people, including the women and children,remained in the camp at Gilgal. Being in the plains of Jericho, itwas an ascent to Ai, which was on a hill.

I have given into thy handthe king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land . . . laythee an ambush for the cityGod assured Joshua of Ai’s capture,but allowed him to follow his own tactics in obtaining thepossession.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

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 comments on Jos 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.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Conquest and Burning of Ai. – Jos 8:1, Jos 8:2. After the ban which rested upon the people had been wiped away, the Lord encouraged Joshua to make war upon Ai, promising him that the city should be taken, and giving him instructions what to do to ensure the success of his undertaking. With evident allusion to Joshua’s despair after the failure of the first attack, the Lord commences with these words, “Fear not, neither be thou dismayed ” (as in Deu 1:21; Deu 31:8), and then commands him to go against Ai with all the people of war. By “all the people of war” we are hardly to understand all the men out of the whole nation who were capable of bearing arms; but as only a third of these were contributed by the two tribes and a half to cross over into Canaan and take part in the war, the other tribes also are not likely to have levied more than a third, say about 160,000, which would form altogether an army of about 200,000 men. But even such an army as this seems out of all proportion to the size of Ai, with its 12,000 inhabitants (Jos 8:25). On the other hand, however, we must bear in mind that the expression “ all the people of war” simply denotes the whole army, in contrast with the advice of the spies that only a portion of the army should be sent (Jos 7:3), so that we are not warranted in pressing the word “all” to absolutely;

(Note: “As we have just before seen how their hearts melted, God consulted their weakness, by putting no heavier burden upon them than they were able to bear, until they had recovered from their alarm, and hearkened readily to His commands.” – Calvin.)

and also that this command of God was not given with reference to the conquest of Ai alone, but applied at the same time to the conquest of the whole land, which Joshua was not to attempt by sending out detachments only, but was to carry out with the whole of the force at his command. , to go up, is applied to the advance of an army against a hostile town, independently of the question whether the town was situated upon an eminence or not, as every town that had to be taken was looked upon as a height to be scaled, though as a fact in this instance the army had really to ascend from Jericho to Ai, which was situated up in the mountains (On Jos 8:1, see Jos 6:2.) “His land ” is the country round, which belonged to the town and was under its king.

Jos 8:2

Joshua was to do the same to Ai and her king as he had already done to Jericho and her king, except that in this case the conquerors were to be allowed to appropriate the booty and the cattle to themselves. In order to conquer the town, he was to lay an ambush behind it.

(Note: The much agitated question, whether it could be worthy of God to employ stratagem in war, to which different replies have been given, has been answered quite correctly by Calvin. “Surely,” he says, “wars are not carried on by striking alone; but they are considered the best generals who succeed through art and counsel more than by force … . Therefore, if war is lawful at all, it is beyond all controversy that the way is perfectly clear for the use of the customary arts of warfare, provided there is no breach of faith in the violation of treaty or truce, or in any other way.”)

, a collective noun, signifying the persons concealed in ambush; (Jos 8:9), the place of ambush. “ Behind it,” i.e., on the west of the town.

Jos 8:3-9

Accordingly Joshua set out with all the people of war against Ai, and selected 30,000 brave men, and sent them out in the night, with instructions to station themselves as an ambuscade behind the town, and at no great distance from it. As the distance from Gilgal to Ai was about fifteen miles, and the road runs pretty straight in a north-westerly direction from Jericho through the Wady Faran, the detachment sent forward might easily accomplish the distance in a night, so as to arrive on the western side of Ai before the break of day. They were then to hold themselves in readiness to fight. He (Joshua) himself would approach the town with the people of war that remained with him; and if the inhabitants of Ai should come out against him as they did before, they would flee before them till they had drawn them quite away from their town (Jos 8:5). This was to be expected; “for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: and we will flee before them ” (Jos 8:6). When this was done, the warriors were to come forth from their ambush, fall upon the town, and set it on fire (Jos 8:7, Jos 8:8). Having been sent away with these instructions, the 30,000 men went into ambush, and posted themselves “between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai ” (Jos 8:9), i.e., according to Strauss, in the Wady es Suweinit, to the north-west of Ai, where it forms almost a perpendicular wall, near to which the ruins of Chai are to be found, though “not near enough to the rocky wady for it to be possible to look down its almost perpendicular wall” ( Ritter, Erdk. xvi. p. 528). Joshua remained for the night in the midst of the people, i.e., in the camp of that portion of the army that had gone with him towards Ai; not in Gilgal, as Knobel supposes.

Jos 8:10

The next morning he mustered the people as early as possible, and then went, with the elders of Israel, “before the people of Ai.” The elders of Israel are not “military tribunes, who were called elders because of their superiority in military affairs,” as Masius supposes, but, as in every other case, the heads of the people, who accompanied Joshua as counsellors.

Jos 8:11-13

The whole of the people of war also advanced with him to the front of the town, and encamped on the north of Ai, so that the valley was between it ( , as in Jos 3:4) and Ai. This was probably a side valley branching off towards the south from the eastern continuation of the Wady es Suweinit. – In Jos 8:12, Jos 8:13, the account of the preparations for the attack is founded off by a repetition of the notice as to the forces engaged, and in some respects a more exact description of their disposition. Joshua, it is stated in Jos 8:12, took about 5000 men and placed them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the town. As the place where this ambuscade was posted is described in precisely the same terms as that which was occupied, according to Jos 8:9, by the 30,000 men who were sent out to form an ambuscade in the night before the advance of the main army against Ai (for the substitution of “ the city ” for Ai cannot possibly indicate a difference in the locality), the view held by the majority of commentators, that Jos 8:12 refers to a second ambuscade, which Joshua sent out in addition to the 30,000, and posted by the side of them, is even more than questionable, and is by no means raised into a probability by the expression ( Eng. “their liers in wait”) in Jos 8:13. The description of the place, “on the west of the city,” leaves no doubt whatever that “their liers in wait” are simply the ambuscade ( ) mentioned in Jos 8:12, which was sent out from the whole army, i.e., the ambuscade that was posted on the west of the town. signifies literally the lier in wait (Psa 49:5), from , insidiari , and is synonymous with . The meaning which Gesenius and others attach to the word, viz., the rear or hinder part of the army, cannot be sustained from Gen 49:19. If we add to this the fact that Jos 8:13 is obviously nothing more than a repetition of the description already given in Jos 8:11 of the place where the main army was posted, and therefore bears the character of a closing remark introduced to wind up the previous account, we cannot regard Jos 8:12 as anything more than a repetition of the statements in Jos 8:3, Jos 8:9, and can only explain the discrepancy with regard to the number of men who were placed in ambush, by supposing that, through a copyist’s error, the number which was expressed at first in simple letters has in one instance been given wrongly. The mistake, however, is not to be found in the 5000 (Jos 8:12), but in the 30,000 in Jos 8:3, where has been confounded with . For a detachment of 5000 men would be quite sufficient for an ambuscade that had only to enter the town after the soldiers had left it in pursuit of the Israelites, and to set it on fire, whereas it hardly seems possible that 30,000 men should have been posted in ambush so near to the town.

(Note: We need have no hesitation in coming to the conclusion that there is a mistake in the number given in Jos 8:3, as the occurrence of such mistakes in the historical books is fully established by a comparison of the numbers given in the books of Samuel and Kings with those in the books of Chronicles, and is admitted by every commentator. In my earlier commentary on Joshua, I attempted to solve the difficulty by the twofold assumption: first, that Jos 8:12 contains a supplementary statement, in which the number of the men posted in ambush is given for the firs time; and secondly, that the historian forgot to notice that out of the 30,000 men whom Joshua chose to make war upon Ai, 5000 were set apart to lie in ambush. But, on further examination of the text, I have come to the conclusion that the second assumption is irreconcilable with the distinct words of Jos 8:3, and feel obliged to give it up. On the other hand, I still adhere to the conviction that there is not sufficient ground either for the assumption that Jos 8:12, Jos 8:13, contain an old marginal gloss that has crept into the text, or for the hypothesis of Ewald and Knobel, that these verses were introduced by the last editor of the book out of some other document. The last hypothesis amounts to a charge of thoughtlessness against the latest editor, which is hardly reconcilable with the endeavour, for which he is praised in other places, to reconcile the discrepancies in the different documents.)

– In Jos 8:13, (the people) is to be taken as the subject of the sentence: “ The people had set all the host, that was on the north of the city, and its ambuscade on the west of the city.” In the night, namely the night before the army arrived at the north of the town, Joshua went through the midst of the valley, which separated the Israelites from the town, so that in the morning he stood with all the army close before the town.

Jos 8:14-23

When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out in the morning against them to battle at the (previously) appointed place ( , in locum condictum , as in 1Sa 20:35) before the steppe ( Arabah, not the valley of the Jordan, but the steppe or desert of Bethaven; see at Jos 7:2), as he knew nothing of the ambuscade behind the town.

Jos 8:15

But the Israelites let them beat them, and fled along the desert (of Bethaven).

Jos 8:16-17

And all the people in the town were called together to pursue the Israelites, and were drawn away from the town, so that not a man, i.e., not a single soldier who could take part in the pursuit, remained either in Ai or the neighbouring town of Bethel, and the town stood open behind them. It is evident from Jos 8:17 that the inhabitants of Bethel, which was about three hours’ journey from Ai, took part in the battle, probably in consequence of a treaty which the king of Ai had made with them in the expectation of a renewed and still stronger attack on the part of the Israelites. Nothing further is known upon this point; nor can anything be inferred from the fact that the king of Bethel is included in the list of the kings slain by Joshua (Jos 12:16). Consequently, we cannot decide whether the Bethelites came to the help of the Aites for the first time on the day of the battle itself, or, what is more probable, had already sent men to Ai, to help to repulse the expected attack of the Israelites upon that town.

Jos 8:18-19

At the command of God Joshua now stretched out the javelin in his hand towards the town. At this sign the ambuscade rose hastily from its concealment, rushed into the town, and set it on fire. signifies to stretch out the hand with the spear. The object , which is missing (cf. Jos 8:19, Jos 8:26), may easily be supplied from the apposition . The raising of the javelin would probably be visible at a considerable distance, even if it was not provided with a small flag, as both earlier and later commentators assume, since Joshua would hardly be in the mist of the flying Israelites, but would take his station as commander upon some eminence on one side. And the men in ambush would have scouts posted to watch for the signal, which had certainly been arranged beforehand, and convey the information to the others.

Jos 8:20-22

The men of Ai then turned round behind them, being evidently led to do so by the Israelites, who may have continued looking round to the town of Ai when the signal had been given by Joshua, to see whether the men in ambush had taken it and set it on fire, and as soon as they saw that this had been done began to offer still further resistance to their pursuers, and to defend themselves vigorously against them. On looking back to their town the Aites saw the smoke of the town ascending towards heaven: “ and there were not hands in them to flee hither and thither,” i.e., they were utterly unable to flee. “ Hand,” as the organs of enterprise and labour, in the sense of “strength,” not “room,” for which we should expect to find instead of . There is an analogous passage in Psa 76:6, “None of the men of might have found their hands.” For the people that fled to the wilderness (the Israelitish army) turned against the pursuers (the warriors of Ai), or, as is added by way of explanation in Jos 8:21, when Joshua and all Israel saw the town in the hands of the ambuscade, and the smoke ascending, they turned round and smote the people of Ai; and (Jos 8:22) these (i.e., the Israelites who had formed the ambuscade) came out of the town to meet them. “ These ” ( Eng. the other), as contrasted with “the people that fled” in Jos 8:20, refers back to “the ambush” in Jos 8:19. In this way the Aites were in the midst of the people of Israel, who came from this side and that side, and smote them to the last man. “ So that they let none of them remain:” as in Num 21:35 and Deu 3:3, except that in this case it is strengthened still further by , “ or escape.”

Jos 8:23

The king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua.

Jos 8:24-26

When all the men of Ai, who had come out to pursue the Israelites, had been slain upon the field (namely) in the desert, all Israel returned to Ai and smote it (the town, i.e., the inhabitants), so that on that day there fell of men and women, 12,000, all the people of Ai: for Joshua did not draw back his hand, which had been stretched out with the javelin, till all the inhabitants of Ai were smitten with the ban, i.e., put to death; according to the common custom of war, that the general did not lower the war-signal till the conflict was to cease (see Suidas in , and Lipsius de militia, Rom. iv. dial. 12).

Jos 8:27

Only the cattle and the rest of the booty the conquerors retained for themselves, according to the word of the Lord (Jos 8:2).

Jos 8:28

Joshua had the town burnt down and made into a heap of rubbish for ever.

Jos 8:29

He had the king of Ai hanged upon a tree, i.e., put to death, and then suspended upon a stake (see Num 25:4) until the evening; but at sunset he had him taken down (in accordance with Deu 21:22-23), and thrown at the entrance of the town-gate, and a heap of stones piled upon him (as in the case of Achan, Jos 7:26).

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

The Destruction of Ai.

B. C. 1451.

1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: 2 And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

Israel were very happy in having such a commander as Joshua, but Joshua was more happy in having such a director as God himself; when any difficulty occurred, he needed not to call a council of war who had God so nigh unto him, not only to answer, but even to anticipate, his enquiries. It should seem, Joshua was now at a stand, had scarcely recovered the discomposure he was put into by the trouble Achan gave them, and could not think, without fear and trembling, of pushing forward, lest there should be in the camp another Achan; then God spoke to him, either by vision, as before (ch. v.), or by the breastplate of judgment. Note, When we have faithfully put away sin, that accursed thing, which separates between us and God, then, and not till then, we may expect 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. Observe here,

I. The encouragement God gives to Joshua to proceed: Fear not, neither be thou dismayed, v. 1. This intimates that the sin of Achan, and the consequences of it, had been a very great discouragement to Joshua, and made his heart almost ready to fail. Corruptions within the church weaken the hands, and damp the spirits, of her guides and helpers, more than oppositions from without; treacherous Israelites are to be dreaded more than malicious Canaanites. But God bids Joshua not be dismayed; the same power that keeps Israel from being ruined by their enemies shall keep them from ruining themselves. To animate him, 1. He assures him of success against Ai, tells him it is all his own; but he must take it as god’s gift: I have given it into thy hands, which secured him both title and possession, and obliged him to give God the glory of both, Ps. xliv. 3. 2. He allows the people to take the spoil to themselves. Here the spoil was not consecrated to God as that of Jericho, and therefore there was no danger of the people’s committing such a trespass as they had committed there. Observe, How Achan who caught at forbidden spoil lost that, and life, and all, but the rest of the people who had conscientiously refrained from the accursed thing were quickly recompensed for their obedience with the spoil of Ai. The way to have the comfort of what God allows us is to forbear what he forbids us. No man shall lose by his self-denial; let God have his dues first, and then all will be clean to us and sure, 1 Kings xvii. 13. God did not bring them to these goodly cities, and houses filled with all good things, to tantalize them with the sight of that which they might not touch; but, having received the first-fruits from Jericho, the spoil of Ai, and of all the cities which thenceforward came into their hands, they might take for a prey to themselves.

II. The direction he gives him in attacking Ai. It must not be such a work of time as the taking of Jericho was; this would have prolonged the war too much. Those that had patiently waited seven days for Jericho shall have Ai given them in one day. Nor was it, as that, to be taken by miracle, and purely by the act of God, but now their own conduct and courage must be exercised; having seen God work for them, they must now bestir themselves. God directs him, 1. To take all the people, that they might all be spectators of the action and sharers in the spoil. Hereby God gave him a tacit rebuke for sending so small a detachment against Ai in the former attempt upon it, ch. vii. 4. 2. To lay an ambush behind the city; this was a method which perhaps Joshua would not have thought of at this time, if God had not directed him to it; and though now we are not to expect direction, as here, by visions, voices, or oracles, yet, whenever those who are entrusted with public councils take prudent measures for the public good, it must be acknowledged that god puts it into their hears; he that teaches the husbandman discretion no doubt teaches statesman and general.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Joshua – Chapter 8

A New Battle Plan, vs. 1-8

After the execution of Achan the Lord came back to Joshua with a reiteration of His charge relative to fear and dismay. Joshua had been warned, when first charged that he should obey the Lord and follow His leadership, that he might not succumb to fear and indecision.

His failure to do so at Ai had resulted in the very thing about which he was charged. Instead of taking only a part of the men of war with him Joshua is now told to carry all the people.

Everyone should be involved in the Lord’s work. If Joshua complies with this renewed charge the Lord promises him success, upon which the vanquished are to be dealt with as were those of Jericho.

The Lord also makes a different provision for the disposition of the spoils this time. The spoil and the cattle are to be a prey for the army; after the Lord’s part, the people receive a share. Joshua is to set an ambush against the city of Ai and take it through trickery. So Joshua chose a special force of 30,000 men to form the ambush close by, behind it, or on the west side. These were brave and dependable men, who were sent away by night to take up their place secretly.

The plan of Joshua is to take the larger force and make a feint before the city as though they would attack it. When the men of Ai come out to attack them the Israelites will turn and flee as though terrified as in the first battle.

When Joshua and the main army has drawn the defenders away, the ambush will rise, enter the city, and set it on fire according to the Lord’s command, and Joshua’s command.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

1. And the Lord said unto Joshua, etc It was of great consequence to Joshua, as well as the people, to inspire new courage, that they might prepare with confidence to assault the city of Ai, from which they had lately been repulsed with loss and greater disgrace. God, therefore, to inspire them with intrepidity on this expedition, promises that he will give them the city. With the same view he enjoins them to fight by stratagem more than open war, to entice the enemy out, and to select a secret place for an ambuscade which might take them by surprise. A few thousands might without any difficulty have been overthrown by an immense host attacking the city suddenly and unexpectedly. But as we formerly saw that the hearts of all had melted away, God consulted for their weakness by laying no greater burden upon them than they were able to bear, until they had recovered from their excessive panic, and could execute his commands with alacrity.

It is true, indeed, that he now used their own exertion, partly that they might not always keep looking for miracles, and so give themselves up to laziness, and partly that in different and unequal modes of acting they might nevertheless recognize that his power is the same. But care must be taken not to omit the special reason, namely, that not having yet recovered from their terror, they could scarcely have been induced to engage in an open conflict, had they not seen stratagem employed as a subsidiary aid. The first place, however, is due to the promise, Fear not, for I have delivered it into thy hands: for although it is verbally directed to Joshua, it belongs in common to the whole people, as it was most necessary that all to a man should be freed from anxiety and furnished with new confidence. The order to burn the city like Jericho, appears to be a concession to the popular feeling, the vengeance thus taken serving to wipe out the remembrance of their disgrace. At the same time that they may engage in the expedition more willingly, the spoils are left to them as the reward of victory.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

ISRAELS FAILURE AND RECOVERY

Joshua 7, 8.

THE story of Achan is dramatically told. Tragedies attract and the memory easily retains their rehearsal. Readers of the Bible, though they have passed over this but a single time, are fairly familiar with even its details. It leaves a profound impression.

In some ways it has the characteristics of fiction; but, taken as a whole, it appeals to us as a plain record of a great sin and a fearful judgment. The setting is such that its historicity can hardly be questioned. The site of this ancient town is well known, and the sin of Achan is referred to in many passages of Scripture. It has been employed thousands of times in illustration of the alarming fact, Be sure your sin will find you out.

In giving attention to the text we are impressed first with

THE SIN OF ACHAN

In fact, this phrase constitutes the chapter headline of most versions of the Bible.

A study of the text impresses some facts:

Achans sin was the result of great temptation. Joshua had plainly told them

Keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord (Jos 6:18-19).

But did Joshua not know that among the spoils was this perfectly beautiful Babylonish garment a garment rich in texture, large in value, and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, and that all these would fall before the eyes of one man?

There is a difference in the strength of temptation. All sin is born of temptation, and a natural desire for personal advantage is simply inflamed by the prospect of large profit? I know a man whose clothes go regularly to the cleaners. A number of times he has left a one or five dollar bill in the pocket and it has been promptly returned; but one day he was forgetful enough to leave a fifty dollar bill in an inside false pocket, and the temptation was too great. In other words, the temptation of a fifty dollar bill is ten times as great as the temptation of a five dollar bill. Men seek to excuse themselves from sin on the ground that the temptation was great. This instance does not seem to indicate that God accepts such excuse.

Achans sin was surreptitiously committed. He took them and hid them in the midst of his tent and the silver under it. All sin is surreptitiously committed, and the deeper its dye the greater the darkness required for the deed.

This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (Joh 3:19-20).

Achans sin was finally and fully uncovered. God called first attention to it,

Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff (Jos 7:11).

In a sense, God is commonly the one who uncovers sin; and yet He may use human agencies in so doing. Here the people are called upon to sanctify themselves because of the accursed thing that existed in the midst of Israel. And Joshua, at the command of the Lord, rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes and by their families and households, until Achan, the son of Carmi, was taken. Then Joshua said unto Achan,

My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto Him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the Children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord.

And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and alt that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day (Jos 7:19-26).

The world is not astonished to see Achans sin brought abroad. It is never astonished by such an experience; in fact, the world has come to expect it. But the world is always offended at the judgment that falls upon sin; and there are thousands of men, some even among professed Christians, who believe that this judgment against Achan was extreme.

Such overlook two facts. First, that a sin, in the inception of a movement, is greater than one that characterizes its more mature history. A young movement can be absolutely killed by one mistake. Israel is new in the land; her sanctity is essential to her success. If that be violated with impunity, the future Holds no prospect of a holy people. That is why Ananias and Sapphira perished. The church was new, the movement was only starting, its entire future depended upon its original directors. If sin triumph then, and no judgment come, the church is doomed.

THE SUFFERING OF ISRAEL

Israel suffered both defeat and the death of many.

There went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water (Jos 7:4-5).

It was this defeat that brought attention to the sin. The chapter opens with the sentence, The Children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the Children of Israel. But this record was made long after the event and only when the full truth was known.

There are often judgments that amaze us. They seem unaccountable. That may be because we have not known what lies back of them. If we could know the conduct of men, as God knows it, we might be seldom or never surprised at the afflictions that befall them, and the chastisement that seeks their correction.

God was instantly and grossly misjudged.

Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt Thou do unto Thy great Name (Jos 7:6-9)?

How often God is misjudged because all the facts are not before the face of men. When San Francisco was destroyed, men held up their hands in horror and said, Why was such a disaster permitted? Some years before the event, righteous men, who had been conducted through its underworld life, had remarked, If there is a God in Heaven that thing cannot be indefinitely continued. When St. Pierre was wiped from the earth in one moment, men marvelled, but when the full truth of St. Pierres sins were known, they marvelled that it had been left above ground so long. There is a little Mexican village thirty miles out of San Diego that is famed the world around for its wildness and iniquity. It lies on the Mexican side, miles removed from the seashore, in an apparently peaceful, quiet valley. It looks as secure as the desert is stable. But who knows? Natures convulsions have a habit of occurring on spots where men have perpetrated sins grossest outrages. Observers should not be surprised if judgment fall there.

The whole truth known, God was fully justified. In answer to Joshuas dyspeptic complaint,

O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt Thou do unto Thy great Name?

The Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

Therefore the Children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed; neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow; for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man.

And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel (Jos 7:8-15).

That answer completed, Joshua makes no further complaint. He sees the reason for judgment and justifies the Divine wrath, and sets himself immediately to correction. David doubtless referred to his own gross sin of murder and lust as he poured out his heart in penitent plea, but in the prayer justifies God, saying,

I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest (Psa 51:3-4).

THE REPENTANCE AND RECOVERY

Chapter 8

The repentance complete, courage was recovered.

And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night (Jos 8:1-3).

It is a principle of personal experience. It makes little difference how deeply into sin a man has gone, when once he has fully repented and is conscious in his own soul that God has forgiven him and that he has turned from that iniquity, his courage will instantly arise. There are many reported instances of men condemned and doomed to die by rope or execution, who, when the time of their capital punishment comes, meet the same with placid countenance and courageous spirit. It will be found upon investigation that such men have commonly genuinely repented. Unrepentant men may exhibit a spirit of bravado and defiance and die with curses on their lips, but only the repentant man can meet his judgment with courage, or recover courage, when let to live when the judgment is past.

The promises of Divine favor do not oppose human strategy.

And He commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city; go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:

And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.

(For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.

Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand.

And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

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.

And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city.

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.

And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted, and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain: but he wist not that there were tiers in ambush against him behind the city.

And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

And there was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

And the other issued out of the city, against them: so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua,

And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai (Jos 8:4-25).

The story of this successful strategic movement involves certain natural questions.

Were the men of Ai fools not to have sent spies to reconnoiter before they came forth to battle and so locate the enemy, that they might wisely meet him?

There are two possible answers! The defeat of the day before was so easy that the men of Ai might have imagined that it was real fun to go out and put the second scare into this despicable crowd of immigrants. Or, as one has suggested (but in my judgment less likely), this might have been the first time that this strategy had been used, and proving so successful, it has been utilized ever since.

Again, some will ask the question, Why, when God had promised them victory, strategy needed to be resorted to at all?

Gods promises do not as a rule propose to dispense with mans endeavor, but to employ, approve and empower, rather. The man. therefore, who has a Divine call to preach and does not feel it necessary to prepare himself by education and consecration, will find that Gods approval upon his course is a prime essential. The man who plans to put his money on the altar and consequently claims the right to riches without endeavor, will shortly discover the meaning of Solomons proverb, Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise (Pro 6:6).

The victory of Israel was not partial, but complete.

And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the Word of the Lord which He commanded Joshua.

And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day (Jos 8:25-28).

Some of us are in doubt whether God ever does anything in any other way than perfectly. The issue may seem to have many defects, but we are inclined to think that those are the influence of men upon the same. People sometimes profess to have been partially saved. We doubt if there are any such. We believe that when God saves He saves entirely. We meet those who profess to have been partially healed. We also doubt if they have had the Divine touch. We are inclined to think that when God does the work He does it perfectly.

This doctrine is delightful when it takes the form of mercy, and frightful to contemplate when it takes the form of judgment. If one would know its full significance to fear the same, let him read Rev 20:11-15:

And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Judgments evidently from God have a tendency to turn the true believer to Gods Word. That is why Joshua felt the necessity of giving almost a day to the simple reading of Moses Law.

Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal,

As Moses the servant of the Lord 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 hath lifted up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.

And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the Children of Israel.

And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the Ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

And afterward he read all the words of the Law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.

There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them (Jos 8:30-35).

When Gods people have gone wrong, the way back to Him is the way of His Word.

Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

VICTORY RESTORED AT AI, AND THE LAW PROCLAIMED AT EBAL

CRITICAL NOTES.

Jos. 8:1. Take all the people of war] The total number of men capable of bearing arms, omitting the seventy thousand left on the eastern side of Jordan, amounted to rather more than 531,000. It is not likely that all of these were taken up to make war on Ai. By all the people of war we may understand a body of chosen troops made up by selection from the various tribes; or, as the third verse suggests, all the people of war were mustered, and then thirty thousand were chosen from the assembled host.

Jos. 8:2. As thou didst unto Jericho and her king] This alludes in general terms to the devoting of the city and its inhabitants, the one by burning, and the other by death. At Jericho the spoil was made cherem; here it was given to the people. The king of Jericho seems to have been slain with the sword; the king of Ai was hanged, although it is likely that he was first put to death in some other way. Lay thee an ambush] The question put by many with reference to the propriety of employing stratagem in order to deceive an enemy, indicates excessive ignorance. For it is certainly not physical force alone which determines the issue of war, but, on the contrary, those are pronounced the best generals, whose success is due less to force than to skilful manuvres. Therefore, if war is lawful at all, it is indisputably right to avail oneself of those arts by which victory is usually obtained. It is of course understood that neither must treaties be violated, nor faith broken in any other way. (Calvin.)

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Jos. 8:1-2

THE RAISING UP OF THE FALLEN

The Bible is the only book from which men have learned to encourage each other to sing, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. Men tread down the fallen, and those who have suffered moral disgrace have little to hope from the tender mercies of the wicked, which are ever cruel in proportion to the wickedness of those who shew them. It is only from Divine lips that we hear the assurance, To the poor the Gospel is preached. For the outcast and the fallen the Pharisees had no good tidings; they made broad their phylacteries, and murmured of Him who came to give hope to such, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them; and yet these Pharisees were the very men whose fathers had been taught to say, He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Three things may be noticed in these two verses:

I. The completeness of Divine pardon. No sooner had the people put away their sin than the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not. The Divine manifestation of love was as full as though no sin had been committed. The encouragement given here is as free from restraint as the encouragement in chap. Jos. 1:9.

1. No man should postpone repentance on the ground of fear. How differently does God appear in these two chapters! in the seventh there was every cause for fear; in this there was every reason for trust. Blake, the painter, in his energetic lines addressed to the tiger, abruptly and with wonder asks the fierce beast,

Did He that made the lamb make thee?

The God of the tiger seems one God, and the God of the lamb appears almost as another God. All life shews God passing before us in what seem to us these conflicting manifestations of Himself. The God of spring and plenty and health seems one Being; the God of winter and of famine and of sickness appears as if another. The God of our childrens cradles is one to whom we lift our eyes in thankfulness and love; the God of their coflins, and of our other bereavements, is one to whom, if we are not well taught, we are tempted to look up with fear and dismay, and ask, Who art Thou, Thou Dreadful One, that Thou smitest thus severely? So, to Israel, the Lord must have seemed in the first attack on Ai, and in the subsequent inquisition and judgment, a God greatly to be feared; here, all Israel would have felt again, that He was a God to be adored and delighted in and loved. We misunderstand the Heart that always loves us, in whatever form it manifests itself; and we mistake the time for fear. When a ship is sailing in tropical regions, there will sometimes come over the ocean an unusual calm. The mere passenger might enjoy it, and mistake it for peace. Not so the captain: he hastens to his instruments, marks the rapid fall of the mercury, and turning again promptly to his crew, in tones that mark urgency and coming danger he bids them Furl all. In the intense stillness in which a landsman might admire the deep peace of the sea, the sailor beholds the hushed waves listening, as with bated breath, to the tread of the coming tempest, ere the wild cyclone rushes madly across the ocean. Men are at peace when they should fear, and fear when they should be at peace. The Lord raiseth up all those that be bowed down. It is not the contrite man, but the unrepentant, who has cause to fear that God will turn against him. The Pharisees may well cower before the indignant looks and words of Christ; the woman in tears at His feet may trust and not be afraid. The conflict of Paul with sin, recorded in the seventh chapter of the Romans, does but make way for the joy and confidence so soon after expressed in the eighth.

2. No man should think that a given amount of formal repentance will necessarily be followed by a given amount of spiritual peace. There seems a kind of intentional irregularity in Gods method of assuring men of the forgiveness of sin; just as, in the outward aspect, there is an intentional irregularity in the Divine method of answering prayer. No intelligent Christian thinks that God answers prayer by machinery which regulates the quantity of answer according to the quantity of utterance; He answers prayer by infinite love, and wisdom, and patience, and therefore with infinite variations. A given amount of prayer from a hungry Christian will not come out a given amount of bread, as though human supplications were so much corn, and the throne of grace were mill and bakehouse in one. If so many prayers resulted regularly in so many loaves, then farewell to honest industry and to the discipline of healthy labour: for men would turn into spiritual vagrants by the million; just as here, in London, the routine charity of foolish and indiscriminate givers, makes hundreds of beggars every year, and spreads an influence of easy indifference to pauperism, till it weakens and contaminates the minds of even the honest and manly poor. God loves us too much and too wisely to turn men into spiritual paupers thus; and therefore He answers prayer, as we call it, by crosses, or He keeps us waiting, or He seems not to answer at all. Intelligent Christians have always understood that so many words of prayer could never be equivalent to so many temporal gifts, to so many sins forgiven, or to so much assurance of grace from on high. There is, and for the same reason there must be, a similar irregularity in Gods method of assuring men of forgiveness. A given amount of pain and tears can have no exact and ascertained relation to the time when His sinful children shall hear Him say again, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed. If in all the future national sins of Israel the people had said, The sacrifice of one family in the valley of Achor brought Divine forgiveness, and saved the nation when the nation had sinned then; therefore we will sacrifice another family, and save the nation now; and we will always sacrifice a family for the sake of the nation when we get into similar disfavour with God: if the Israelites had said that, or felt and acted like that, the valley of Achor, instead of being a door of hope, would have become a door through which would have entered into the national life and history a horrible system of alternating sin and sacrifices, of selfishness and cruelty. God may keep the penitent waiting ere He speaks the words, Fear not, so as to be heard; let it be enough for us to know that all the penitent are forgiven when they come to God in tears for sin, and with faith in the offering of Christ; and that ultimately, if not immediately, those who wait thus on the Lord will enter into the peace of manifest reconciliation.

3. When pardon is pronounced by God, every forgiven man should regard it as perfect, and wanting nothing. After the penitence of Israel, and the punishment of Achan, the way to victory was held to be as open and clear as before Achan had sinned. As far as the east is from the west, so far was this transgression put away. God had cast it behind His back, and it was no more in view as a reproach to the people, or as a hindrance to their triumph. Many a man has felt the purity of child-life contrasting so painfully with the sin-stained course of his maturer years, that he has responded with all his heart to the feeling of one similarly moved:

I could have turned

Into my yesterdays, and wandered back
To distant childhood, and gone out to God
By the gate of birth, not death.

We cannot but be ashamed of our transgressions, yet we need not mourn that we cannot go forth to God thus; nor need we fear to meet Him in the way which is common unto men, for His forgiveness is complete, and His welcome of every pardoned child will be as though sin had never been committed.

II. The beauty of Divine gentleness. God said to Joshua, and through Joshua to all Israel, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed. As one whom his mother comforteth, so was Joshua gently assured and comforted by the Lord.

1. Divine gentleness should be considered in relation to Divine power. The gentleness of an infant surprises no one, but that of a strong warrior is imposing. A true representation of tenderness must have power for its background. It is in this aspect that the gentleness of Christ becomes so real and so attractive. It is He who stills the storm with a word, that blesses the little children; it is He who calls men calmly back from the grave, that tenderly concerns Himself lest the unfed thousands faint by the way; in a word, the Lion of the tribe of Judah is also the Lamb of God. Quite in harmony with this, He who says Fear not to Joshua, is also He who smote Pharaoh, who made a path through the sea, who sent the manna for forty years, and who gave Israel water from the rocks of the wilderness. The words Fear not could have given little comfort from the lips of a feeble child; it was another thing to hear them from Him who had so recently overthrown famous kings, divided the Jordan, and given the marvellous triumph at Jericho. It is the God of the sun and stars, and of all the universe, who stands by the cross of Jesus, and says, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; it is the Lord of all power and might who softly whispers to His troubled disciples through all time, Fear not, little flock: it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

2. Divine gentleness to sinners should be considered in connection with Divine sensibility to sin. Men are gentle to transgressors from indifference to transgression. The life of Christ is full of incident and utterance, in which stern deeds and words of wrath against sin mingle with gentle assurances to the penitent and fearful. Almost in a breath the Saviour proclaims woe unto Chorazin, to Bethsaida, and to Capernaum, and then adds, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Similarly, Luke tells us, in a single paragraph, how Christ wept over Jerusalem, and then, with the tears hardly dried from His face, how He went into the temple and began to cast out them that sold therein and them that bought. So, in this page of the history of Israel, we see Jehovah, in one chapter, solemnly insisting on the death of Achan, and forth with, in this, tenderly assuring Joshua of coming victory. It is a God so sensitive to sin, and one hating it so severely, who proposes to say to every penitent believer in His Son, Thy sins, which be many, are all forgiven thee: go in peace.

III. The fulness of Divine encouragement. All that Joshua just now wanted to know was communicated to him by Jehovah.

1. We see God giving special promises for peculiar discouragement. Divine comfort has about it nothing vague: it does not end in mere generalities. The utterances of Scripture are definite, and meet us in our actual necessities.

2. Gods encouragement is corrective of former errors. Take all the people of war with thee. This is set over against the former mistake arising from the counsel of the spies. The words of the Lord deal not only with our need in the future, but with our errors in the past.

3. Gods encouragements have regard to the nature of His peoples dejection. The Israelites are suffered to take at least thirty thousand men to give battle to not more than three or four thousand of their foes. In the time of great weakness, God suffers us, somewhat more than in ordinary life, to take hope from things visible.

4. Gods encouragement is given in the form of a promise already proved. Compare the words, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed, with chap. Jos. 1:9 and Deu. 31:6-8. The whole of the Church above has gone before us, proving for our use the words in which God asks us each for a little longer to trust and not be afraid.

OUTLINES AND COMMENTS ON THE VERSES

Jos. 8:1.FREEDOM FROM FEAR: ITS NECESSITY, GROUNDS, AND ENCOURAGEMENTS.

I. The necessity of freedom from fear and dismay.

1. Confidence is necessary for active warfare.

2. Confidence necessary for successful work.

3. Confidence is necessary for patient endurance.

4. Confidence is necessary for spiritual growth.

II. The ground of freedom from fear and dismay. I have given into thine hand, etc.

1. There is no other ground sufficiently philosophical. True wisdom is on the side of trusting God. The human brain unperverted by the allurements of the world, the pride of the heart, and the scorn of men, ever elects to wait on the Lord.

2. There is no other ground sufficiently pleasing. Imagination is on the side of trusting God. Music, painting, poetry, and everything which moves and delights the human fancy has found a sufficient theatre nowhere but in the faith of Him. Deity is infinite space in the beautiful, where holy imagination can rove at large, never wearied, and ever delighted.

3. There is no other ground sufficiently precious. Our hearts are on the side of trusting God. If the intellect and the fancy sometimes find a temporary resting place in men or things, the heart never can be satisfied excepting in the Lord. The being who has been made in the Divine image can find no sufficient and ultimate home for his love, saving in the heart of Him who is love.

4. There is no other ground sufficiently proved. History is on the side of trusting God. Our fathers trusted in Thee, and were not confounded, can only be said of one Helper. He who goes forth to meet the giant enemies of life with any other weapons than those furnished by the Lord of life, will, sooner or later, fear to meet his foes, and will cry with the shepherd youth of Israel, when dressed in the armour of his king, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them.

III. The encouragements to freedom from fear and dismay.

1. There is error to be vanquished. The Israelites might rejoice in the overthrow of idolatry. They were not to delight in slaying men, but to exult over the fall of error which had brought such multitudes to the saddest form of death. Wellingtons grief at Waterloo.

2. There is honour to be won. In Gods battles, this is no empty thing tacked on from without; no medal, which can be cast in a die; no ribbon, which depends on texture and colour for its brightness. Every real victory in the way of truth brings to each triumphant soldier of Christ a holy sense of exaltation within himself. He may say: By Gods grace I have helped the cause of righteousness; I have removed some temptations; I have helped weak men about me now, and the weak of the ages to come. In the warfare of life, every damaged idol may stand for a delivered man.

3. There is reward to be gathered. The spoil of Ai was to be given to Israel. Spiritual victory has nobler and richer gains both here and hereafter.

GODS RENEWED CALL TO JOSHUA. This is the same word indeed as before, but now of quite a different import, since God by it not only assures Joshua of His support, but also gives him to understand that He is again gracious to Him.[Lange.]

Joshua needed the comforting exhortation after the bitter experiences through which he had just passed. Comp. Act. 18:9-10; Act. 27:23-24.[Crosby.]

Although every victory comes from God, it is still in the order of our own fidelity and bravery.[Starke.]

The fortune of war is changeable, but it turns as the Lord will have.[Bib. Tub.]

Jos. 8:2.God will have the first fruits, in order to teach us whence all fruits come, and to whom they all belong.

God gives His people the subsequent fruits, to shew them that they can win nothing which is essential to Him, and to make manifest His love and care for them.
God thus makes both firstfruits and after-fruits to serve His peoples good.

The way to have the comfort of what God allows us is to forbear what He forbids us. No man shall lose by his self-denial; let God have His dues first, and then all will be clean to us, and sure, 1Ki. 17:13.[Henry.]

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Plans for Attacking Ai Again Jos. 8:1-8

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
2 And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.
3 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them away by night.
4 And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
5 And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,
6 (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.
7 Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand.
8 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

Why did God reassure ?Jos. 8:1; ?Jos. 8:2

God had given encouragement to Joshua when he first commissioned him soon after the death of Moses. He had also given him instructions and encouragement as Israel made the first attack against Jericho. Since they had entered into an ill-fated campaign against Ai at first and were utterly routed, Joshua might have fallen into deep discouragement. As a matter of fact, we know he fell to the earth upon his face and rent his clothes in deep sorrow over the defeat which Israel had suffered, It was, therefore, good for God to encourage Joshua to make this second attack.

Why were the people of Israel allowed to take spoil from Ai? Jos. 8:2

God had prohibited them from taking any spoils of war from the city of Jericho. When they made the attack against Ai, He said, Only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves (Jos. 8:2). The firstfruits of the land belonged to the Lord. The firstborn of man and beast belonged to God. It appears that God took the spoils of war from the first city, Jericho; but He allowed the Israelites to keep the spoils from the other cities for themselves.

How many men went out against Ai the second time? Jos. 8:3

Probably some two hundred thousand men were sent against Ai in the second campaign. As only one third of the two and one-half tribes crossed Jordan, probably about one third of the other men were required to go out to battle. From these Joshua selected thirty thousand brave men and sent them forth in the night with instructions to station themselves as an ambush behind the town and not far from it. Since the distance from Gilgal to Ai was about fifteen miles and the road runs almost straight in a northwesterly direction from Jericho through Wady Faran, the detachment sent out might easily accomplish the distance in a night and arrive on the western side of Ai before the break of day.

Where were the thirty thousand men to hide? Jos. 8:3 In a very specific way God directed the campaign

against Ai. He told Joshua, Lay thee an ambush for the city behind it (Jos. 8:2). The spot for hiding the men must have been on the west side of the city. This would have been behind the city from the location of Joshuas camp to the east. The road that goes by Ai and leads to Bethel dips out of sight just west of Ai. The roadway is hidden from view by a ridge of broken rocks. The rocks would enable an ambush to conceal itself and yet it would not be very far from the city. If these men were hidden at the spot, they would be at an excellent position to rush into the city after the main force fled toward the Jordan Valley, and were pursued by the soldiers of Bethel and Ai.

How many people did Joshua take with him? Jos. 8:5

Joshua evidently stayed with the main force of the Israelite army. If he sent some thirty thousand for the major ambush and then later sent another five thousand (Jos. 8:12), he probably took some one hundred and sixty-five thousand men with him. This calculation is based on the supposition that he did not demand more than a third of the total number of men available to him to take part in the campaign, This would leave four hundred thousand men to handle the military provisions and to care for the women and children,

In what way was burning the city according to the commandment of God? Jos. 8:8

God had strictly warned the people against leaving any of the idolatrous objects of worship in the land of Canaan. The people were instructed to tear down their high places, break up the images, and destroy the altars of these people, Their campaign was to be one of utter destruction. For that reason, Joshua could say that they were to set the city on fire according to the commandment of the Lord. Furthermore, God had carefully instructed them on this occasion to set an ambush behind the city. His directions with regard to the attack on Ai were quite specific, and Joshua very properly referred to his instructions for their razing the city as being according to the commandment of the Lord.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

VIII.

(1) Fear not, neither be thou dismayed.See Jos. 1:9; Jos. 10:25. In Jos. 1:9, For the Lord thy God is with thee. These words indicate the return of Jehovah to the host of Israel, for the prosecution of the war.

Take all the people.Not merely two or three thousand, as before.

Ai.In Hebrew, H-ai. Ai is intended for one syllable, not two as often sounded in English. It means the heap (of ruins apparently). In Jos. 8:28 we read that Joshua made it an heap for ever (Tel-lm in Hebrew). Thus its first and last names agree. It is remarked that whereas Palestine is full of Tels with other names appended to them (as Tell-es Sultan, and some ten others near Jericho alone), the place called et-Tel by Bethel has no other appendage. It is not the heap of anything, but simply the heap, to this day; and this fact, which is apparently without parallel, seems to fix the site of Ai at et-Tel. (See Note on Jos. 7:2.)

And his land.The capture of Ai was not simply the capture of a town or fortress, but of the chief town of a territory, the extent of which we are not told. If we knew the circumstances of the time more precisely, we might apprehend the strategical reasons which made it desirable to obtain possession of Ai in particular at this stage of the campaign.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

CAPTURE OF AI, Jos 8:1-29.

1. Fear not Joshua had need of reassurance and encouragement after the disasters and humiliation which Israel had suffered for the sin of Achan. As shines the sun emerging from behind a thunder cloud, so the returning mercy of Jehovah upon the camp of Israel.

Take all the people of war with thee How different from the counsel of the spies, (Jos 7:3,) “Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up.” The Lord could, indeed, have given Ai into the hands of two or three thousand as easily as to all, but he would not encourage Israel in a rash, imprudent dependence on Omnipotence. It appears from Jos 8:3 that the expression all the people of war, like the oft-recurring phrase, “all Israel,” is not to be taken in its widest import. It is probable that the whole camp was put in preparation, and the whole force was reviewed, and thirty thousand of the most suitable were detached for this expedition, while the rest of the army was held in reserve.

Go up to Ai The march from Jericho to Ai was actually an ascent, but the term go up is often used in a military sense of an advance against a city or nation where the advance is not an actual ascent.

Have given The conquest of Ai was a foregone conclusion in the Divine mind. Compare Jos 6:2, note.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Chapter 8. The Defeat of Ai and Bethel.

Joshua was now encouraged to go up and take Ai, and was directed as to what method he should use. Accordingly he set an ambush on the west side of it, and he and the rest of the army then advanced upwards towards its gates. When the king of Ai saw them, he sallied out against them, and the Israelites, pretending that they were beaten, withdrew, with the men of Ai pursuing them. On this occurring the ambush rose and entered the city and set fire to it. As soon as the smoke was observed by Joshua and Israel, they turned back on their pursuers, and with the ambush sallying out of the city in their rear, they destroyed them. Then they slew all the inhabitants, took the spoil, burnt the city, and hanged its king. After this Joshua built an altar at Ebal, where he wrote the law on stones, and read the blessings and the curses in it before all Israel.

Jos 8:1

‘ And YHWH 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, and his people, and his city, and his land.” ’

We have in this chapter the record of the capture of Ai and the defeat of the combined forces of Ai and Bethel (Jos 8:17). At this stage the capture of Ai was seen as a most vital element in the campaign. It barred the way to the hill country. The importance given to it and the way it was seen suggests that the account was recorded not long after the event itself before things were viewed from a wider perspective. It was their second victory and opened up the hill country.

Being aware of YHWH speaking to him again must have been a great relief to Joshua. Things were now back to normal and they could go ahead aware that YHWH was with them. His anger was no longer directed at them. We may tend to assume that YHWH spoke to Joshua constantly but this was not the case. Such revelations were spared for special occasions.

“See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.” God spoke in terms of Joshua’s understanding at this point. God knew that Bethel was the more important city. At this stage Joshua did not. Joshua did not need a history and geography lesson. He needed assurance in terms of what he knew.

Again we have echoes of Deuteronomy (just as we previously had echoes of Exodus). See Deu 1:21; Deu 31:8; Deu 2:14; Deu 2:16; Deu 2:24; Deu 3:2. Joshua was soaked in the language of the Scriptures.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Israel Defeats Ai Jos 8:1-29 records Israel’s defeat of Ai.

Jos 8:2 And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

Jos 8:2 Comments – The spoils of Jericho had been a type of firstfruits offering unto the Lord. Now, the rest of the spoils of war would be for Israel.

Jos 8:26 For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

Jos 8:26 Comments – Joshua follows Moses’ style by holding up his spear (Exo 17:9-11), knowing the battle would favour Israel.

Exo 17:9-11, “And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.”

Jos 8:29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.

Jos 8:29 “as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree” – Comments – Note that Moses commanded the bodies that were hanged to be removed so that they do not hang in a tree all night (Deu 21:22-23).

Deu 21:22-23, “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

Jos 8:30-35 Israel Renews Its Covenant with the Lord Comments – Jos 8:30-35 records the account of Israel renewing its covenant with the Lord.

Jos 8:33 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

Jos 8:33 Comments – This action was commanded by Moses (Deu 11:29; Deu 27:12-13).

Deu 11:29, “And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.”

Deu 27:12-13, “These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin: And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.”

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Preparations for the Taking Of Ai

v. 1. And the Lord, having restored His favor to Israel by the expiation of Achan’s death, said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed, cast down and filled with apprehension. Take all the people of war with thee, the entire army, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land, the territory of which Ai was capital;

v. 2. and thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king, exterminate all human beings; only the spoil thereof, in money and goods, and the cattle thereof shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves, for only Jericho, as first-fruits, had been devoted to the Lord. Lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

v. 3. So Joshua arose and all the people of war, the entire army, as ordered by God, to go up against Ai, he gave the command that all should be mustered. And Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night, since the distance was such as to be made easily in one night’s march.

v. 4. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, ready for an attack, even behind the city. Go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready;

v. 5. and I and all the people that are with me, the main division of the army, will approach unto the city, along the road which led to it from the southeast; and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, employ this ruse to draw them out of the city,

v. 6. (for they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city. For they will say, They flee before us as at the first; therefore we will flee before them, thus strengthening the enemy in their false supposition and causing them to abandon caution.

v. 7. Then ye shall rise up from the ambush and seize upon the city, capture it without difficulty; for the Lord, your God, will deliver it into your hand.

v. 8. And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

v. 9. Joshua therefore sent them forth; and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai, there being some rocky ridges to the southwest, where concealment could easily be made. But Joshua lodged that night among the people, in camp with the larger division of his army, which marched less swiftly.

v. 10. And Joshua rose up early in the morning and numbered the people, mustered them, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, for it behooved them to take the lead in the attack, before the people of Ai, so that the watchmen of the city could see them.

v. 11. 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. Thus their camp was plainly visible from Ai, but could not easily be attacked.

v. 12. And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city, for there was a second ridge toward the northwest.

v. 13. And when they had set the people, assigned to every company and every individual the place which he was to occupy in the attack, 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, moved forward, as though for an attack, under cover of darkness. Thus the main part of the army was on the north side of the city, the ambush of thirty thousand was on the southwest, directly behind the city, and the smaller ambush of five thousand men was ready to attack the flank of the enemy. It was not merely Joshua’s military genius which appears in this story, for the plan was made by the Lord, whose purpose was to reassure the army of Israel.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

THE CAPTURE OF AI.

Jos 8:1

Fear not. Joshua was down cast at his former failure, and well he might. “Treacherous Israelites are to be dreaded more than malicious Canaanites” (Matthew Henry). Take all the people of wax with thee. Not, as has been before stated, because 3,000 men were too few to take the city, for the capture of Jericho was a far greater marvel than that of Ai with this number of men. The true reason is indicated by Calvin, and is indeed suggested by the words “Fear not, neither be thou dismayed.” It was to reassure the people, whose hearts had “melted and become as water.” Sometimes God calls upon His people for a display of faith, as when He led them through the Jordan, or commanded them to compass Jericho seven days. But in days of despondency He compassionates their weakness and permits them to rely upon visible means of support (see also below, verse 3). Matthew Henry thinks that a tacit rebuke is here administered to Joshua for sending so few men to Ai on the frowner occasion. He ought to have permitted all to have shared the toil and glory. I have given into thy hand. The work, let man do his best, is God’s after all. The king. For the political condition of Palestine before the Israelitish invasion see Introduction. And his land. As in the case of the early Germanic peoples, there was a certain portion of their land in the neigbourhood attached to each city which was used for agricultural purposes (see Introduction; also Jos 13:28, Jos 14:4).

Jos 8:2

Only the spoil thereof. Ai was not solemnly devoted, like Jericho, though (see Deu 20:16, Deu 20:17) the Canaanitish people were. Behind it. Joshua was advancing from the southeast. The ambush ( literally, “a lier in wait,” here a band of liers in wait, the word itself originally signifying to plait, weave, hence to design) was therefore (verse 12) on the opposite, or west side of the city. The question which has been raised whether God could rightly command a stratagem seems scarcely to require discussion.

Jos 8:3

Thirty thousand. In Jos 8:12 we read 5,000, and this must be the true reading. Thirty thousand men could hardly have been posted, without detection, in the ravines around Ai, whereas we are informed by travellers that there would have been no difficulty in concealing 5,000 men there. See, however, the passage cited from Lieut. Conder’s Report in the note on Jos 7:2. The confused condition of the numbers in the present text of the Old Testament is a well known fact, and it is proved by the great discrepancies in this respect between the Books of Chronicles and those of Samuel and Kings. Some have thought (e.g; Haverniek, ‘Introduction to the Old Testament,’ II. Jos 1:15) that two bands were laid in ambush, one on the northwest and the other on the southwest. This is a possible, though not probable, solution of the difficulty (see below). Then we must suppose that the city was nearly surrounded, Joshua and the main body on the southeast, the larger detachment on the north (verse 13), and the smaller ambush on the west (see note on verse 13). Keil, in his earlier editions, supposed that Joshua assaulted Ai with 30,000 men, out of whom he chose 5,000 as an ambush. So also Hengstenberg’s ‘Geschichte des Reiches Gottes,’ p. 219. But this only introduces a third contradiction, for we are told both in verses 1 and 3 that Joshua took with him “all the men of war.” Keil has, however, abandoned that supposition, which is contrary to all the ancient versions, including the present text of the LXX. The Bishop of Lincoln suggests that 5,000 men may have been detached to reinforce the former detachment of 30,000. But to say nothing of the improbability of an ambush of 35,000 men remaining undetected (and they were specially instructedsee next versenot to station themselves far from the city), we have the plain statement in verse 12 “he stationed (or had stationed) them as an ambush.”

Jos 8:5

We will flee before them. A common expedient of a sagacious general when contending with undisciplined troops is a strong position. Many instances will occur to the student of history, and among others the celebrated feigned flight of William the Conqueror at Hastings. St. Augustine doubts whether this stratagem were lawful. Cajetan and the Jesuit commentators reply that it was so “quia mendacium non tam facile committitur factis, quam verbis” (Cornelius a Lapide).

Jos 8:6

For they will come. Literally, “and they will come.” We have drawn. Literally, caused to pluck away (see note on Jos 4:18). Luther translates well by reissen, and the LXX. by .

Jos 8:8

According to the commandment of the lord. The LXX. seems to have read according to this word.

Jos 8:9

Between Bethel and Ai. (see above, Jos 7:2).

Jos 8:10

And numbered the people. Or reviewed, or mustered. The word is frequently translated visited in Scripture. It then came to mean a visit for the sake of inspection. The elders of Israel. Joshua’s council, alike of war and of peace. Before the people. Literally, in their sight (ford , LXX), i.e; at their head.

Jos 8:11

And all the people, even the people of war that were with him. Literally, all the people, the war that were with him. Probably the word has been omitted by an early copyist. Implying, no doubt, that the non-warlike portion of the community had been left under a guard at Jericho (see also Jos 8:1). On the north side. Joshua made a detour, and encamped on a hill on the other side of the wady. Now there was a valley. Literally, and the valley was. This valley, the Wady Mutyah (see Robinson 17. sec. 10, and note on verse 2, Jos 7:1-26), is a remarkable feature of the country round Ai. Our version misses this sign of personal acquaintance with the locality on the part of the historian.

Jos 8:12

And he took about five thousand men (see above, Jos 8:3). We must translate had taken. The repetition is quite in the manner of the Hebrew writers. This passage is of course, according to the Jehovist and Elohist theory, “quite irreconeilable” with the rest of the narrative. So we are told that this is a Jehovistic interpolation (Knobel). Of the city. The Masorites and LXX. prefer the reading Ai (i.e; for ), in the margin of our Bibles, to that in the text, which is followed by the Vulgate and Luther.

Jos 8:13

And when they had set. This may mean the leaders of the detachment of 30,000. Joshua does not appear to have been with them, for he is not mentioned till the latter part of the verse (see note on verse 3). Joshua went that night. Having made all his dispositions, he descended in the evening from his vantage ground on the hill into the plain, so as to invite attack in the morning, a stratagem which (see next verse) was completely successful. Some MSS; however, have “and he rested,” for “and he went” here. The valley. The word here is not as in verse 11. Therefore the narrow waterless ravine in which the troops in ambush were to lie hid is not meant here, but a wider valley. A consideration of this fact might do something to settle the much disputed question of the situation of Ai. The though deep, as the name implies, was a valley large enough for cultivation or luxuriant vegetation (Job 39:10; Ps 65:14; So Psa 2:1). Even a battle might be fought there (Job 39:21). Such a valley as that of Chamonix or Lauterbrunnen would answer to the description, and so would the passes of Glencoe and Killiecrankie.

Jos 8:14

When the king of Ai saw it. The particle here employed signifies immediate action. At a time appointed. Or, at the signal. Keil, following Luther, would prefer at the place appointed, which seems to agree best with what follows. Some copies of the LXX. have . Before the plain. Literally, before, or in sight of; i.e; in the direction of the Arabah (see above, Jos 3:16).

Jos 8:15

Made as though they were beaten. “Joshua conquered by yielding. So our Lord Jesus Christ, when He bowed His head and gave up the ghost, seemed as if death had triumphed over Him; but in His resurrection He rallied again, and gave the powers of darkness a total defeat” (Matthew Henry). By the way of the wilderness. Northwestward, in the direction of the wilderness of Bethel (Jos 16:1)

Jos 8:16

Were called together. So the Masorites. Perhaps it would be better to translate, raised a cry (“at illi vociferantes.” Vulgate. “Da schrie das ganze Volk.” Luther). This gives us the scene in all its picturesque detail. We hear the exultant shout of the men of Ai, as they thought the victory won. The LXX. appear to have read for for they translate . The city. The Masorites correct here again into “Ai.” But the LXX. and Vulgate render as the English translation.

Jos 8:17

Or Bethel. These words are not in the LXX; and they may possibly have been a marginal gloss, for the intervention of the people of Bethel in this battle is very unintelligible. See note on Jos 7:2. On the other hand, it is quite possible that the difficulty involved in their retention may have caused their omission from the LXX; and it may perhaps be thought possible that, on the capture of Ai, the Bethelites returned with all speed to their city, and that Joshua postponed its capture in consequence of the formidable confederacy (Jos 9:1, Jos 9:2), which his success had called into existence, or, perhaps, by a desire to signalise at once the victory at Ai by the ceremony (verses 30-35) at Gerizim. We read in Jos 12:16 that Bethel was taken. In Jdg 1:22 we read that it was not (see note on Jos 12:16).

Jos 8:18

The spear. , a kind of long and slender lance, probably, like those of our lancers, with a flag attached. It is thus described by Kimchi. Jahn, in his ‘Archesologia Biblica,’ takes this view. But the Vulgate here, followed apparently by Grotius and Masius, suppose it to be a shield, though the LXX. render by . In 1Sa 17:6 the LXX. render by , and our version by target. It is to be distinguished from the lighter or flexible javelin (see, for instance, 1Sa 13:22, 1Sa 18:10, which was thrown at the adversary, whereas the was used to transfix him in close combat.

Jos 8:20

And they had no power. Literally, no hands. Our version here follows the Arabic, Syriac, and Chaldee versions. The LXX. and Vulgate render no direction in which to fly. But in this case would seem preferable to . The Vulgate translates the last clause of the verse, “Praesertim cum hi, qui simulaverint fugam fortissime restitissent.” They could not flee back to the city, for it was in flames. They could not advance northward, because the Israelites had faced about and were coming to meet them. To flee in any other direction would be to cut off the last hope of saving the city. For in the sense of side or direction, however, see Exo 2:5; Deu 2:37, and especially the dual, as here, in Gen 34:21; Isa 33:21.

Jos 8:22

So that they let none of them remain or escape. Literally, until there remained to them neither remainder nor fugitive.

Jos 8:24

In the wilderness. The LXX. must have read in the going down, or descent. Returned unto Ai and smote it. According to God’s command, the defenceless inhabitants must share the fate of the army (see Deu 20:17).

Jos 8:25

All the men of Ai. Clearly all the population, as the context shows.

Jos 8:26

Utterly destroyed. Hebrew, (see note on Jos 6:17).

Jos 8:27

Only the cattle (see Jos 8:2).

Jos 8:28

And Joshua burnt Ai. He continued the work of destruction which the ambush had begun, until the city was entirely destroyed. The word in verse 19 () has rather the sense of kindling a fire; the word here (( ereh d), more the sense of destruction by fire. A heap forever. a heap of eternity; i.e; a heap forever, at least up to the time of our writer. But the Ai mentioned in Ezr 2:28 may have been a city built, not on precisely the same spot, but near enough to it to take its name. And if Ai signifies ruins, and Dean Stanley be right in regarding it as referring to ruins in the days of the Philistines, the name would be particularly suitable to this particular city. Travellers have identified the place with Tel-el. Hajar, immediately to the south of the Wady Mutyah. But see note on Ezr 7:2 for Robinson’s conclusion, which is confirmed by Canon Tristram, from the belief that Tel-el-Hajar does not answer to the description of Ai in the Scripture narrative. Hanged on a tree. Literally, “on the tree.” Perhaps after his death, But see Gen 40:22; Deu 21:22. Until eventide. We find here a remarkable coincidence with the precept in Deu 21:23. The fact that no notice is here taken of that passage is conclusive against its having been inserted with a view to that precept in later times, and this affords a strong presumption against the Elohist and Jehovist theory. Heap. Here , an expression usually applied to a heap of stones, a cairn, though not always in precisely this sense (see Jer 9:10).

HOMILETICS

Jos 8:1-29

Renewed effort after disaster.

The Christian warfare, whether from an individual or from a general point of view, is no record of invariable success. The career of each Christian, as of the Christian Church, is a chequered course. It has its periods of triumph and its moments of disaster. We learn here many valuable lessons as to our conduct under adverse circumstances.

I. WE ARE NOT TO INDULGE DESPONDENCY.

(1) In consequence of evil allowed to lurk within you, you have had a grievous fall. Your duty is plain: to examine carefully into yourself, with God’s help, to detect the hidden evil, and to cast it out. This done, your next duty is to renew the strife. He who is cast down by failure so much as to give up all effort, is lost. The only way to inherit the land of promise is to continue the strife ceaselessly until every one of God’s enemies be destroyed. To Joshua, a catastrophe like that of Ai only occurs once. In the case of most ordinary Christians it occurs many times. But the same course is necessary, how many times soever it befalls us. Stone Achan with stones till he die; then “Fear not, neither be dismayed:” “Arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given it into thy hand.”

(2) The history of the Church is the same as that of the individual Its conflict is more prolonged, mare mysterious, and more complete. Therefore it has many Achans, its failures like those of Ai are more numerous, and its need of such encouragement as is here given far greater. Whatever the strife may be, its failures are due to the sins, sometimes unsuspected and undetected, though open, of the Achans of the flock. Many a generation of Christians has failed in their strife against evil, because they have not sought enlightenment from God, and so have called good evil and evil good, have put darkness for light, and light for darkness. After a failure they have not cast lots for the offender, and often they have given up the fight. But the fight must never be given up. Whatever is recognised as not of God must be contended against to the last. If success seems to have deserted us, let us look out for our Achan; try and find out the reasons for our failure. Somewhere or other, if we are sincere in the search, we shall find the hidden evil that paralyses our efforts. Our first task must be to cast it out; our next to renew the conflict with greater energy and mere precautions. No amount of failure ought to daunt us. If still success does not crown our efforts, let us seek for new Achans, and immolate them to the justice of God. But our duty is still to persevere, still to arise up against Ai, and never to cease our efforts until it, and the king thereof, and all the souls that are therein, are involved in one common ruin.

II. WE MUST GIVE HONOUR WHERE HONOUR IS DUE. Some successes are entirely God’s doing. Man may not claim credit or in any way seek profit by them. Others are due to man’s individual energy and courageGod, of course, working with him, and prospering his efforts. For these he may lawfully enjoy the credit, and be “held in reputation,” provided he is careful “not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” So the spoil of Jericho, which God put into the hands of the Israelites, was devoted to Him. Achan, in seizing it for himself, was robbing God of His right. But the spoil of Ai, which God permitted the Israelites to take by their own exertions, was given into their hands. “God is not unrighteous that he should forget your works and labours of love.” He or she has a right to be “beloved” who has “laboured much in the Lord.”

III. YET MAN MAY NOT CLAIM UNDUE CREDIT FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE. Nothing can be done without God’s help. Our greatest successes are the result of talents entrusted us by God. “What hast thou that thou hast not received?” asks the apostle. Therefore “Not unto us, but unto God’s name be the praise.” The greatest saint must therefore preserve the grace of humility. While he joyfully employs the influence and authority his faith and patience have won for him in God’s cause, he must never forget who it was that enabled him to do what he has done; that if he has been “working out,” either his “own salvation,” or any blessed works for the salvation of others, it was through God who was working in him. Joshua could not take Ai, had not God given it into his hand. Therefore whatever we have done, we are still unprofitable servants. We have done no more than our duty. “Let us not be high minded, but fear.”

IV. WE MUST ASSAIL OUR ENEMIES INDIRECTLY AS WELL AS DIRECTLY. Joshua employs stratagem as well as force against Ai. It is to be feared that Christian Churches need no exhortations to this course. Many have been the stratagems and devices of various religious bodies to gain their ends, which have brought not success but disgrace upon the cause. Yet we may remember that it is not therefore necessary to rush to the opposite extreme, and imagine that nothing but violent denunciation and open force are the methods to be employed. There is a wisdom of the serpent which may be lawfully employed in God’s cause. The man who is not won by argument may be won by persuasion. The mind that is repelled by vigorous denunciation may be open to satire or raillery. We may frequently gain over antagonists by appearing to yield to them. Sometimes it is even the best way to remove an abuse by allowing it to have full course, and work out its own evil results, and then turning round and pointing out its true character. But stratagems of the character of pious frauds, stratagems which do violence to the Christian’s character for truth and honesty, deliberate concealment of aims which should be avowed, compromises with error for the ultimate advantage of truththese are predestined to fail. If they gain their immediate object, they will most certainly in the end be detrimental to God’s cause.

HOMILIES BY R. GLOVER

Jos 8:19

On trying again.

A Jewish proverb says there are three men who get no pityan unsecured creditor, a henpecked husband, and a man that does not try again. This faculty of trying again is one of the qualities of noble natures. Napoleon at once blamed and praised the English for never knowing when they were beaten. Here Joshua exhibits the same kind of quality. He gathers from his defeat humility, purity, prudence, but never thinks of gathering from it despair. If they have been defeated before this once, they must try again with purer hands and in stronger force. And, trying again thus, they succeed grandly. Let me say a little on “trying again.” In the spiritual as in the carnal warfareindeed, in all parts of our manifold lifewe need to learn this lesson. I therefore ask you to consider one or two reasons why we should always try again.

I. Because NO FAILURE IS ALTOGETHER LOSS, AND ESPECIALLY NO FAILURE OF FIRST EFFORTS. If you ask why a first effort is so often a failure, you will find one great reason is, that in it we are trying to learn too many things at once. If it is a first effort to make a toy for a child, how many things are to be learned while making it; the qualities of the material with which we work, the use of our tools, an eye for form and size, the way to combine effectively the various parts. Now, if in the making of it we had only to learn one thing instead of four, we might manage; but to learn simultaneously all of them is beyond our power, and so we fail. But the failure does not mean total loss of time and material; for though we have not learned all we need in order to effect our object, we may have learned half, and learning the other half the second trial we then succeed. So here; there were some things Joshua and Israel had to learn: e.g; not to despise an enemy; to conquer brave foes as well as timorous ones; not to act on the suggestion even of the wisest captains without first inquiring of God; that victory without purity was impossible. Here, elate with their success at Jericho, Joshua does not ask the counsel of God, which would have forbidden movement till the stain of Achan was removed, and sends only a “few thousands” to perform a task for which a much stronger force was requisite. And God mercifully lets him make a failure on a scale easily retrieved, and so prevents a failure through similar mistakes, which, from its magnitude might have been irretrievable. In almost every case of failure, the great cause of it is that there were some things the learning of which was essential but had not been attained. We had not the measure of the obstacles to be overcomea knowledge of our own weakness, an acquaintance with the methods by which the result desired could be alone effected. And the art of life consists very much simply in turning such failures to good account. It is all but impossible to avoid making them. A child cannot learn to walk without some fails; and we are but children of a larger growth, who learn through improving our failures. And the wisest man is not he who makes fewest failures, but he who turns the failures that he makes to best account, addresses himself to learn their lessons. A failure is a schoolmaster, who can teach the art of succeeding better than any one else can do it. Do not yield, then, because you fail once, or even many times. Failures are never entirely losses. Secondly, observe

II. THOSE WHO USE WELL THEIR FAILURES FIND THEM FOLLOWED BY GRAND SUCCESS. Joshua, learning from the first failure to hallow the people, to consult God, to take His way, to send a larger force, when he tried again took Ai without the slightest difficulty. Moses failed on his first attempt to raise Israel against their oppressors. He was going to do it in the strength of his youthful enthusiasm, and expected to find they would hail him as a judge and a deliverer. He failed, was rejected of Israel, and had to become a fugitive from Pharaoh. But in his second effort, going at God’s command, in His way and with His backing, he succeeded in the grand emancipation. Israel failed in its first attempt to enter the promised land through their fear and faithlessness; repairing these faults, their second was successful The disciples failed to cast out the devil from the child; learning the need of deeper sympathy (prayer and fasting), their next efforts were crowned with complete success. Mark broke down in his first missionary effort, leaving Paul and Silas to pursue it alone. But prayer and gracious shame so retrieved the failure that he was Paul’s truest comrade in the pains and dangers of his last imprisonment. Peter failed in his first effort to confess his Master among his foes; but learning lowliness and prayer from failure, he lived to retrieve it grandly. It is so in all departments of life. Alfred the Great and Bruce, for instance, both learned the art of victory from the experience of defeat. Great inventors have rarely hit on their great secrets the first time they have attempted to achieve their purpose, The story of almost all great inventions has been failure well improved. The first efforts of poets do not always give the promise of their later powers. So is it in all directions of Christian life. If in your effort to confess Christ you fail, try again, and success will come with the greater earnestness and humility of your second effort. If you make a resolution and break it, try again with more of prayer, and the second effort will succeed. If you make some effort to do good, but your “‘prentice hand” bungles, and shame covers you, the next effort you make on a smaller scale, perhaps more wisely, modestly, and earnestly, will be a blessed success. And if it is not one but many efforts have failed, and life itself seems one long mishap and unsuccessful effort still, do not despair.

“Deem not the irrevocable past

As wholly wasted, wholly vain;

For, rising on its wrecks, at last

To nobler greatness we attain.”
Longfellow’s ‘Ladder of St. Augustine.’

Therefore let us always “try again.”G.

Jos 8:30-35

The fruits of victory.

“Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses And he read all the words of the law.” There is always danger in the moment after victory. We remember how Hannibal lost, amid the enervating luxuries of Capua, the fruit of the battle of Cannae. The most seductive Capua to the people of God is spiritual pride, which seeks to take to itself the glory which belongs to God alone. Woe to those who sleep upon the laurels of spiritual success, or who are intoxicated with self complacency. “Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall (1Co 10:12). Joshua shows us by his example how the people of God should conduct themselves after a victory.

I. HE GIVES ALL THE GLORY TO GOD. He builds an altar to offer thereon a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Let us do the same, and render, as he did, all glory to God.

II. HE SUMMONED THE PEOPLE TO A YET STRICTER OBEDIENCE TO THE DIVINE LAW by placing it afresh before their eyes. He knows well that never are men more prone to forget the sacred obligation of obedience than in the hour of religious success. Without obedience sacrifice is but external and vain. The true sacrifice is that of the will. Let every new blessing, every fresh victory only bring our mind and heart into more complete subjection to the will of God!

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

3. Capture and Destruction of Ai

Jos 8:1-29

a. Joshuas Stratagem against Ai

Jos 8:1-13

1And the Lord [Jehovah] said unto Joshua: Fear not, neither be thou dismayed, [Jos 1:9]: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: 2And thou shalt do unto Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

3So [And] Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour [strong heroes] and sent them away by night. 4And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even [omit: even] behind the city; go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready: 5And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass when they come out against us, as at the first, that 6we will flee before them, (for [and1] they will come out after us,) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us as at the first: therefore 7[and] we will flee before them. Then ye shall rise up from the ambush and seize upon the city: for the Lord [Jehovah] your God will deliver it into your hand. 8And it shall be when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the commandment [word] of the Lord [Jehovah] shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

9Joshua therefore [And Joshua] sent them forth; and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people. 10And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered [mustered] the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11And all the people, even the people [omit: 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 [and the valley was] between them 12[him] and Ai. And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush 13[as an ambush], between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city. And when they had set the people, even all the host [camp] that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went1 that night into the midst of the valley.2

b. Sham Flight of the Israelites. Their Victory. Capture and Destruction of the City

Jos 8:14-29

14And it came to pass when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a [the] time appointed [or, to the appointed place3], before the plain [Jordan-valley]: but he wist not that there were liers in ambush [was an ambush] against him behind the city. 15And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them; and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away4 from the city. 17And there was not a man left in Ai, or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

18And the Lord [Jehovah] said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thine hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. 19And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted, and set the city on fire. 20And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or [and] that way: and the people that fled to [had fled towards] the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. 21And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew [smote]5 the men of Ai. 22And the other issued out of the city against them: so that they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. 23And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

24And it came to pass when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they [had] chased them,6 and when they were all fallen on [by] the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites [prop.: all Israel] returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge 25of the sword. And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women,were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 26For Joshua drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out the spear [which he had stretched out with the spear], until he had utterly destroyed [devoted] all the inhabitants of Ai. 27Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the Lord [Jehovah] which he commanded Joshua. 28And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day. 29And the king of Ai he hanged on a [the] tree until even-tide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass [corpse] down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap [, mound] of stones, that remaineth [omit: that remaineth] unto this day.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

As soon as Achans crime is expiated by his death God restores his favor to Joshua and the people, exhorts them to be cheerful and bold, and for the second time to undertake the expedition against Ai. This is done, and now with complete success (Jos 8:1-29). To the rhetorical beauty of this section we have already referred in the introduction ( 1); the critical difficulty (Jos 8:12-13) will be discussed below.

a. Joshuas Stratagem against Ai, Jos 8:1-13. Jos 8:1. The same encouraging address as in Jos 1:9; now very much needed in reference to Jos 7:5.

All the people of war. Not as in the first attempt 3000 men only, Jos 7:4.

Jos 8:2. Only the spoil thereof . shall ye take for prey. At the capture of Jericho, the spoil also (the property) was devoted to Jehovah; but at this time it should belong to the people to whom ample gain had been promised (Deu 6:10 ff.)

An ambush. Concerning the question so extensively discussed by the old interpreters, Whether the employment of stratagems (wiles in war) was consistent with the dignity of God, Calvin observes briefly and convincingly: Quod hic qurunt nonnulli, dolonc et per insidias liceat hostes opprimere, ex crassa imperitia nascitur. Certum est non feriendo solum geri bella, sed eos censeri optimos duces, qui arte et consilio pollent magis quam impetu. Ergo si legitimum sit bellum, extra controversiam est, consuetis vincendi artibus patefactam esse viam: modo ne vel pactis induciis, vel alio modo fidem datam fallamus.

Jos 8:3 does not agree with Jos 8:13-14. Here it is said that 30,000 men are placed in the ambush; according to Jos 8:12 they are only 5,000. Further, the 30,000 men were, according to this verse, sent out already on the evening before; in Jos 8:13, on the contrary, the 5,000 betake themselves to their safe concealment first on the morning of the battle. These contradictory, statements taken from different sources cannot be reconciled, as Keil indeed perceives, while yet he strangely attempts to harmonize them. He takes Jos 8:12-13 to be a supplementary remark to Jos 8:3, and says: Before the , Jos 8:3, we must supply from the supplementary remark, that Joshua out of the 30,000 men separated again about 5,000 and sent them out by night into the ambush.7 Against this Maurer correctly says, on Jos 8:12-13 : Hc repugnant iis quvers.38et911expositu leguntur. Quam repugnantiam recte plerique repetunt ex annalibus diversis alio et alio ordine diversisque verbis scriptis, in quibus contrahendis is, qui hunc librum composuerit, non satis ad diversitatem attenderit. Confer similem locum, iv. 9. Alex. ver.12prorsus non exhibet, tertii decimi, maximam partem omittit; habet enim hc tantum: (Itala; et insidi erant civitati a marit), nihil amplius. Such is the judgment of Knobel also. The 30,000 might reach the neighborhood of Ai before daybreak, since the distance from Gilgal to Ai was not more than five to six hours. (Robinson, ii. 30712.) Joshua still remained that night in Gilgal.

Jos 8:4-8. Clear and exact instructions to the soldiers how they were to proceed. They must put themselves in ambush, not too far from the city, and be in readiness; he would make an attack in front and pretend to flee. Then they should break forth into the city abandoned by the enemy, and set it on fire. See, he concludes his address, I have commanded it to you, that is, Take heed that you do well your part.

Jos 8:9. Between Beth-el and Ai. Ai lay forty-five minutes southeast of Beth-el (Jos 12:9; Gen 12:8); between the two places rise two rocky heights, behind which the liers in wait appear to have taken their position (Van de Velde: Narrative, ii. p. 280). (Knobel.)

Jos 8:10. In the morning Joshua leads up the rest of the army, comes before the city and encamps to the north of it, so that a valley, probably the present Wady Mutyah, lay between him and Ai.

Jos 8:12-13. See above on Jos 8:3. According to Keil, means the same night as Jos 8:9. But on that night (Jos 8:9) Joshua was not yet certainly before Ai, for which he started only in the morning (Jos 8:10). The reading instead of , originated perhaps in the same effort to harmonize Jos 8:15 with Jos 8:9.

b. Sham-flight of the Israelites. Their Victory, Capture and Destruction of the City (Jos 8:14-29). The plan succeeds admirably. The king of Ai, seeing Joshuas army in front, leads out against him. The latter pretends to run away. The inhabitants of Ai now pursue the Israelites and leave the city standing open. Then Joshua gives the ambush a signal with his spear. They rush forth, seize the city, and set it on fire. Joshua himself with his army turns about at the same moment. The men of Ai find themselves suddenly attacked in front and rear at once, and are annihilated. The other inhabitants of Ai also, about 12,0008 in men and women, are slain. The city is razed to the ground, its king hanged on a tree.

Jos 8:14. When the king of Ai saw it, namely, Joshua and his army,pointing back, therefore, to Jos 8:11, the continuation of which we have here. It cannot refer to Jos 8:13 because he could not see the ambush nor have any knowledge of it, as is shown by the close of Jos 8:11.

Jos 8:16-17. The men of Ai in their excessive ardor recklessly leave the city, without care about covering their line of return to Ai, and without protection to the city itself which they leave open. The expression is striking: they were torn away, Van Ess; they were cut off.9

Jos 8:18. A direct command of God renewed, under whose special order the whole affair proceeds.

Spear. Heb. dart, javelin, a small spear which is hurled (Job 41:20. Eng. 28), distinct from the there mentioned in connection with it. From our passage compared with Jos 8:26, some would conclude that the must have been furnished with a flag or standard. Possibly, though not necessarily, since the waving motion which Joshua made with his spear might be seen a long distance, especially if we suppose that there was a bright sunshine. As a weapon of the Babylonians and Persians, it is spoken of Jer 6:23; Jer 1:42. The rendering of the Vulg. by clypeus is erroneous.

Jos 8:20. had no power, Vulg. non potuerunt. Others, e.g. Gesenius, explain with reference to Deu 23:13; Num 2:17; Isa 17:8, as meaning place, room; but whether the dua, can mean this appears to us doubtful. We should rather approve the rendering sides (Keil). The first signification, however, is to be preferred, because then the thought is this, that being held fast by terror, they had no power to flee this way or that. The whole situation of the men of Ai, who saw before them the enemy, behind them the burning town, is admirably pictured in a few strokes.

Jos 8:26. Joshua drew not back the hand which he had stretched out with the spear, until all the inhabitants of Ai had been destroyed. The signal for attack on Ai was also a signal for the destruction of the inhabitants, and remained until its design was fulfilled (Knobel).

Jos 8:28. The city is made even with the ground .

Jos 8:29. Heap of stones, as in Jos 7:26.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. It should not be overlooked that the spoil to be taken in Ai is given over to the Israelites, which was not the case at Jericho. Jericho was the first of the cities of Canaan captured, and belonged on this account wholly to the Lord, as the first-born of man and beast (Exo 13:2; Exo 13:12; Exo 13:15), and as the firstlings of the fruits of the field (Exo 23:19; Exo 34:26; Lev 2:12; Lev 23:10; Lev 23:17; Lev 23:20; Num 15:20-21). This was no longer so at Ai.

2. If the justice of the war is conceded, it follows that a stratagem such as was here adopted by Joshua against Ai, is likewise morally allowable, since notoriously wars are not carried on exclusively through hard blows (feriendo), as Calvin has well remarked. Yet stratagem, as Calvin also calls us to notice, has its limits. A treacherous termination of a truce, and the like, is morally reprehensible. Of such things there is no mention here, but simply an instance of strategy like what is witnessed in almost every great battle.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Gods renewed call to Joshuathe same word indeed as before, but now of quite a different import, since God by it not only assures him of his support, but also gives him to understand that He is again gracious to him.The capture and destruction of the city of Ai. (1.) Preparation. (2.) Execution.See, I have commanded it to youa strict military admonition, which may apply also to the spiritual conflict.How God gives his enemies into the hands of his servants, while he (1.) blinds and disheartens the former; (2.) enlightens and strengthens the latter.

Starke: Although every victory comes from God, it is still in the order of our own fidelity and bravery.From God alone comes the victory and He it is who can subdue and root out the peoples.

Lange: In so far as a war is justifiable, so far is stratagem therein justifiable also, provided only that it conflict not with the special agreements existing, and lead not to inhuman measures; for as much as possible, the people must be spared.

Bib. Tub.: The fortune of war is changeable, but it turns as the Lord will have.

Cranmer: Just wars are not in themselves against God. But without necessity, recklessly, and from trifling causes to begin war, is iniquitous, 2Ch 35:20; 1Ki 20:3.

4. The Altar of Blessing and of Cursing on Ebal

Jos 8:30-35

30Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord [Jehovah] God of Israel in Mount Ebal, 31as Moses the servant of the Lord [Jehovah 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 hath lifted up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the Lord [Jehovah], and sacrificed peace-offerings. 32And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote [had written] in the presence of the children [sons] of Israel. 33And all Israel, and their elders, and officers [overseers], and their judges, stood on this side the ark, and on that side, before the priests the Levites, which [who] bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord [Jehovah], as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord [Jehovah] had commanded before,10 that they should bless the people of Israel. 34And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversan [the stranger that walked] among them.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

This paragraph, which contains the fulfillment of the command given by Moses, Deu 27:1 ff., breaks the connection between chaps. Jos 8:29 and Jos 9:1, and would appear to be in place later, perhaps after Jos 11:23, since it is not likely that before the complete conquest of the land, Joshua could have undertaken such a celebration: and besides, we find him still, chaps, 9 and 10, in the south of Palestine. Keil, in his prejudiced opposition to all which is called criticism, naturally allows no weight to this, and hence seeks, among other things, to show that when (Jos 9:6) the camp at Gilgal is spoken of, this is not Gilgal near Jericho but another place of that name in the region of Shechem. If this were correct the author would certainly in some way have given an intimation of the fact that in Jos 9:6 we no longer are to understand the Gilgal near Jericho but a Gilgal near Shechem. As he omits this, the whole connection points to the former, and Joshua is in the southern part, not in central Palestine.

Jos 8:30. Ebal. On the alleged fertility of Gerizim, and barrenness of Ebal, many fables have been told by travellers and interpreters. According to Robinson (Bibl. Res. iii. 96103, and Later Bibl. Res. 131, 132 [Phys. Geog. of H. L. p. 36 f.]), both mountains are alike desolate, while the vale of Shechem lying between them is extremely pleasant and fertile. [Comp. Dict. of the Bible, articles, Ebal, Gerizim, Shechem.] According to Deu 27:6, the altar was to be erected on Ebal, which would thus have the advantage over Gerizim, which, however, is distinguished in its turn by the fact that from it the blessing was to be pronounced. Probably Ebal had been like Sinai, like Moriah Genesis 22), an old place of sacrifice, and so rendered sacred. The name by , from , to strip off (leaves), signifies the naked (mountain): compare also (Gen 10:28), a region of Joktanite Arabia. Gerizim ( ) Jos 8:33 is = mount of the Gerizites. The (from in Arab. to hew, to exterminate, in Heb. only in Niphal,Psa 31:23; Psa 86:6) are the dwellers in a barren land. Assuming this, then the desolation perceived by travellers on the mountain would be as truly countenanced by the name in the case of mount Gerizim, as in that of Ebal.

Jos 8:31. Altar of unhewn stones over which no man had lifted up any iron. So the law required in general (Exo 20:25); so it had been specially ordained for this case (Deu 27:5-6).

Jos 8:32. Stones. Not the stones of the altar (Jos. Syr.) but the great stones whitewashed with lime, spoken of in Deu 27:2-4; Deu 27:8. For this reason the article also stands here, . The unhewn, rough stones of the altar moreover would have been poorly adapted to this use.

A copy of the Law of Moses ( , properly, doubling of the law of Moses. So Gen 43:15 they say = doubling of the money. By this doubling of the law is naturally to be understood a copy of the law, in the same sense here as in Deu 17:18, as we also speak of the duplicate of a document. What now was written on the stones? Different answers are given to this, ranged according to the interpretations of Deu 27:3. (a.) The whole law (several Rabbins, Mich., Baumg.) and, according to the Talmudists in Tract. Sota, Joshua 7, in seventy languages, that all the peoples of the earth might read it; therefore the whole Thorah with all its narratives, genealogies, legal prescriptions, etc. Improbable, (b.) Particular parts of the law; (.) the Decalogue (Grotius, Kennicott, Hasse). (.) Deuteronomy (Gerhardt, Osiander, Geddes, Vater, Hengstenberg). (.) The blessings and cursings (Masius, Maurer, Rosenmller)against the words of Deu 27:3. (c.) Everything in the books of Moses which is law, every (Deu 27:1), which is given in them, all the words of the law (Deu 27:3). So formerly Michaelis (Laws of Moses ii. 60), rightly, and now Knobel on Deu 27:1 : The language reaches to the law in general (Mischna Sota 7, 5), to the Mosaic law (Jos 8:32). The author thinks, however, only of the commandments proper, six hundred and thirteen in number, according to the Jewish reckoning, not of all the narratives also and warnings, admonitions, discourses, reasons, and the like. So also Jos 6:9. The inscription itself may probably have been effected not till after the ceremony was completed, being reported here by anticipation.

Jos 8:33-35. Proclamation of the Blessing and Curse. We must imagine the position of the people to have been such that the priests with the ark of the covenant stood in the midst of the valley, between Ebal lying on the north and Gerizim lying on the south, but the people, one half over against Gerizim (therefore on Ebal), and the other half over against Ebal (therefore on Gerizim). After this had been arranged Joshua himself read (Luther; incorrectly: caused to be read) all the words of the law, the blessing, and the cursing. A discrepancy which Knobel thinks he finds between this report and the directions Deu 27:9 ff. we cannot admit, because by the expression all the words of the law which is afterwards defined by the addition, the blessing and the curse, nothing more is probably to be understood than in the formulas given Deu 27:14 ff. The curses are exactly twelve, according to the number of the tribes; the blessings, see Deu 28:1-14.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. It is consistent with the divine economy of salvation in the time of the old covenant, that on the entrance of the chosen people into the promised land, not merely blessing but also curse was held up before them. A people standing so low in morality as the Israelites then did needed stern discipline, and not only might be allured by promises but must be alarmed by threats. This was a very wholesome pdagogic, which is even yet quite in place in the education of particular individuals as well as of whole nationalities, under certain circumstances. Think, for instance, of the neglected children as they are delivered to our reformatory institutions, or of rough heathen nations among whom the Christian missionaries labor. Only we must consider one thing, namely this, that the day of salvation, in which we live, must never be lost sight of, that Moses may not be again put in the place of Christ by whom grace and truth have been brought to us (Joh 1:17), nor the servile spirit in place of the filial (Rom 8:15). Unfortunately, a certain legal tendency has shown a great inclination that way, even in the evangelical church, to say nothing of Rome, whose curses, far removed from the royal power of those imprecations of the O. T. are a kind of invectives about which no one cares. The curse, to have any power, must be uttered in the name of God against unquestionable transgressions of the divine command, as conversely, the blessing only takes effect when it is bestowed upon acts well pleasing to God. According to this canonical law the curia has seldom proceeded, but often exactly in the opposite way.

2. More closely considered, the twelve curses are directed against idolatry (Deu 27:15), contempt of parents (Jos 8:16), removing a neighbors land-mark (Jos 8:17), inhumanity toward the blind, strangers, orphans, widows (Jos 8:18-19), incest and sodomy (Jos 8:20-23), murder (Jos 8:24-25), and finally in general against the transgression of the law in any manner (Jos 8:26). Blessings are promised in the city and on the field (Jos 23:3), on all births (Jos 23:4), on the basket and the kneading-trough (Jos 23:5; Exo 7:28; Exo 11:36), on going out and coming in (Deu 28:6); a blessing in particular on their arms in contest with their enemies (Jos 23:7), a blessing on the position of Israel among the nations (Jos 23:9-14). The N. T. recognizes still an entirely different blessing, the in heavenly goods ( ) in Christ (Eph 1:3), the imperishable, and undefiled, and unfading inheritance which is reserved in heaven (1Pe 1:3). This blessing makes rich, in the highest sense, without trouble added (Pro 10:22).

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

The solemn gathering of the people on Ebal, (1) Sacrifice, (2) inscription of the law, (3) blessing and curse.The consecrated altar.Not only on the stones but rather on the heart should the law of God be written, Jer 31:31; Jer 31:34.On the import of blessing and cursing.Rather bless than curse, yet bless not under all circumstances.Curse may become blessing, blessing curse.How is it with thee, Christian congregation? Standest thou under the blessing or deservest thou the curse of thy God?Questions to be asked, perhaps, on days of penitence and prayer.The whole congregation should hear the word.

Starke: A Christian should not, after being delivered from need, forget gratitude also.Not human nonsense but the holy word of God alone must be taught and preached.My God, give us also readiness and desire to make known thy commandments, to all, friends and foes, old and young.

Footnotes:

[1][Jos 8:6.. The train of thought will probably be better represented by beginning the sentence anew and dropping the parenthesis, so as to connect this clause with the following. So Fay and De Wette: And they will come out after us till, etc. Zunz, however, continues from the preceding: that they may come out, etc.Tr.].

[2]Some Codd. read (lodged) instead of .

[3][Jos 8:14.So Fay, De Wette, Keil. Either way has the article. Perhaps to the appointment, meaning In respect either to time or to place, would represent the Hebrew with sufficient definiteness.Tr.].

[4][Jos 8:16. here, were torn away, completely separated. See Exegetical Notes.Tr.].

[5][Jos 8:21. as in the next verseTr.].

[6][Jos 8:24.That is, wherein (or whither) the men of Ai had chased the Israelites.Tr.]

[7][Keil supposes that Joshua also, and the main army had gone from Gilgal to the neighborhood of Ai (Jos 8:3), that from there he sent out the ambush (Jos 8:3-9), and there (near Ai) he spent that night in the midst of the people (Jos 8:9). In Jos 8:12-13, then he finds only a repetition with some more particularity of the statement concerning the ambush previously mentioned. The only difficulty in the way of regarding both accounts as relating to the same movement is the great difference of the numbers of the men. Here he thinks there has been simply an error of transcription, the letters representing the 5,000 having been by mistake replaced in Jos 8:3 by those denoting 30,000.Tr.]

[8][But it was all that fell that day (Jos 8:25), not the other inhabitants that made up the 12,000.Tr.].

[9][It is the same word which, Jos 4:18, denotes the with-drawment of the priests feet from the mud of the river-bed to the dry land; were lifted, more exactly plucked, up.Tr.].

[10][Jos 8:33. qualifies rather the following clause, to bless the people of Israel in the beginning, or, at first; probably with reference to the injunction in Deu 27:2, taken literally, and so far removing the improbability that what is recorded in this paragraph should have occurred before the completion of the conquest.Tr.].

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

CONTENTS

In this chapter we have an account of the renewal of Israel’s victories. The Lord encourageth Joshua, and the holy army conquereth Ai: the king of Ai is taken and hanged: Joshua erects an altar to the Lord: writes the law on stones; causeth the repeatal of the blessings, and cursings, and of the law to be read in the ears of the people.

Jos 8:1

Observe, the renewal of the friendly intercourse between God and his people, begins on God’s part. If we love him, it is because he first loved us. Probably Joshua paused on the further prosecution of war, after what had happened, of Israel being chased by the men of Ai: the Lord therefore encourageth him. Reader! it is sweet amidst all our doubts and fears in our spiritual warfare, to hear the voice of Jesus calling us to come on. Son 5:2 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Jos 8

By general consent the valley of Shechem holds the distinction of being one of the most beautiful in the country. ‘Its western side,’ says Stanley, ‘is bounded by the abutments of two mountain ranges, running from west to east. These ranges are Gerizim and Ebal; and up the opening between them, not seen from the plain, lies the modern town of Nablous [Neapolis = Shechem]…. A valley green with grass, grey with olives, gardens sloping down on each side, fresh springs running down in all directions; at the end a white town embosomed in all this verdure, lodged between the two high mountains which extend on each side of the valley that on the south Gerizim, that on the north Ebal; this is the aspect of Nablous, the most beautiful, perhaps it might be said the only very beautiful, spot in Central Palestine.’

References. VIII. 1. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxiii. No. 1358. VIII. 30-34. K. Moody-Stuart, Light from the Holy Hills, p. 75.

Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson

The Taking of Ai Spiritualised

Jos 8

THE details of this chapter are certainly not in keeping with the spirit of the later revelations of the mind of God. We have nothing to do with the chapter locally and incidentally; in that respect it is a forgotten thing. Revelations are unquestionably matters of time. This is the solution of many difficulties which are supposed to be found in the Bible, where there are really no difficulties at all when the whole is measured by the right scale and examined in the true light. It must not be thought that the events recorded in the Bible took place one after another, just as quickly as they could occur. There may be ages between one book and another. The first chapter of Genesis may be a chapter stretching over countless epochs, rising and falling myriads of years. Between Malachi and Matthew there is but a page in the printed book, but between Malachi and Matthew as a matter of historical literature there is a span of four hundred years; in other words, Malachi having laid down his pen, that pen is not taken up in continuous history for four centuries. Keep this in view, and very much that is cloudy and perplexing will be dissolved and made luminous. What, therefore, shall we do with a chapter like this, so full of cunning, stratagem, military surprises, and what would be called sharp practice upon the unsuspecting inhabitants of Ai? We can spiritualise it in the best sense. There is a legitimate way of spiritualising ancient history, and this is the only way in which a history of this kind can be treated with modern pertinence, comfort, and edification.

With this precaution then, how does the striking story appeal to us? It appears, in the first place, that in going out to battle with anything that is doomed we must have a right character and a right cause. This was insisted upon in the case of Ai. The Lord would not allow a blow to be struck at the city by a wicked hand; he will have judgment executed by righteousness; he will have the law proclaimed by lips that have been circumcised and anointed. Israel was all but innumerable in force. In relation to the city of Ai, Israel was a torrent that could not be withstood. But Israel had committed sin. A goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold fifty shekels in weight had been stolen by an Israelitish soldier. The Lord will not have such warriors. His purpose has ever been to prove that right is might, that without character we cannot do his work not spotless character, which may be impossible under present conditions, but character that is intensely in earnest, set in the right direction, aspiring after continual perfectness. Do not go to battle with a wrong cause, or your weakness will be assured before you begin. No man can be really eloquent upon a bad cause. He may be fluent, and may use many highly-coloured words, and use them with great skill; but earnestness of conviction is absolutely necessary to all-persuasive and all-enduring eloquence. So, before going to war, there must be an inquiry instituted into the character and into the quality of the thing that is proposed to be done. The first great inquiry of man is a moral inquiry, not an inquest about numbers, places, and possible issues but, is this thing right? and am I right who attempt to do the work? That being the case, go forward. Do not be deterred by any man, by any man’s threatening, or any man’s inexcusable folly, but proceed steadily, prayerfully, confidently. This is the rule of the chapter. This is the rule of all ages. Do not take a step until that rule has been observed and realised. Nor must the term “right” be construed narrowly. There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding about right. We have murdered right, or divided it into opinions and enumerated them, and accounted our individual opinions the sum-total of right. Let the spirit commune with the Spirit of God, and inspiration will not be withheld. It will be difficult to keep down selfishness, vanity, ambition, and all that brood, but it lies within the compass of the power of God even to crush the serpent’s head.

The next great lesson of this incident is that we must all advance upon the doomed institution. When the idea of taking Ai was first broached, there were clever men in Israel who said, Let two or three thousand of us go up and take the city; the whole army has been perambulating round about the walls of Jericho; it is quite needless to put the entire army to this expense of time and strength; depute some two or three thousand of us, and we will go up and smite Ai and burn it to ashes; it is a pity to weary all the people when a handful of them might execute the design. There are always such meddlesome people in God’s army, who will divide, and distribute, and cultivate what they call opinions. They will not allow the great laws of God to move on in massiveness and majesty; they will meddle with God. Two or three thousand of the people of Israel went up against Ai, and we have seen the result. Now we must return, says the historian, in effect, to God’s own appointed law in this matter: “I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city” ( Jos 8:5 ). That must be the rule of the Church in all its great moral wars. The battle is not to be handed over to a few persons, however skilful and zealous. The work of teaching the world and saving the world is a work committed to the whole Christian body. There are to be no laymen in this war. We must obliterate the official distinction between clergy and laity, pulpit and pew. The living Church of the living God is one. Forgetting this rule, what has come to pass? that destructive work and constructive work, acts of benevolence and charity, have devolved upon handfuls of men, and they have been left to do all that was needful in battle and in charity. They have been favoured with the criticism of those who have stayed at home. Criticism has never been a scarce article in human history! Persons who have done nothing, sacrificed nothing, given nothing, are the very people who are able, by some vicious inspiration, to find fault with everybody else. When the Church realises its totality, when every man is part of an army and not an isolated warrior, then every Ai doomed of heaven shall reel under the battering-ram which the Church will employ. When all the people are at work, there can be no criticism: they are involved in the same strife and issue; they are common patriots, fellow-soldiers, parts of the same great multitude, and there is no time for mutual exasperation and folly. The clever men, therefore, were in the second instance displaced. They supposed that they had realised quite a clever idea, that all the great body of Israel might remain at home and two or three thousand young, sharp, clever, active men might go up and do all the work, and come galloping home at night conquerors rich with spoil. The Lord will not have it so. Joshua must himself go up, and all the people must go up with him. There are to be no mere critics; there are to be thousands of active soldiers.

This being so, the incident brings before us in a very suggestive and picturesque manner the fact that we must excel the enemy in shrewdness. A perusal of the chapter will show what military cunning was expended upon this particular situation. The idea is not to be taken in its literal sense as applicable today to anything with which the Church has to deal; but this is the eternal thought: that the Church is to be shrewder than the world, believers are to be keener of mind and more active in every energy than unbelievers. Who was to be “wise as serpents,” “harmless as doves”? Who was called to realise that startling paradox? It is the law of true advancement and conquest in things moral and divine. But the Church can never learn this lesson. “Harmless as doves,” in the sense of doing nothing, the Church is superhumanly able to be; but “wise as serpents” silent, thoughtful, shrewd, far-sighted, patient, who can realise this idea? Whatever the world does, the Church should show a nobler strength. The Church should buy up every institution which it cannot burn up. The Church should have all the thoroughfares and crowd back the evil back, and further back still, till it reels into the river! The Church has not done this, but has taken up positions in quiet corners, and out-of-the-way places, and has lived a very inoffensive and peacefully obscure life. The Salvation Army is right, or Christianity is a mistake. Respectability, conventionally understood, in Christian service may be blasphemy. So long as men remain in obscure positions and show themselves to be so infantile that they would not even injure the devil if they saw him, the devil is perfectly willing that chapels without end should be put up; but where men are burning with godliness, mad with earnestness, where the universe divides itself into heaven and hell, right and wrong, there can be no peace, there can be no truce, there can be no hand-shaking over the chasm. Would Heaven that all the quiet people were on the other side of this question! They could be well spared! Christianity in a fallen world is not quietness. Herein is that wonderful word true: “Think not that I came to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword ” I came to kindle a fire upon the earth, and to set a man against his fellow-man, and to make war in the house. We call these expressions “figurative” and escape the awful discipline!

It is evident, moreover, that if we are to do any real work in the world in the name of God and in the cause of Christ, we must be about our business night and day. In the tenth verse we read: ” And Joshua rose up early in the morning;” in the thirteenth verse we read: “Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.” That was a soldier’s life! We are, as Christians, supposed to be soldiers. How reads the old story? “And Joshua rose up early in the morning…. Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.” It is sad that we can appease our consciences by telling them that this is a piece of ancient history and related to very obscure incidents. It is not so. If men will subject themselves, the apostle says, to such processes of discipline to obtain a corruptible crown, what should we do whose aim is to secure an incorruptible? The argument is a cumulative one, aggravating itself even into agony. If any will so discipline themselves to obtain an ivy or a parsley chaplet, what shall we do whose prize is the crown of life? If we cannot attain this sublimity of heroism, we can at least set it before us, keep it as the continual idea of life. We need not upbraid ourselves unreasonably if we do not attain it, for the apostle himself said he counted not himself to have apprehended, but he pressed toward the mark, that is to say, he was always found pressing in one direction, never vacillating, halting, returning, but eternally set, like the needle to the pole. Who will join this great army? How useful some men might be if they had the spirit of consecration: what time they have on hand! They can rise early and sit up late, and order their affairs with comparative freedom. Would they give themselves to the Cross, would they be slaves of Christ, would they make up their minds to be either infidels or Christians! The difficulty is with the tepid man, with the man who wants to walk upon both sides of the road, to keep sacrament once a month and visit the devil between whiles.

We should miss one great lesson of this story if we did not note that we are bound to set fire to every devoted abomination. Ai was burned. The smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and Ai became, not a heap, but the heap, as if it were the only heap. That was complete work. Is our work complete? Have we added fire to the sword? Is ignorance burned, or is it only labelled “wisdom”? Is slavery burned with unquenchable fire, or has it only changed its relation and its colour? We are called to a work of extirpation. We are not called to compromise, to paltering, to arranging, to expediency where ignorance is concerned, or slavery, or vice, or wrong. We must not omit the fire. Things must be so burned down that they can never grow again. Otherwise we shall have all the work to do over again, and the ages will be hindered in their highest progress.

And after destruction, what then? Positive religion comes next: “Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal” (v, 30). It is no use building your altar until you have burned the abomination. A great destructive work is to be done first, and in the doing of it, there will be great outcry about change, and novelty, and reprisal, and revolution, and confiscation, and a number of terms very imperfectly understood. But we must not build where the altar itself will be burned down. Be sure about the foundation before you put up the building; know where you are going to set the altar. If you have not been faithful in the work of destruction, you cannot be faithful in the work of construction. It is lying unto the Holy Ghost to build an altar upon the basis of a rotten life. So we are called to thoroughness of work. There is to be no superficial action here. In doing this we may give great offence; we may have to part with friends. But our fathers did more than that. Read their history indeed, read the history of all progress, and you will find it to be a history of loss on the one side and of gain on the other. Blessed are those workers in the field to whom no favour can be shown, because they want none, whom it would be impossible to patronise. They, having done the destructive work, may and will erect the altar.

And after the altar, what? The law the law of righteousness, the law of God. Jos 8:32 reads: “And Joshua wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.” This is complete work destruction, the erected altar, the inscribed law. This is healthy work. The surgeon has done his duty, and now nature will proceed to heal and comfort and bless. The enemy has been driven off the field! Now the altar is put up and the law is promulgated. Society without law is chaos. An altar without righteousness is evaporative sentiment. Prayer without duty may be a detachment of the wings from the bird they were intended to assist.

The picture is a right noble one. Omitting all that was local, incidental, and temporary, here stands the great law of spiritual conflict: a right character, a right cause, a unanimous advance, a super-excellent shrewdness, a business that touches the early morning and the late night, fire set to the devoted abomination, an altar built upon the ashes, the law written upon the altar, that is the programme; and any programme whose lines are not covered by this sublime delineation maybe a clever invention, but it is not a revelation from heaven. We are thus called to energy, called to labour, called to sacrifice. We are all called. Merely to hear what the army has been doing is not patriotism. In the Church there is no place for indolence, there is no place for criticism, there is no place for mere sentiment. Has the world to be captured for Jesus Christ, or has it not? If you say it has not, then abandon the standard altogether; if you say it has, then never forsake the standard. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Strive to enter in at the strait gate. Take unto you the whole armour of God. Stand against the wiles of the devil. Never leave it an open question as to which side you are upon. Having done the destructive work, do not imagine that the whole programme is complete; now begin the construction of the altar. And having made a place for prayer, do not suppose that the whole duty of man has been perfected; next put up the law: battle, prayer, law; law, prayer, battle. If there is aught else, it has not yet been to me revealed.

Prayer

Almighty God, the bitterness of death is past: the world’s worst history has been lived; and now the latter days have come upon us days of morning, beauteous and rich with light; the glory of hope is round about us, and heaven is near at hand. We will not sorrow as men who have no hope; this would be to offend thee grievously, for thy providence was never so near our life as it is at this moment. All things teach us the divine nearness. Our own life is a witness that the whole world has become a sanctuary because of the Cross of Christ, and the whole priesthood of the Son of God. We bless thee that the future is lighted up with ineffable glory: now we speak of abolished death, of descending heaven, of immortality, of life all purity, service all music, and hope that cannot fade away. This is the realisation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the very perfectness of love, the bringing to maturity of thine eternal thought concerning man. We will therefore dry our tears, and assure our hearts, and go forward like men inspired and made strong. May all tone of mourning be taken out of our voices, all colour suggestive of dismay and fear be wholly removed from the whole course of our being; may our life be a daily witness to the power and goodness of God. For thine open book we bless thee; for its most ancient history we thank thee; for everything that shows the unity of manhood and the human heart we cannot but be grateful to God. The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof. All time is thy clothing; yea, thou hast made a garment of the universe, and thou standest amongst us clothed with that glittering humiliation. Behold, for God to be, is to make all other being possible, and yet to distress it with a sense of infinite distance. Thou chargest the angels with folly; the heavens are not clean in thy sight; what can compare with the infinite pureness of God? Still, thou comest near to us, and thou diest upon a cross; thou settest forth a great mystery of sacrificial blood: we understand it not, but we know it to be the gospel which the heart most needs. Amen.

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

XXI

THE FALL OF JERICHO, AI, EBAL, AND GERIZIM

Jos 6:1-10:43

This section commences with Jos 6:1 and the first item of the discussion is the capture of Jericho. The method of the capture of Jericho was intensely spectacular. The dramatic feature of it was cumulative; it got more intense every day. We have only to read two or three verses to see just what was done, and such a thing as was never done before or since, but done in the taking of the city. No sword was unsheathed, no man struck a blow in the capture of that place. The priests with the jubilee trumpets, not the ordinary trumpets, led the procession, seven priests, seven trumpets, seven days round that city. They would blow and the people were silent, not a word in the ranks. Once a day for six days they marched all around the high walls of Jericho and on the seventh day they went round it seven times, and at the close of the seventh time the trumpets sounded and the people shouted and the walls of Jericho fell, and each one in his position in their circuit, marched over the fallen walls and captured the city. It was God’s work throughout. You will notice that this capture was discriminative; that place in the wall where the house of Rahab stood did not fall; every other place fell.

The next thought in the capture of this city is that it was devoted. Learn the meaning of that word “devoted.” That means, when it applies to man, that death occurs; when it applies to materials as spoils, that it belongs to Jehovah. The Israelites had nothing to do with the capture of the city. It was entirely God’s. And the strongest prohibition was issued, that no man must rob God by appropriating to himself any part of the spoils which had been set apart for Jehovah’s own use.

Now, we come to another feature of the capture, and that is a curse was pronounced on any man that ever attempted to rebuild the walls of Jericho, not Jericho the city, for that still existed, but the fortified part of the city, where the arms were kept. It must never be rebuilt. Turn to 1Ki 16:34 , and read that verse: “In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho; he laid the foundation thereof with the loss of Abiram, his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of Jehovah which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.” That is many hundred years after Joshua spoke that word, and there you come to a great text and a very appropriate one, if you are going to make a prohibition address. One of the great arguments for the continuance of the sale of ardent spirits in a city is that it promotes the interests of the city; that the grass would grow in the streets of a city if you did not allow it. The statement is erroneous, but if it were true, men ought not to lay the foundation of the city in the souls of men.

You will notice that the next says that Joshua, whom they had supported as leader in this, acquired great fame by the fall of Jericho throughout all the Promised Land; among the enemies the fame and dread of Joshua spread.

It is in connection with the capture of this city that we come across the sin of Achan, and that is the second thought for us to discuss. The text says, “Israel’s sin,” and the context shows that on Israel fell the punishment The real sinner was one person, Achan. Now, the question comes up, With what propriety can the action of a man with which the others had nothing to do, be called the sin of Israel and the Israelites be punished for the sin? You recall a passage in Corinthians, recently studied, where Paul accuses the church of sin in that it had retained one man and covered up the sin of that man that took his father’s wife, and he went on to say that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. So when you look at the solidarity of the people, their unity, or the solidarity of the church, a sin committed by one member that passes unrebuked will become the sin of the entire organization, and the whole body must suffer the penalty for what one does, because they being many constitute one body.

That is why this is called Israel’s sin.

I ask you to notice again the cause of this sin; it was covetousness. He knew about the prohibition; that he didn’t capture Jericho but God captured it, and that its spoils were devoted by the word of God, but he saw some gold and a goodly Babylonish garment and he took them and hid them in his tent. The people knew nothing about this sin. So far as they were concerned, it was a covered sin, and it doesn’t keep a ship from sinking when a leak is there, be it unknown to the captain of the crew. So that a covered sin is even more dangerous than a sin that is in the open. A fire that is merely smouldering, sending forth no blaze and no smoke, is more dangerous than a fire that advertises itself with its illumination and its roar, because in that case you can hedge against its spreading, but if it is unseen it spreads beyond control.

We now come to the nature of his offence. It was not ordinary stealing. It was not ordinary dishonesty. It was that blasphemy which robs God. You will recall in the New Testament that when the church had just started on its progress and donations were being given, people would sell their land and come and say, “It is all the price of the land,” Ananias and his wife conspired together to keep back a portion of the price and thus lied not to man, but unto God, and if that sin had not at the beginning been punished by instant death, the church never would have retained its power. Just as in this new nation coming among enemies with a world of conquest just ahead of them, their sole dependence was keeping in favor with God. Whoever then lost them the favor of God practically would bring about their destruction; therefore, it was not a case for mercy. Now, we find Israel paying the penalty of that sin. A detachment of men was sent out to Ai, their next stronghold, and to their own surprise they became panic stricken and fled and a number of them lost their lives. You can see the significance of their defeat. The enemy had been panic stricken and the only way to succeed was to keep up their prestige. This defeat took away from the enemy their fear of Israel, and unless that sin had been discovered and speedily punished, Israel would have been beaten back across the Jordan or enslaved in a very short time. But one of the most remarkable things in connection with the sin of Achan is God’s omniscient method of ascertaining and exposing it. Dr. Burleson preached all over Texas from this text. “Be sure your sin will find you out.”. And a great sermon of Jonathan Edwards that spread over a quarter of the nation and resulted in the conversion of 250,000 people was from this text, “Their feet shall slide in due time.” “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”; there is no escape from the omniscient eye of God. There is no getting away from his presence, there is no evasion of his omnipotence. A man who has committed a sin is like a horse staked out on the prairie; the stake rope may be long but yet it is not long enough to enable him to be free. He can go only to the end of his tether, and every time the horse walks around the stake pin, shortens his tether, and after a time it brings his nose right up to the stake pin. So is any sinner in the hands of God.

When God maketh an inquisition for sin, he remembers, he doesn’t forget, he knows where to go to look for it. It has chanced that three times I have preached from the text, “Be sure your sin will find you out,” at ten years’ interval, and each time I preached some one came and made me a confession that I never told, but the confessions of the strangest and most awful sin, and one of them was a young preacher. I have never been so puzzled as I have been puzzled by these three confessions. In two of these cases I was able not only to suggest a remedy, but to put the remedy into effect. The third case was not in any power of mine. Now, God’s plan was this: The whole camp, 3,000,000 of them, were drawn up and they were ordered to march by Jehovah, that is, where his presence was, at the tabernacle, and God would say which tribe, and he took one of the twelve tribes, Judah, and they were required to march by again and God designated which clan of Judah (the Zarhites) held the criminal, and that clan was required to pass by and God designated the head of the family, and the family was required to pass by and God designated the man. It is a remarkable exhibition of sin by divine Providence. When exposed, Achan confessed his sin and the Israelites, by purging themselves, regained the power over their enemies which they had lost. Following this detection and punishment of Achan’s sin, Ai easily falls before Joshua, as our chapter tells us and I need not repeat.

Now, with the conquest of Ai the children of Israel were established in an exceedingly strong strategical position. They struck a country sideways, about the center; they camped in the mountainous part that held the open ways to the south, and the open ways to the north, and the open ways to the west. Therefore we have an account of the first league. The nations around saw that no one nation could stand before Israel, and that as Israel was coming against all of them, it behooved them to make a defensive league. All the Amorites who held mountain country entered into that league except one nation, the Gibeonites, who held four cities in the mountains and controlled certain mountain passes. These Gibeonites came before Joshua disguised in apparel and in every way, and they told Joshua that they had heard of him and of Israel and that they came in peace. Now, Israel was allowed to make a league with other nations than the Canaanites, the enemies that inhabited the territory of Israel, therefore it was necessary to make treaty with these people. The only error of which they were guilty was in not asking God before they made it. It was found out that the Gibeonites’ territory lay in that path just ahead of them, but the covenant had been made and it was agreed that their lives should be spared, but they should become hewers of wood and drawers of water for the Israelites. This gave Joshua control of the crest of the land.

This brings us to consider the binding power of a nation’s obligation to God. It is just as important as that of individuals. If the United States makes a treaty with another nation, the national honor is involved in due observance of that treaty. Therefore this treaty with the Gibeonites, having been made, had to stand. Later we will see that Saul violated that covenant and his sons were hanged to pay for the violation of the covenant that was made with the Gibeonites. There are some people who say that one generation cannot bind another generation. Mr. Jefferson, in his works, goes dangerously near if not altogether right up to the thought that involves the very destruction of the idea of national responsibility, viz.: that every generation should be bound only by the obligations that that generation assumed. That would not have worked and did not work in the Achan case, and no statesman ought to stand in office who advises the people to disregard a national obligation. We have to meet it; we have to pay it. Suppose England should repudiate its national debt because this generation did not contract that debt, she would destroy all modern civilization. If the British debt was repudiated, the foundation of both continents would be destroyed.

Now, having obtained this strategical position, we come to Ebal and Gerizim. They are the two mountains that face each other. In Deuteronomy Moses commanded that when they got over into the land they must place half of the people on Mount Ebal and half on Mount Gerizirn and the priests with the ark in between, and the law should be read. When you come to the curses, the six tribes on Mount Ebal shall cry out “Amen”; and when you come to the blessings the six tribes on Mount Gerizirn shall cry out “Amen”; and when you come to the end of the law, all of the twelve tribes shall cry out “Amen.” It was a scene earth never witnessed before, mountaintop speaking to mountaintop. The voice of the people aligning themselves with the decrees of God and pronouncing themselves to be cursed if they disobeyed and to be blessed if they obeyed.

The next item in our history is that five mountain kings, Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, and Hoham, king of Hebron, Piram, king of Jarmuth, and Japhia, king of Lachish, and Debir, king of Eglon, were to make war on the Gibeonites (Jebus means City of Judah, finally called Jerusalem), because they had practically surrendered to Joshua and it behooved these nations to stand together and to punish the traitor. This is what they thought. Notice that Adonizedek is king of Jerusalem, that her king is no longer Melchidedek. You will find in your Hurlbut’s Atlas many maps that show Jerusalem, and you will have to study about Jerusalem all through the Bible, and when you get up to heaven to the New Jerusalem, you will still study about it. This is the first time you come to it.

This brings us to the great decisive battle of Beth-horon. When the Gibeonites found themselves invaded by these five allied kings, they sent a rapid messenger to Joshua at Gilgal, after he had gotten through the Ebal and Gerizirn matter. It is a very urgent appeal, “Come quick!” And Joshua marches all night and makes a certain attack and that brings about the decisive battle of Beth-horon. There are three stages: The first stage, Joshua attacks and discomfits them; they begin to retreat and seem to be about to get away. That brings us to the second stage, when God intervenes with an electric storm, an awful storm of hailstones, and more of that allied army perish by hailstones than by the sword of Joshua’s people. Hailstones are very large sometimes. If you take your encyclopaedia, you will find that a hailstone once fell that passed through a battleship and sank it, and another hailstone fell on land that buried itself, that weighed several tons, being as big as a house. You remember the remarkable account of the plague in Egypt and its awful destructive power, and if you ever have a chance to go to see the moving picture show of the life of Moses, you will see that hailstorm just as vividly as if you were standing looking on it, and you will see it kill cattle and people. In the third stage of the battle, the allies had been defeated, then they had been discomfited by the hailstorm. Joshua saw that a great deal depended on keeping the ranks together and so with sublime audacity he said, “Stand still,” to the sun, and “Thou moon,” that is, let the day be prolonged, and the record says that the sun did stand still and the moon, and that the day was so prolonged that there was no day like it before in the history of the world and none after it An infidel once said to me, “Do you know what Joshua ought to have done? He ought to have said, ‘Stand still, O earth.’ ” I said, “You are very smart in your knowledge of science. You could not stop the earth if you don’t stop the sun.” The earth is a satellite and the moon is a satellite, and the earth’s motion is of two kinds, centripetal and centrifugal, those forces combined make a circular motion that carries the earth around the sun. Just like a mechanic with a complicated piece of machinery in order to stop the outlying wheels, all he has to do is to stop the main wheel. If you want to talk about the language of science Joshua said exactly the right thing.

Now comes up the question about that miracle. It is perfectly foolish for people to waste time in the discussion of the credibility of miracles, the supernatural. All you have to do is just admit one thing God. Now, if there be a God, he can just as well control that which is above nature as nature itself. According to Horace in his Art of Poetry, “Never introduce a god unless there is a necessity for a god.” Well, it certainly was necessary. Upon that battle hinged all the southern part of the Promised Land. That battle would have been no more than a skirmish if these nations had gotten away and gotten into their walled cities. What was necessary was to have time, daylight enough to prosecute the work So the God that intervened at the passage of the Red Sea and at the Jordan, and in shaking down the walls of Jericho, intervened here. Now, it is the object of the miracle to accredit, to attest. Joshua needed to be accredited; there must be the most overwhelming evidence that he stood for God. If he stood in heat of battle and commanded the sun to stand still and the sun stood still, and the moon, and God heard him, then he stood accredited before the people, before the nations of the earth.

This brings us to the book called Jasher. What is the book of Jasher? “Is not this written in the book of Jasher?” Now notice the full quotation: “Is not this written in the book of Jasher? so the sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel. And Joshua returned and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.” That last sentence is a part of the quotation, for Joshua had not returned yet, but after the event, it was written in the book of Jasher. That was the poem that was said to have been written in that book of Jasher. It was a book of poems that selected the great events in Jewish history. Twice it is referred to in the Old Testament. David’s song was written in it and this poem on the battle of Beth-horon was put in it.

Still going back to the battle, they pursued the enemy until the five kings took refuge in a cave and Joshua sealed the mouth of the cave with a stone and still pursued until the destruction of the enemy was complete, and the result of the battle was that while there were few enemies left in the city, he kept marching on, taking one town after another until we come to this description, that his conquest extended from Goshen to Gath; from Goshen to Kadesh, Negeb, Hebron, to the Dead Sea. Here comes up a question about Joshua, and some of these people that can believe half things, but are utterly at a loss to believe all things. Some believe that Goshen was not a border of Israel. We will take the definition of the Bible. Don’t look at your commentaries, look at the Bible. It shows that by this one battle Joshua captured all the country upon the Mediterranean coast to Gath and from Gath to Jerusalem, and from there to Hebron, and from there to the lower edge of the Dead Sea, and extending up on a line with Goshen. One battle practically gave him the whole of the south country. I will add this, that the five kings were executed and then hanged on a tree, for “cursed is every man that is hanged on a tree.”

I have one other remark to make. Later on in the book and even in the book of Judges you will find references to the conquest of certain places in this southern country that only Joshua took, but when you look at the details it mentions the junior officers that took it. From instance, Kirby Smith attacked the Federal outposts on the Mississippi River near Vicksburg and all on one day, and yet it was General McCullough, one of his subordinate officers, that attacked one point, and General Young that attacked another point. Now, if I should see in the life of Kirby Smith that he accomplished all that, and later if I take up the life of General McCullough and find that he took certain points, I would know which one was there. I do know, for I was there in it. Now, just so with these later accounts that some people use to indicate that the book of Joshua was not written until after the book of Judges. There is no evidence to show that any of these events occurred after the book of Judges, but they are generally stated here, and later, in putting the events of Joshua’s life, they will be specifically considered as when we come to the tribe of Dan.

QUESTIONS

1. Describe the capture of Jericho.

2. What discrimination in this capture?

3. What is the meaning of “devoted,” & what prohibition was issued?

4. What curse was pronounced on the rebuilder of Jericho, its fulfilment and a present day application of the text?

5. What exaltation of Joshua as the result, & the effect on his enemies?

6. Why called Israel’s sin and why Israel’s punishment? Give New Testament explanation.

7. What its cause?

8. Its nature?

9. Its effect?

10. Effect of social sin?

11. Its result?

12. Significance of defeat of Ai?

13. What its method of exposure?

14. Its confession and punishment? Give New Testament example.

15. What was the first league?

16. Give the case of the Gibeonites.

17. What of the covenant made with them and who violated it and the result?

18. What the application to modern nations?

19. What command did Moses give concerning this transaction?

20. Describe its fulfilment.

21. Describe the confederacy against the Gibeonites, and why its necessity?

22. Describe the great decisive battle that followed, giving 1Th 3 stages.

23. What the book of Jasher? What other reference to it?

24. What the result of the campaign? Outline the South Country.

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

Jos 8:1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:

Ver. 1. Fear not, neither be thou dismayed. ] For I have found an atonement, as Job 33:24 . And as a bone once broken is stronger after setting: as lovers are never greater friends than after a falling out: so is it betwixt God and his offending servants.

Take all the people. ] That all may partake of the spoil.

See, I have given it into thine hand. ] Thine it is assuredly; but by my free gift, not by thine own prowess or policy.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

NASB (UPDATED TEXT): Jos 8:1-2

1Now the LORD said to Joshua, Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2You shall go 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 it.

Jos 8:1 YHWH gives Joshua a series of commands and promises based on the restored holiness of Israel:

1. Do not fear, BDB 431, KB 432, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense.

2. Do not be dismayed, BDB 369, KB 365, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense

3. Take all the people, BDB 542, KB 534, Qal IMPERATIVE

4. Arise, BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal IMPERATIVE

5. Go up to Ai, BDB 748, KB 828, Qal IMPERATIVE

6. See, I have given, BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal IMPERATIVE followed by BDB 678, KB 733, Qal PERFECT

YHWH renews His encouragement and assurances from Jos 1:9.

Take all the people of war with you The phrase all the people of war (cf. Jos 8:3; Jos 10:7; Jos 11:7; Jos 11:18-20), can refer to less than the total number. Compare Jos 1:14-15 with Jos 3:12-13; for the same type of example, also see Jos 8:16 as compared to Jos 8:19.

Jos 8:2 you shall take only its spoils and its cattle as plunder for yourselves Jericho was totally dedicated to God (under the ban), but Ai was only partially under the ban (humans must die, but other things of value can go to the soldiers and their families, cf. Jos 8:27).

set an ambush for the city behind it YHWH gives the battle strategy (BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal IMPERATIVE). There seems to be some confusion as to how to relate the two ambushes mentioned in Jos 8:3; Jos 8:12. There has been much speculation, but no consensus. To me it seems that possibly both cities, Ai and Bethel, were defeated and burned at the same time (cf. Jos 8:17).

spoil. . .plunder These two terms relate to the same thing.

1. spoil (BDB 1021) can mean prey, spoil, booty, or plunder. It refers to things (sometimes people) taken in battle, then divided among the soldiers (cf. Gen 49:27; Jdg 5:30) and other covenant partners (cf. Num 31:26-54; 1Sa 30:24).

2, plunder (BDB 102, KB 117, Qal IMPERFECT). This term is basically synonymous with spoil. This was the wages of the soldiers (cf. Eze 29:19).

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

said. See note on Jos 3:7.

see. Figure of speech Asterienios (App-6).

and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton (App-6) emphasising each particular.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Chapter 8

Then they went back to Ai, now this time under the direction of the Lord. Joshua sent part of the army around the other side of the city to hide in ambush. And then he said, “We’ll come to the city like before and attack it with a frontal attack, and then we’ll pretend like we are retreating as before. We’ll start running and let them chase us. And after they’ve all come out and chase after us, then you fellows come from your hiding places and take the city.”

So Joshua sent some of his troops around behind the city to lie in wait. And so in the morning, he with his troops came up to the gates of the city, and the king came out against them with his men. And Joshua and his men began to retreat. And the king called all of the men out to pursue them, “Let’s wipe them out this time”. And they began to pursue Joshua and his men. And they began to run back towards Jericho, and then after all of the men were drawn out of the city, Joshua raised his spear, and the men were hiding in wait. When they saw the signal, they came swooping upon the city that was devoid of men. And they set the city afire, and as soon as they saw the smoke from the city rising, then Joshua and his men stood firm and they started to fight, and these fellows turned around. And they saw the city in flames and their heart was gone, no more heart to fight. And the men of Ai, and the city of Ai, and Bethel were then taken by Joshua and by his troops. Guided now by the Lord, they are successful.

Doing it and trying to do it by their own ingenuity they failed, by their own abilities. But now directed by God they experienced the victory.

So they came then to Mount Ebal, they moved on through. Now we’re on about the middle of the land. Mount Gerezim and Mount Ebal, and there as they were commanded to do “When you come into the land you’re to stand there in the valley, you’re to read the law of the Lord to the people.

And verse thirty-four,

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. And there was not a word that Moses commanded, which Joshua did not read before all the congregation of Israel, with the woman, and the little ones, the strangers that were conversant among them ( Jos 8:34-35 ).

So they told them the conditions by which they would be blessed of God, the conditions that would bring the curse of God. The conditions by which they could be established in the land, the conditions by which they would be driven from the land. The blessings, the cursings all conditional upon their obedience to the commandment of the Lord.

So we get next week into chapter nine. Shall we stand?

May the Lord be with you and bless you, give you a good day tomorrow. May He strengthen you by His hand. May your life just really stand out as a unique, beautiful example for Jesus Christ. God keep you from the accursed thing, that could spoil your witness and your testimony. May you enter into a new dimension of relationship with Him, walking after the Spirit, experiencing more and more of the neat joys of the victory of Christ within your life, as He gives you victory in those areas where you have been struggling so long in vain. May you begin to really enter into the glorious victory through the power of God’s Spirit. May the Lord be with you and give you and your family just a very special, beautiful day as you celebrate God’s love, and the gift of God’s love, Jesus Christ. We love you, and we thank God for the privilege of serving you, representing Him, feeding you in the knowledge of Him. What a joy. What a blessing, what a privilege. “

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

As the result of the severity of the discipline exercised in the case of Achan, the nation returned to obedience, and consequently Jehovah immediately uttered the word of reassurance to Joshua and the campaign moved victoriously forward.

The story of the taking of Ai is one of brilliant military strategy. Thus again the fact was brought into prominence that in prosecuting the work of Jehovah there must ever be a recognition of the value and use of the best in human reason. Strategy without obedience is useless. Obedience includes the use of reason, the employment of common sense, and in a campaign such as that on which Joshua was engaged the employment of strategic methods.

Once more the first victories being won and the gates of entrance to the whole country being secured, Joshua paused to fulfil religious duties.

Among the final instructions given to the people by Moses were those which provided for setting up great stones on which the words of the law were to be written, the erection of an altar on Mount Ebal, the offering of sacrifices, and the uttering of the blessings and curses as appointed. These instructions were now being carried out by Joshua.

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

Ai Again Attacked

Jos 8:1-17

Now that the evil was put away, the people were assured of victory. I have given, etc. But the assurance of faith is not inconsistent with the call for action: Arise, go up. Though he was thus secure of victory, Joshua adopted such measures as his soldier-training suggested. Notice the place which our preparations should occupy. Not to shut God out, but to make the pathway along which His help may travel.

The restrictions as to the spoil which had been in force and which had led to Achans undoing were now removed. God often tests us before allowing us to enjoy. Certain injunctions or prohibitions may be given to prove us; but are removed when our lesson is learned, Deu 8:2.

Up the long, desolate pass Israel marched. There they could see Achans tent, and there the scenes of their recent defeat. Their hearts were chastened. In all humility and faith they marched forward, and they were not ashamed, Joe 2:26.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

The present chapter readily divides into two sections. In verses 1 to 29 we have the account of the destruction of Ai. In verses 30 to 35 we read of the proclamation of the law, with the blessings for the obedient and the curses that would fall upon the disobedient.

When Gods people fail to act in accordance with His will the first time they have to face some barrier to progress, they find it far harder to overcome upon making a second effort. Had it not been for hidden sin in the camp, Israel would have overcome Ai very easily, even as they overcame Jericho when they acted in accordance with the Word of the Lord. But when, after dealing with Achan and his covetous household, they prepared to make a second onslaught on the little city by whose inhabitants they had been defeated before, they found it a difficult task indeed which they had to undertake.

We read in verses 1 to 8:

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, 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 thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves; lay thee an ambush for the city behind it. So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready: And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them. Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.

Thus did God outline the plan they were to carry out; a plan intended to impress upon them the folly of underrating the power of the enemy as they had done before, and also the lesson of their own helplessness and insufficiency apart from the divine enabling.

Acting on the instruction given, we are told that

Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 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. And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their Hers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

Thus all was in readiness for the test of the morrow, when the men of Ai were to learn that, after all, they were no match for Israel so long as they acted in accordance with the Word of God.

Ai was a little city, and it is the little things that become great obstacles in the onward march of the host of the Lord, unless they are dealt with in the light of His Word. In this instance, Israel was to learn how strong a little city may be and what wisdom and dependence on God is needed in order to overcome it.

As anticipated and foreseen by Joshua, acting under divine direction, the men of Ai came rushing forth early in the morning expecting an easy victory, and at first it seemed as though they were right. We read:

And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were Hers in ambush against him behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

Recklessly the self-confident men of Ai left their city utterly unprotected as they pursued after the retreating Israelites. At Joshuas signal the 3000 men in ambush then rose up and carried out the orders given on the night before (verses 18, 19):

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.

This ruse resulted in the capture of Ai and the destruction of its inhabitants, as we read in verses 20-23:

And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai. And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape. And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

It was a signal victory for Israel, though achieved in a manner designed to impress upon them the folly of acting in accordance with their own thoughts and failing to discern the mind of the Lord. They were strong only as they acted in obedience to His commands.

Details of the close of the battle are given in verses 24 to 29:

And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the Lord which He commanded Joshua. And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day. And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.

Observe that in this instance God permitted Israel to take the cattle and the wealth of the city as a prey for themselves. He did not put a ban on the spoil of Ai as on that of Jericho. There are certain things of an earthly character which Gods children are permitted to use for sustenance and enjoyment, even though they are called upon to judge the world as an ordered system opposed to the Cross of Christ.

We turn now to the second section. Moses had commanded the children of Israel that when they entered into the land they were to proceed to the Mounts. Gerizim and Ebal and there set up an altar and a pillar and proclaim the law, with its statutes and judgments, as given first at Sinai and amplified in the plains of Moab. Of this we read in Deuteronomy 27 and 28.

In accordance with this command, we are told that

Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, As Moses the servant of the Lord 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 had lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace-offerings.

This altar, observe, was built of whole stones, upon which no tool had been lifted, as Moses had told them in Exo 20:25. The altar speaks of Christ, as does the offering placed upon it. He had to be who He was in order to do what He did. Therefore, there was to be no effort by man to shape the stones. They were to be put together just as they were provided by God. Upon this altar burnt offerings and peace offerings were placed. These speak of Christ offering Himself without spot unto God on our behalf and thus making peace by the blood of His Cross.

It was most blessed that such a foreshadowing was seen at the base of Mount Ebal-for from that mount the curses were declared by one half of the Levites. All are under the curse to whom the law comes, for Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them. That smoking altar told of Him who, sinless Himself, was to make propitiation for the sins of the world.

The blessings were proclaimed by the other half of the Levites from Mount Gerizim (Deu 27:12) but as these blessings depended entirely upon the obedience of the people, it was soon manifest that no man could claim them as being rightfully his. All blessing must be on the ground of pure grace.

After the sacrifices were offered, the altar was, as it were, turned into a monument. It was covered with plaster, on which, when hardened, the blessings and the curses were written as a memorial according to all that is written in the book of the law. This was to be an abiding testimonial that it might not be forgotten in days to come (verse 35):

There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.

Thus had Joshua begun to take possession of the land which by this monument was dedicated to Jehovah. But because of Israels disobedience, the time came when God could no longer own them as His covenant people and so He gave them over to the power of their enemies. It is not possible for fallen man to keep Gods perfect law. That law which in itself is holy, just, and good, can only curse and condemn those who are under it. In the fullness of time Christ came to redeem from that curse all who believe in Him. Now His redeemed people stand before God on the ground of pure grace, and their obedience, far from being of a legal character, is the glad service of love to Him who has made them His own.

Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

8. The Overthrow of Ai

CHAPTER 8

1. The advance commanded (Jos 8:1-2)

2. The strategy of Joshua (Jos 8:3-13)

3. Ais defeat (Jos 8:14-29)

4. Joshuas obedience (Jos 8:30-35)

Sin confessed, judged and put away restored communion with the Lord. If any burden remained upon the mind of Joshua, it was removed by the repeated words of comfort and cheer. Fear not, neither be thou dismayed. The failure is no longer mentioned, but instead, comfort and assurance is given and victory promised. He deals in the same gracious way with us, whenever we have failed and humbled ourselves before Him in self-judgment. However, their former presumption is not overlooked by Jehovah. The capture of Ai is hard work for them. They had to learn the lesson. Their pride and self reliance was dealt with by Jehovah, who ever wants His people in the place of lowliness and weakness. Instead of 3,000 men, ten times as many had to go up and engage in the warfare.

The Lord commanded Joshua to stretch out the spear toward Ai. This corresponds to the uplifted hands of Moses in the warfare against Amalek in Exodus 17. It was a token of the presence of divine power in securing the complete victory. We read nothing of Joshuas arm with the spear becoming weak, as it was with the uplifted hands of Moses. For Joshua drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai (verse 26). It was an act of faith, and divine power supported the out stretched arm.

Then, after the victory, Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel, in Mount Ebal. He is doing this in obedience to the previously given command. See Deu 27:2-8. What an impressive scene it must have been when 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.

Both mounts belong to the range of Mount Ephraim; the elevated valley of Shechem lies between them. The transaction probably took place in the following manner. Six tribes occupied each mount; the priests, standing below in the valley with the ark of the covenant in their midst, turned toward Mount Gerizim as they solemnly pronounced the words of blessing, and then, looking towards Mount Ebal, repeated the words of cursing; all the people responded to each of the words, and said: Amen! Ebal, the Mount of cursing, is naked and bald; Gerizim, the mount of blessing, is green and fertile. The circumstance that the mount of cursing was assigned for the writing of the law, the erection of the altar, and the offering of sacrifice, is highly significant; the cause lies in the intimate relations existing between the curse, on the one hand, and the Law and Sacrifice, on the other–the former brings a curse, or gives a sharp point to it, the latter abolishes it (J.H. Kurtz).

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

Fear not: Jos 1:9, Jos 7:6, Jos 7:7, Jos 7:9, Deu 1:21, Deu 7:18, Deu 31:8, Psa 27:1, Psa 46:11, Isa 12:2, Isa 41:10-16, Isa 43:2, Jer 46:27, Mat 8:26

take all: It would seem, from this verse, that all that were capable of bearing arms were to march out of the camp on this occasion: 30,000 formed an ambuscade in one place; and 5,000 were placed in another, who all gained their positions in the night. With the rest of the army, Joshua appeared the next morning before Ai, which the men of that city would naturally suppose was the whole of the Israelitish force and, consequently, be the more emboldened to come out and attack them. Some, however, think that 30,000 men were the whole that were employed on this occasion, 5,000 of whom were placed in ambush on the west of the city, between Bethel and Ai – Jos 8:12, and, with the rest, Joshua appeared before the city in the morning. The king, seeing but about 25,000 coming against him, though he had but 12,000 persons in the whole city – Jos 8:25, determined to risk a battle, issued out, and was defeated by stratagem.

I have: Jos 6:2, Psa 44:3, Dan 2:21, Dan 2:37, Dan 2:38, Dan 4:25, Dan 4:35

Reciprocal: Jos 8:7 – for the Lord Jos 8:11 – General Jos 9:3 – Jericho Jos 10:8 – General Jos 12:9 – Ai 1Ki 8:44 – whithersoever 2Ch 6:34 – by the way Ecc 3:8 – a time of war Hag 2:5 – fear

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The Conquest of Ai

Jos 8:1-21

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

1. Christian conquest depends upon a clean heart. When the Children of Israel went against Ai the first time, they fled in dismay. The reason for their defeat was that they did not sanctify themselves. Let Christians remember this lesson. It is. not so much gifted men, cultured women, and wealthy patrons that God needs, as it is clean hearts. No amount of education, of preparation, or of culture can take the place of purity. We may have everything else, but if we are not clean we are not prepared unto every good work.

2. Christian conquest depends upon courageous hearts. Time and again God said to Joshua, and to the people, through Joshua, “Be not dismayed.” We must have a faith in God that creates undaunted courage. We must be men and women of valor.

The Book of Hebrews speaks of those who “quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

It was this kind of valor that was seen in David as he faced Goliath. There is another time, however, in David’s older life, when his son Absalom raised a rebellion against him. With seeming defeat about to overwhelm him, he cried: “Thou, O Lord, art a Shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” Then with exultant faith his courage broke forth in the cry: “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.”

David brought conquest out of seeming defeat, and in the anticipation of victory he said: “Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for Thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone.” Then, with exultant faith, he gave this climatic confession, “Salvation belongeth unto the Lord.”

Samson proved himself valiant and of good courage when in faith he took the jawbone of an ass and slew therewith a thousand men of the Philistines. Truly, God’s servants must be strong and of a good courage.

3. Christian conquest depends upon God. God said unto Joshua: “I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.” We must never forget that if God is not in the battle, we fight in vain; that if God is not in the house, those who build, labor in vain.

There is a verse which runs like this, “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” It is necessary to hear this, it is necessary to tell this, that power is of God.

The Lord Jesus said, “All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth.” That, however, is not all that He said. Having said that He possessed power, He promised to back the saints with His power.

The diplomat of this country is backed by a power plenipotentiary. This means that all of the power of the government stands behind its ambassadors, God never asks us to go out in our own strength. He does say: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”

When the early Church faced their great task, they were commanded to tarry in Jerusalem until they received power from on high. Then, just before the Lord ascended to Heaven, He added: “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Let the missionaries who labor on the far-flung battle line never waver, let the workers at home never fear, God still lives and He still stands behind His sent ones.

I. ASSIGNED TO DEATH (Jos 8:1)

We base our theme upon the words: “I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.” God promised Joshua in Jos 8:2 that he should do to Ai and her king, as he had done unto Jericho and her king.

1. Israel’s first defeat revealed the enmity of Ai against God. The people of Ai, had it been possible, would have utterly annihilated the armies of Jehovah. Some one, perhaps, may say: “Was it any worse for the men of Ai to fight against Israel, than for Israel to fight against them?” It certainly was.

The Children of Israel were the children of God. God never would have destroyed Ai, if the people of Ai had repented and sought God’s favor. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should repent.

2. God’s judgments against Ai assert beyond question the utter corruption of Ai. The cup of her iniquity was running over. Wherever there is sin, there is condemnation. God’s judgments against evil are made known throughout the whole Word of God. In the days of the early Church the Spirit of God wrote through Paul these words: “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

It is the loving Saviour, our Redeemer, who wrote against them who were contentious and obeyed not the truth, but obeyed unrighteousness. To them He sounded forth this annunciation: “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil.”

3. It is an awful thing to stand with “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” over your head. These words of condemnation are still above every one who lives as lived Belshazzar the king; as lived the people of Ai.

II. FORTH TO THE BATTLE (Jos 8:2-6)

1. They all arose.

(1) They arose. The time had come for judgment to fall. God had long waited. Some one has said that the angel of God’s wrath flies on one wing, while the angel of His mercy flies on two. We do know that the only time God seemed to be in a hurry was when He is described under the vision of a father, who, seeing his prodigal son afar off, ran to meet him.

The First Epistle of Peter says: “The longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah.”

The time had come for Ai now that action must be taken. Therefore, they arose.

(2) They all arose. In the first battle, Israel had underestimated the power and forcefulness of the enemy. They had thought that a small group could easily overcome them. Now, they all arose, all the men of war, and went forth to the conflict.

2. They went forth by strategy. The plan of their battle has been used many times by great generals. Some one may say: “Why should God’s army use strategy?” It is because they are warring against a subtle and destructive enemy. Satan’s forces lie in wait continually against the children of men. Satan himself is going about seeking whom he may devour. Those of us who fight against the enemy, should not allow them to be wiser in their generation than are we.

You have read of how Satan lays his snares. You most likely have experienced how the Word of God delivered you.

Thus, also, will God come upon the wicked. It is when they shall say, “Peace and safety” that sudden destruction shall come upon them. There is no man, and no set of men, who can escape the wrath of God and His fiery judgments.

III. AN INEXORABLE JUDGMENT (Jos 8:8)

“And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.”

1. God’s judgments are severe. We must remember, however, that God’s judgments are just. As a man soweth, so also shall he reap. God does not judge men viciously. He judges justly.

When the Great White Throne is set up, and the wicked dead stand before God, everyone shall be judged according to his work. The one whose name is not in the Book of Life shall be cast into hell, but the judgment meted to him shall be according to that he hath done.

When God speaks of the second death, He speaks of it as sin’s wages-“The wages of sin is death.” Thus men are reaping what they sow.

2. God’s judgments are unescapable. The wicked cannot say, “I refuse to attend the Great White Throne judgment,” for God has said: “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.” “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man.”

There is a verse in Romans which reads thus: “And thinkest thou this, O man, * * that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” Then God says: “After thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

The people of Ai, like the people of the nations at Christ’s Second Coming, set themselves against God and against His Anointed. They doubtless thought that they would cast away the cords of Israel which sought to hem them in, and they would break the bands with which they sought to bind them. However, God held them in derision. He vexed them in His sore displeasure, and the city of Ai fell under the judgment of God.

IV. THE FOLLY OF THE SINNER (Jos 8:14)

Our verse tells us that the people of Ai hasted and rose up early and went out against Israel to battle.

1. The sinner sets himself against God. The people of Ai not only went out against Israel, but they hastened to go. They seemed to say, in effect, “Who is he who can stand against us?” We are reminded of how king Pharaoh said: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.”

This spirit of Pharaoh ultimately caused his undoing. Does not the wicked of today just as surely set himself against the Lord, and against His Anointed? Jesus Christ said to the Jews: “Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.”

In the Book of Isaiah we read: “We have turned every one to his own way.” When Christ hung upon the Cross, they who surrounded the Cross wagged their heads against the Son of God. Of this the Lord said, through the Psalmist, “Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.”

Thus it is today, people are gaping upon Him with their mouths, and crying out against Him.

2. The sinner knows not what he does. Our verse says concerning the king of Ai that: “He wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.”

Where is he today who concedes that his sin will find him out? Some are always pleading the love of God as though God were not just and righteous.

In the days of the Flood they knew not until the Flood came, so shall it be in the Coming of the Lord. Men today, the same as the men of Ai, are saying, “Peace” when there is no peace.

V. THE FINALITY OF THE SINNER’S SINS (Jos 8:17; Jos 8:20)

1. In Jos 8:17 there is the statement: “There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel.” Think of it! Every man went out against the Lord and against Israel. The result, of course, was that there was not a man who escaped the judgment of God.

2. The same verse says: “They left the city open.” This shows that they had no thought of being overtaken or overcome. They did not even leave anyone in the city to protect it, because they were sure, within themselves, of victory.

Let us in the light of this statement think of the men who are altogether exposed to the wrath of God. They care not to hide themselves in the Rock of Ages, they know nothing of the Man who is a Covert from the storm.

These same men who are careless of their security, and neglectful of the Divine Refuge, when they see the judgment falling will be crying out unto the rocks and the mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the face of the Lord.

3. In Jos 8:20 we read: “The men of Ai looked behind them, * * behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to Heaven.” Surely we cannot but remember how Abraham looked and saw Sodom and Gomorrah in smoke; neither can we fail to remember the Scripture which says of the wicked, “The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.”

4. In Jos 8:20 we also read: “They had no power to flee this way or that.” There is now no power in the sinner to flee the wrath of God, nor to escape the judgment of God.

“Which way shall I fly?

Infinite wrath, and infinite despair;

Which way I fly is hell,

For I, myself, am hell.”

VI. THE ALTAR OF SACRIFICE (Jos 8:30-31)

1. The commemoration of a great victory. Jos 8:30 says that Joshua built an altar unto the Lord. Joshua did not seek to take any glory of victory unto himself. He did not announce the victory over Ai as his victory. He knew that it was God who had wrought in their midst.

Shall we for one moment imagine that the victories of faith are the victories of the flesh? Shall we think that we, of ourselves, can do anything? If power belongeth unto God, then praise should be given unto God. If we have accomplished anything in the will of God, we have accomplished it by the power of God; and, therefore, we should give the glory to God.

2. An altar built of unhewn stone. Moses in Jos 8:31 commanded that the altar should be built of whole stone, over which no man had lifted up any iron. It is not in a man to deliver himself, or to save himself. Any altar which signifies redemption’s achievements must be an altar of unhewn stone.

Redemption is wholly of God. It is planned of God, wrought out by God, and the faith by which man receives the atonement, is a faith given by God.

3. The burnt and peace offerings upon the altar. These offerings were made upon the altar, and their meaning is clearly defined in the Word of God.

The burnt offering was to be a sacrifice of the herd, a male without blemish. It was to be a voluntary offering. Upon the offering, the offerer was to place his hands, and it should be accepted for him to make an atonement for him. In the killing of the bullock, in the sprinkling of the blood around the altar, and in the flaying of the burnt offering, and also in its cutting to pieces, we see the Divine sacrifice of the Son of God, who took our punishment.

VII. THE BOOK OF THE LAW (Jos 8:34-35)

What a fitting close are these verses, to the celebration of the victory upon the people of Ai! How different is the conclusion of this battle from that of the battle where the children of Ai were victorious.

1. Upon the stones of the altar Joshua wrote a copy of the Law of Moses. This seems to say that the record of Christ’s death, and of our victories in Him, are all according to the Word of God.

2. Joshua read all of the Law of Moses. There was not a word that he did not read. In our day there is an effort to produce abbreviated Bibles, Bibles which eliminate the message of Calvary, and other things which the sinful heart wishes to repudiate. The true believer accepts the whole Bible as the Word of God. There is not a word, as God gave it to us, which is not to be accepted.

The true believer’s faith may be thus expressed: “Believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.” The true Christian believes that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.”

3. Joshua read all the Law before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them. Here is something that grips our hearts. God wants us who are men to serve Him, but He wants also our women, and our children. Household religion is the call of God.

Joshua said himself: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The promise to the jailer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

4. Both the blessings and the cursings of the Law were read. God wants us to enjoy the blessings; He wants us also to profit by the cursings. Even in this lesson we have discovered the cursing upon those (Ai) who disbelieve; and the blessings upon those (Israel) who were under the blood, and did believe.

AN ILLUSTRATION

WE SERVE A CONQUERING CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the mightiest moral personality in the universe. He is “Rex.” And what men need more than anything else this very day is a sense of God in and ruling the world.

They tell us that human nature has changed, and that men are no longer susceptible to the immanence of God in life, that they are no longer moved by the old influences. And there always comes with that view a sense of discouragement and pessimism. We are wondering what new force, then, can be brought to bear on men, what new revelation of Christ will have to be made to stir the world profoundly. Then suddenly, weary with much misgivings and wonderings, we discover that just under the surface of human life there is still the power to respond to Christ that was evidenced by these men who strewed the way before Him with their garments and palms, and filled the air with hosannas.-John F. Cowan, D.D.

Fuente: Neighbour’s Wells of Living Water

Pausing for God in the Middle of Victory

Jos 8:1-35

Often, man holds himself guilty long after God has already wiped away the sin. It seems this was the case after Achan’s sin had been removed from the camp. The Lord had to reassure Joshua that there was no need for fear since he had given Ai into the hands of Israel ( Jos 8:1 ). He also told him to use an ambush to conquer the city.

Verses 3 and 12 of Jos 8:1-35 disagree as to the number of men Joshua set in ambush. The two numbers look very similar in Hebrew, so it may be one of the copyists got one of these wrong. Apparently, 5,000 men were set in ambush between Bethel and Ai. Joshua sent that group out at night so the king of Ai could not know what was behind him. Then, in the morning, Joshua rose up with the rest of the fighting men, marched to the city and set up a new camp.

Early the next morning, the king of Ai came out with his soldiers to attack the armies of the Lord. Joshua had his army flee, which convinced the king of Ai that they would again rout Israel and perhaps put away this menace from the land of Canaan. All of the fighting men of Ai and Bethel went out to pursue and destroy Israel. Then, Joshua raised his spear toward the city as a signal for those lying in wait to rise up and take the city. They set it on fire and the men of Ai, seeing it, realized there was no avenue of escape for them. Indeed, the army of Israel slew every man, not letting one escape, and brought back the king to Joshua. Joshua had the king hung upon a tree for the rest of day, calling for the body to be removed from the tree at sundown and thrown against the gates of the city where it was covered with a heap of stones. It is interesting to note that Joshua was fully complying with the law of Moses in taking the body down when the sun set ( Deu 21:22-23 ).

Having learned something from the experience at Jericho, the people completely destroyed all of the inhabitants of Ai. They were allowed to keep of the spoils of the city. With victory fresh in their minds, Joshua marched the people to somewhere near Mount Ebal. For those who are not accustomed to following God’s commands completely, his next move is a strange one. God’s leader caused the people to pause and renew their covenant with God by offering sacrifice and hearing again the law they were to follow.

In strict keeping with God’s will as it is expressed in Deu 27:1-26 , Joshua had an altar built of uncut stones and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. On the exterior of those stones, they put plaster and wrote the law of Moses. All of Israel, including men, women, children and people who were living with them, watched as the law was written. Just as God directed through Moses, Joshua positioned the tribes of Israel with six facing Mount Gerizim and six facing Mount Ebal. The blessings were to be read from Gerizim and the cursings from Ebal. These two mountains may well have been symbolic in this reading since Gerizim is fertile with rich growth and Ebal is barren. When God blesses a man or people, they are richly fertile. When God curses a man or people, his life is barren of that which truly matters. This followed instructions God had given before in Deu 11:29 .

The reading of the entire law of Moses before all the people who were to inhabit the promised land is significant. Not even a child was allowed to miss this important reading of God’s covenant. Everyone in the kingdom today, be they newborn babes in Christ or longtime Christians, needs to hear and reflect upon God’s will for our lives. They trusted enough in God to take time out from conquest to review his will for their lives and he kept them safe while they did. We need to realize God will not fail to provide for all our needs today if we take time out for him and make the pursuit of his will the most important thing in our lives ( Mat 6:25-34 ).

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

Jos 8:1. And the Lord said unto Joshua Who, it is probable, now consulted God about the progress of the war, which he had omitted to do before, thinking himself, it seems, sufficiently authorised to proceed according to his own judgment, by what God had often said to him, and his success against Jericho. Take all the people of war with thee This order may seem strange, since the people themselves thought that two or three thousand men would be sufficient, if God were with and not against them. But God would have them all to share in the spoil of Ai, the first spoil of the country, that they might be encouraged to go on with the work, and that they, who had obeyed him in abstaining from taking any thing in Jericho, might now be rewarded by the prey of the city.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jos 8:4. Ye shall lie in wait: la ruse du guerre. The craft of war is lawful, if war itself be lawful; and experience is often of more avail than strength.
Jos 8:25. Twelve thousand. Here is proof of the truth of the report of the twelve spies, who said, The people are more numerous than we. The country was full of towns, and the towns full of people. The walls of the towns had greatly preserved them in their wars with one another.
Jos 8:32. He wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law; that is, the blessings and curses of the law; which in future years were annually read by the levites with much pomp. See on Deuteronomy 27.
REFLECTIONS.
The camp being purified of Achans sin, we see God, says a late author, ready to return to his people when they put away their sin. When that is removed, God returns graciously; he is disposed to renew the friendship and union, and then also we may expect to receive direction, encouragement, and assistance from him. This is encouraging to all who forsake their sins, and cultivate that godly sorrow for sin which worketh repentance that never needs to be repented of. The language of his grace under the law and gospel too is, Return unto me, and I will return unto thee.
We learn that amidst the greatest hurry of business, and the most agreeable scenes of life, the worship of God must not be neglected. Joshua and the people had great work before them; their enemies were intimidated, and we may be ready to think they should now have pushed forward. But they must take time to observe Gods laws; pay their thanks to him for what is past, and seek further success. Amidst all the joy the victory occasioned, God was to be revered, and his blessings and curses pronounced, read and regarded. The more we are hurried with the affairs of this life, the more need we have to call off our thoughts, by renewing our dedication to God, recognizing our solemn covenant, and attending to the words of his law. The more pleasant our circumstances are, and the greater prosperity we meet with, the more peculiar reason have we to acknowledge God, lest prosperity should prove a snare. Persons of every rank, sex, and station, should join in worshipping God, and attending on the instructions of his word. The elders, officers, and judges of Israel, were all to come to hear the word of Gods law, and attend to the sacrifices. The poor stranger also is to join himself to the Lord. The women and children were to attend these sacrifices and religious instructions. The greatest of men are not to think themselves above religious duties, not for their own sakes only, but that their example may influence others, and engage them to the service of God. Heads of families should bring their wives and little ones to public ordinances, and make it their resolution that they and their household shall serve the Lord. Remember that religion is the concern of every man; that fearing God, and keeping his commandments, is the way to all prosperity in both worlds.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jos 8:1-29. Capture of Ai.Here we have the second and the successful attempt to take Ai. That two accounts have been combined is obvious. In Jos 8:3 Joshua sends 30,000 men as an ambuscade against the city; in Jos 8:12, he sends 5000 men. No doubt 30,000 is an error for 3000. The writer of 20, who tells us that the whole population of Ai was 12,000, is also the writer of Jos 8:3. We may take it that he was far more likely to write 3000 than 30,000. In Jos 8:17 the words and Bethel are an unintelligent insertion of a late editor. They are not in the LXX, and if the ambush was between Bethel and Ai, it is difficult to see how the inhabitants of Bethel could come out to pursue after the main army of Joshua.
Jos 8:13 requires a slight emendation to give sense. We must read, They placed the people, the whole camp. i.e. the main army, north of the city, and the ambush in the west. This gives us the second account. In the first, Joshua marches from the E. into the valley towards Ai and sends an ambush from thence to the other, i.e. the W. side of the city. In the second he draws up his army on the N. of Ai and sends his ambush as in the first case to lie behind, i.e. to the W. of Ai.
Jos 8:11-13 is more detailed in giving the position of Joshua himself, and may be an insertion with that end in view, or it may be from an independent account.
Jos 8:14. At the time (mg. to the place) appointed, before the Arabah is a difficult phrase. As it stands it is unintelligible. If we emend to the slope (morad for moed) before the Arabah, then we get a possible meaning. In Jos 7:5 we read that the men of Ai in the first battle smote the Israelites on the morad, the slope or descent, as they were fleeing to their camp. The idea may be that on the second occasion Joshua did not approach so near to the city as on the first, but remained near the sloping ground where the Israelites had been overtaken and slain before. But in any case it is an insertion in the original text.
Jos 8:18. It is questionable if this is a signal; it looks like a piece of sympathetic magic. The pointing of the deadly weapon at the city is a symbol, but not an empty symbol. It helps to achieve what it represents. We may compare the ebb and flow of victory as the hands of Moses sank or rose, his hand held the wonderworking rod, as the hand of Joshua held the javelin, (Exo 17:9-13). And as Moses hands were upheld till victory was won, so Joshua did not withdraw the javelin till the ban was executed (Jos 8:26).A. S. P.]
Jos 8:29. We should read with LXX cast it into a pit.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

AI TOTALLY DESTROYED
(vs.1-29)
Now the Lord gives explicit instructions to Joshua as to attacking Ai. How different these were to the plans Joshua used at first! God tells Joshua not to be afraid, but to take with him all the men of war, not only 3000 men (v.1). It was God who would deliver them into the hand of Joshua, so that there was no doubt of their gaining the victory. They must do with Ai as they had done with Jericho, but in this case the people could take the spoil for themselves (v.2).
God had given the total victory over Jericho, which symbolizes the world as a system of evil. But as to Ai, though God was behind all that Israel did, yet they were to fight in various ways, for Ai speaks of the details of worldliness that hinder the spiritual progress of believers. In their overcoming these things, small as they seem to be, believers will gain spiritually. Thus Israel in this case gained through the spoils.
First they were told to set an ambush behind the city. Joshua therefore chose 30,000 valiant warriors, telling them to lie in wait behind the city, not far from it, and being ready for conflict (v.4). They would wait for Joshua and those with him to show themselves before the city, with the confidence that Ai’s men would come out to attack them as before. Israel would then act as though they were beaten and retreat with the men of Ai in pursuit. This would give the ambush time to enter the city and set it on fire (vs.5-8). The men therefore remained in ambush that night (v.9).
Early the next morning Joshua mustered his army and brought them to the north side of Ai, where they encamped (v.11). He also set about 5,000 men in ambush on the west side of the city. Thus there were 30,000 lying in wait behind the city and 5,000 on the west side and a large army with Joshua at the front of the city.
Then Joshua and his army marched into the valley in view of the city gates (v.13). The king of Ai immediately led his army out of the gates to attack Israel as he did before, being ignorant of the ambushes that had been laid (v.14). Joshua and his army retreated then, fleeing from Ai. All the army of Ai joined in pursuit of Israel, leaving the city without defense (vs.15-17). They were not like the men of Jericho who kept their city tightly closed against Israel, but felt themselves strong in taking the offensive, no doubt encouraged by the fact that they had done so before and won.
When Ai had been left defenseless, the Lord told Joshua to stretch out his spear toward Ai (v.18). This was the signal for which the ambush was waiting, and they rushed into the city and set it on fire before the army of Ai knew what was happening (v.19). When-they saw their city on fire, they found themselves caught in the middle, for those they pursued turned back and struck down the men of Ai (v.21). Those who had torched the city came out and attacked from behind, thus in a short time destroying all the army of Ai (v.22).
The king of Ai was taken alive and when the army had been destroyed, the armies of Israel returned into the city and finished the destruction, so that 12,000 were killed that day, the entire population of Ai (v.25). The livestock and other spoil was taken by the Israelites, however, as God had instructed (v.27). The king of Ai was hanged, then his body buried by a great heap of stones at the entrance of the city.
In all of this history we are reminded of some distinct ways in which scripture instructs us to deal with evil:
(1) Entrenched against evil — those pitched on the north side of Ai (v.11).
Compare Eph 6:13.
(2) Watching against evil — those who laid in ambush (v.12).
Compare 1Co 16:13.
(3) Appearing against evil — Joshua’s group going into the midst of the valley (v.13).
Compare Eph 5:11.
(4) Fleeing from evil — Joshua’s retreat (v.15).
Compare 2Ti 2:22.
(5) Putting evil to death — the destruction of the army of Ai (v.26).
Compare Col 3:5.
THE ALTAR IN MOUNT EBAL
(vs.30-35)
It is refreshing to see how quickly Joshua responded to God’s command in Deu 27:2-8 in building an altar on Mount Ebal, an altar of whole stones. It is reported that this altar has recently been unearthed by archaeologists, who have found it to be of very large dimensions. On this altar the Israelites offered both burnt offerings and peace offerings (v.31). Besides this, Joshua wrote a copy of the law of Moses (v.32). God did not have Israel rush immediately into further conquests, but rather sought to have them soberly consider their relationship to Him, to give Him the worship due His name and be found in a spirit of dependence on Him and obedience to His law,
More time was then taken for Israel to be gathered together, with half the congregation in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal. The ark was in the center, attended by the priests, but all Israel was required to be present. These two mountains were in close proximity, and Joshua was obeying God’s command in Deu 27:11-13. Curses were connected with Mount Ebal and blessings with Mount Gerizim. Here Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings (v.34). Moses had rehearsed this with Israel before, but this was needed as a constant reminder to them.
No one was exempt from hearing this discourse. Women, little children and strangers living among them must be included too (v.35).
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible

3. Victory at Ai 8:1-29
When the people had dealt with the sin of Achan as God commanded, Israel was ready to engage the enemy again.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

In view of Israel’s defeat, God’s encouraging words were necessary to strengthen Joshua’s resolve (cf. Jos 1:9). God promised to give victory, but He specified the strategy. This time the Israelites could keep the spoil themselves. "You shall take only" (Jos 8:2) means, "Only you shall take."
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

CHAPTER XVI.
THE CAPTURE OF AI.
Jos 8:1-29.
JOSHUA, having dealt faithfully with the case of Achan, whose sin had intercepted the favour of God, is again encouraged, and directed to renew, but more carefully, his attack on Ai. That word is addressed to him which has always such significance when coming from the Divine lips – “Fear not.” How much of our misery arises from fear! How many a beating heart, how many a shaking nerve, how many a sleepless night have come, not from evil experienced, but from evil apprehended! To save one from the apprehension of evil is sometimes more important, as it is usually far more difficult, than to save one from evil itself. An affectionate father finds that one of his most needed services to his children is to allay their fears. Never is he doing them a greater kindness than when he uses his larger experience of life to assure them, in some anxiety, that there is no cause for fear. Our heavenly Father finds much occasion for a similar course. He has indeed got a very timid family. It is most interesting to mark how the Bible is studded with “fear nots,” from Genesis to Revelation; from that early word to Abraham – ”Fear not, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” – to that most comforting assurance to the beloved disciple, ”Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen; and have the keys of hades and of death.” If only God’s children could hear Him uttering that one word, from how much anxiety and misery would it set them free!
Virtually the command to Joshua is to ”try again.” Success, though denied to the first effort, often comes to the next, or at least to a subsequent one. Even apart from spiritual considerations, it is those who try oftenest who succeed best. There is little good in a man who abandons an undertaking simply because he has tried once and failed. Who does not recall in this connection the story of Alfred the Great? Or of Robert the Bruce watching the spider in the barn that at last reached the roof after sixteen failures? Or, looking to what has a more immediate bearing on the kingdom of God, who has not admired the perseverance of Livingstone, undaunted by fever and famine, and the ferocity of savage chiefs; unmoved by his longings for home and dreams of plenty and comfort that mocked him when he awoke to physical wretchedness and want? Such perseverance gives a man the stamp of true nobility; we are almost tempted to fall down and worship. If failure be humiliating, it is redeemed by the very act and attitude of perseverance, and the self-denial and scorn of ease which it involves. In the Christian warfare no man is promised victory at the first. “Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”
To Christian men especially, failure brings very valuable lessons. There is always something to be learned from it. In our first attempt we were too self-confident. We went too carelessly about the matter, and did not sufficiently realize the need of Divine support. Never was there a servant of God who learned more from his failures than St. Peter. Nothing could have been more humiliating than his thrice- repeated denial of his Lord. But when Peter came to himself, he saw on what a bruised reed he had been leaning when he said, ”Though I should die with Thee yet will I not deny Thee.” How miserably misplaced that self-confidence had been! But it had the effect of startling him, of showing him his danger, and of leading him to lift up his eyes to the hills from whence came his help. It might have seemed a risky, nay reckless thing for our Lord to commit the task of steering His infant Church over the stormy seas of her first voyage to a man who, six weeks before, had proved so weak and treacherous. But Peter was a genuine man, and it was that first failure that afterwards made him so strong. It is no longer Peter, but Christ in Peter that directs the movement. And thus it came to pass that, during the critical period of the Church’s birth, no carnal drawback diminished his strength or diluted his faith; all his natural rapidity of movement, all his natural outspokenness, boldness, and directness were brought to bear without abatement on the advancement of the young cause. He conducted himself during this most delicate and vital period with a nobility beyond all praise. He took the ship out into the open sea amid raging storms without touching a single rock. And it was all owing to the fact that by God’s grace he profited by his failure!
In the case of Joshua and his people, one of the chief lessons derived from their failure before Ai was the evil of covering sin. Alas, this policy is the cause of failures innumerable in the spiritual life! In numberless ways it interrupts Divine fellowship, withdraws the Divine blessing, and grieves the Holy Spirit. We have not courage to cut off a right hand and pluck out a right eye. We leave besetting sins in a corner of our hearts, instead of trying to exterminate them, and determining not to allow them a foothold there. The acknowledgment of sin, the giving up of all leniency towards it, the determination, by God’s grace, to be done with it, always go before true revivals, before a true return of God to us in all His graciousness and power. Rather, we should say, they are the beginning of revival. In Israel of old the land had to be purged of every vestige of idolatry under Hezekiah and other godly kings, before the light of God’s countenance was again lifted upon it. “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word.”
Joshua is instructed to go up again against Ai, but in order to interest and encourage the people, he resorts to a new plan of attack. A stratagem is to be put in operation. An ambuscade is to be stationed on the west side of the city, while the main body of the assaulting force is to approach it, as formerly, from the east. There is some obscurity and apparent confusion in the narrative, confined, however, to one point, the number composing the ambuscade and the main body respectively. Some error in the text appears to have crept in. From the statement in Jos 8:3 we might suppose that the men who were to lie in ambush amounted to thirty thousand; but in Jos 8:12 it is expressly stated that only five thousand were employed in this way. There can be little doubt (though it is not according to the letter of the narrative) that the whole force employed amounted to thirty thousand, and that, of these, five thousand formed the ambush. Indeed, in such a valley, it would not have been possible for thirty thousand men to conceal themselves so as to be invisible from the city. It would appear (Jos 8:17) that the people of Bethel had left their own village and gone into Ai. Bethel, as we have said, was situated higher up; in fact, it was on the very ridge of the plateau of Western Palestine. It must have been but a little place, and its people seem to have deemed it better to join those of Ai, knowing that if the Israelites were repulsed from the lower city, the upper was safe.
The ruse was that the ambush should be concealed behind the city; that Ai, as before, should be attacked from the east by the main-body of troops; that on receiving the onslaught from the city they should seem to be defeated as before; that Joshua, probably standing on some commanding height, should give a signal to the men in ambush by raising his spear; whereupon these men should rush down on the now deserted place and set it on fire. On seeing the flames, the pursuers would naturally turn and rush back to extinguish them; then the main body of Israel would turn likewise, and thus the enemy would be caught as in a trap from which there was no escape, and fall a victim to the two sections of Israel.
To plots of this kind, the main objection in a strategical sense lies in the risk of detection. For the five thousand who went to station themselves in the west it was a somewhat perilous thing to separate themselves from the host, and place themselves in the heart of enemies both in front and in rear. It needed strong faith to expose themselves in such a situation. Suppose they had been detected as they went stealing along past Ai in the darkness of the night; suppose they had come on some house or hamlet, and wakened the people, so that the alarm should have been carried to Ai, what would have been the result? It was well for Israel that no such mishap occurred, and that they were able in silence to reach a place where they might lie concealed. The ground is so broken by rocks and ravines that this would not have been very difficult; the people of Ai suspected nothing; probably the force on the east were at pains, by camp-fires and otherwise, to engage their attention, and whenever that force began to move, as if for the attack, every eye in the city would be fixed intently upon it.
The plot was entirely successful; everything fell out precisely as Joshua had desired. A terrible slaughter of the men of Ai took place, caught as they were on the east of the city between the two sections of Joshua’s troops, for the Israelites gave no quarter either to age or sex. The whole number of the slain amounted to twelve thousand, and that probably included the people of Bethel too. We see from this what an insignificant place Ai must have been, and how very humiliating was the defeat it inflicted at first. With reference to the spoil of the city, the rigid law prescribed at Jericho was not repeated; the people got it for themselves. Jericho was an exceptional case; it was the first fruits of the conquest, therefore holy to the Lord. If Achan had but waited a little, he would have had his share of the spoil of Ai or some other place. He would have got legitimately what he purloined unlawfully. In the slaughter, the king, or chief of the place, suffered a more ignominious doom than his soldiers; instead of being slain with the sword, he was hanged, and his body was exposed on a tree till sunset. Joshua did not want some drops of Oriental blood; he had the stern pleasure of the Eastern warrior in humbling those who were highest in honour. What remained of the city was burned; it continued thereafter a heap of ruins, with a great cairn of stones at its gate, erected over the dead body of the king.
We see that already light begins to be thrown on what at the time must have seemed the very severe and rigid order about the spoil of Jericho. Although Achan was the only offender, he was probably far from being the only complainer on that occasion. Many another Israelite with a covetous heart must have felt bitterly that it was very hard to be prevented from taking even an atom to oneself. “Were not our fathers allowed to spoil the Egyptians – why, then, should we be absolutely prevented from having a share of the spoil of Jericho?” It might have been enough to answer that God claimed the first fruits of the land for Himself; or to say that God designed at the very entrance of His people into Canaan to show that they were not a tumultuous rabble, rushing greedily on all they could lay their hands on, but a well-trained, well-mannered family, in whom self-restraint was one of the noblest virtues. But to all this it might have been added, that the people’s day was not far off. It is not God’s method to muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And so to all who rush tumultuously upon the good things of this life. He says, “Seek first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Let God arrange the order in which His gifts are distributed. Never hurry Providence, as Sarah did when she gave Hagar to Abraham. Sarah had good cause to repent of her impetuosity; it brought her many a bitter hour. Whereas God was really kinder to her than she had thought, and in due time He gave her Isaac, not the son of the bondwoman, but her own. A question has been raised respecting the legitimacy of the stratagem employed by Joshua in order to capture Ai. Was it right to deceive the people; to pretend to be defeated while in reality he was only executing a ruse, and thus draw on the poor men of Ai to a terrible death? Calvin and other commentators make short work of this objection. If war is lawful, stratagem is lawful. Stratagem indeed, as war used to be conducted, was a principal part of it; and even now the term “strategic,” derived from it, is often used to denote operations designed for a different purpose from that which at first appears. It is needless to discuss here the lawfulness of war, for the Israelites were waging war at the express command of the Almighty. And if it be said that when once you allow the principle that it is lawful in war to mislead the enemy, you virtually allow perfidy, inasmuch as it would be lawful for you, after pledging your word under a flag of truce, to disregard your promise, the answer to that is, that to mislead in such circumstances would be infamous. A distinction is to be drawn between acts where the enemy has no right to expect that you will make known your intention, and acts where they have such a right. In the ordinary run of strategic movements, you are under no obligation to tell the foe what you are about. It is part of their business to watch you, to scrutinize your every movement, and in spite of appearances to divine your real purpose. If they are too careless to watch, or too stupid to discern between a professed and a real plan, they must bear the consequences. But when a flag of truce is displayed, when a meeting takes place under its protection, and when conditions are agreed to on both sides, the case is very different. The enemy is entitled now to expect that you will not mislead them. Your word of honour has been passed to that effect. And to disregard that pledge, and deem it smart to mislead thereby, is a proceeding worthy only of the most barbarous, the most perfidious, the most shameless of men.
Thus far we may defend the usages of war; but at best it is a barbarous mode of operations. Very memorable was the observation of the Duke of Wellington, that next to the calamity of suffering a defeat was that of gaining a victory. To look over a great battlefield, fresh from the clash of arms; to survey the trampled crops, the ruined houses, the universal desolation; to gaze on all the manly forms lying cold in death, and the many besides wounded, bleeding, groaning, perhaps dying; to think of the illimitable treasure that has been lavished on this work of destruction and the comforts of which it has robbed the countries engaged; to remember in what a multitude of cases, death must carry desolation and anguish to the poor widow, and turn the remainder of life into a lonely pilgrimage, is enough surely to rob war of the glory associated with it, and to make good the position that on the part of civilized and Christian men it should only be the last desperate resort, after every other means of effecting its object has failed. We are not forgetful of the manly self-sacrifice of those who expose themselves so readily to the risk of mutilation and death, wherever the rulers of their country require it, for it is the redeeming feature of war that it brings out so much of this high patriotic devotion; but surely they are right who deem arbitration the better method of settling national differences; who call for a great disarmament of the European nations, and would put a stop to the attitude of every great country shaking its fist in the face of its neighbours. What has become of the prophecy “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks”? Or the beautiful vision of Milton on the birth of the Saviour? –
“No war, or battle’s sound Was heard the world around; The idle spear and shield were high uphung; The hooked chariot stood Unstained with hostile blood, The trumpet spake not to the armed throng; And kings sat still with awful eye As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by.”
One lesson comes to us with pre-eminent force from the operations of war. The activity displayed by every good commander is a splendid example for all of us in spiritual warfare. “Joshua arose”; “Joshua lodged that night among the people”; ”Joshua rose up early in the morning”; “Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley”; “Joshua drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.” Such expressions show how intensely in earnest he was, how unsparing of himself, how vigilant and indefatigable in all that bore upon his enterprise. And generally we still see that, wherever military expeditions are undertaken, they are pushed forward with untiring energy, and the sinews of war are supplied in unstinted abundance, whatever grumbling there may be afterwards when the bill comes to be paid. Has the Christian Church ever girded herself for the great enterprise of conquering the world for Christ with the same zeal and determination? What are all the sums of money contributed for Christian missions, compared to those spent annually on military and naval forces, and multiplied indefinitely when active war goes on! Alas, this question brings out but one result of a painful comparison – the contrast between the ardour with which secular results are pursued by secular men, and spiritual results by spiritual men. Let the rumour spread that gold or diamonds have been found at some remote region of the globe, what multitudes flock to them in the hope of possessing themselves of a share of the spoil! Not even the prospect of spending many days and nights in barbarism, amid the misery of dirt and heat and insects, and with company so rude and rough and reckless that they have hardly the appearance of humanity, can overcome the impetuous desire to possess themselves of the precious material, and come home rich. What crowds rush in when the prospectus of a profitable brewery promises an abundant dividend, earned too often by the manufactory of drunkards! What eager eyes scan the advertisements that tell you that if persons bearing a certain name, or related to one of that name, would apply at a certain address, they would hear of something to their advantage! Once we knew of a young man who had not even seen such an advertisement, but had been told that it had appeared. There was a vague tradition in his family that in certain circumstances a property would fall to them. The mere rumour that an advertisement had appeared in which he was interested set him to institute a search for it. He procured a file of the Times newspaper, reaching over a series of years, and eagerly scanned its advertisements. Failing to find there what he was in search of, he procured sets of other daily newspapers and subjected them to the same process. And thus he went on and on in his unwearied search, till first he lost his situation, then he lost his reason, and then he lost his life. What will men not do to obtain a corruptible crown? Could it be supposed from our attitude and ardour that we are striving for the incorruptible? Could it be thought that the riches which we are striving to accumulate are not those which moth and rust do corrupt, but the treasures that endure for evermore? Surely “it is high time for us to awake out of sleep.” Surely we ought to lay to heart that “the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Memorable are the poet’s words respecting the great objects of human desire: –
“The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve: And like this unsubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind.”
Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary

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