Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 8:15
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
Made as if they were beaten before them, i.e. fled from them, as it were for fear of a second blow; and peradventure some of them might be wounded, though none were killed, and might make that the pretence of their fleeing away.
The wilderness lay between Ai and Jericho, whither they now seemed to flee.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15-17. Joshua and all Israel made asif they were beaten before themthe pretended flight in thedirection of the wilderness; that is, southeast, into the Ghor, thedesert valley of the Jordan, decoyed all the inhabitants of Ai out ofthe city, while the people of Beth-el hastened to participate in theexpected victory. It is supposed by some, from “the city,”and not “cities,” being spoken of, that the effective forceof Beth-el had been concentrated in Ai, as the two places wereclosely contiguous, and Ai the larger of the two. (See Jos12:9). It may be remarked, however, that the words, “orBeth-el,” are not in the Septuagint, and are rejected bysome eminent scholars, as an interpolation not found in the mostancient manuscripts.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them,…. Or smitten, as some of them might be in the pursuit:
and fled by the way of the wilderness; not a barren desert, but, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, a place for the pasture of cattle; though perhaps it is the same with the wilderness of Bethaven,
Jos 18:12. Epiphanius w makes mention of the wilderness of Bethel and Ephraim as near Jericho.
w Contr. Haeres. l. 1. tom. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
15. And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten, etc This is another stratagem. By pretending flight they draw off the enemy to a distance, leaving them no retreat afterwards into the city, which was in flames before they suspected that any disaster was to be apprehended in their rear. Hence, while the king of Ai pursues the Israelites as vanquished, the part of the army which lay hid towards Bethel had sufficient time to take the city, and make it too late for the inhabitants to perceive that they were utterly undone. For after they had been already repulsed, and were everywhere slaughtered, they were overwhelmed with despair on beholding the flames of the city, and so completely surrounded that not an individual could escape.
The question here asked by some, as to whether it is lawful to overcome an enemy by wiles and stratagem, originates in gross ignorance. First, it is certain that wars are carried on not merely by striking blows; for those are considered the best commanders who accomplish more by art and counsel than by mere violence; and secondly, the longer any one has served so as to acquire experience, the better soldier he makes. If war, then, is lawful, it is beyond all controversy that the usual methods of conquering may be lawfully employed, provided always that there be no violation of faith once pledged either by truce or in any other way.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
‘ And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.’
Joshua wanted them well away from their strongpoint and so he and the army pretended to be beaten, probably after a minor skirmish, and retreated into barren land, probably the rugged territory between Ai and the Jordan valley. The text reads ‘they were beaten before them.’ This was the appearance of what happened from the point of view of the men of Ai. This probably took the king of Ai by surprise. He had expected stronger resistance. But it made him recognise that the people he was attacking had no stomach for a fight. It was a repeat of what had happened before all over again.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Ver. 15. And Joshua and all Israel, &c. As soon as the king of Ai appeared in the field, Joshua executed his plan; he caused his men to give ground, who fled (as Mr. Chais renders it) towards the wilderness, or to the plain which separated Ai from Jericho, as if afraid to face the garrison.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jos 8:15 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
Ver. 15. Made as if they were beaten. ] See Jos 8:2 . So Solomon made as if he would divide the living child. Our Saviour “made as if he would have gone farther.” Luk 24:28 Gen 19:2 1Ki 3:24
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
made as if they were beaten. The only form of the verb in the Hebrew Bible.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
by the way: Jos 18:12
Reciprocal: Jos 16:1 – the water Jdg 20:32 – Let us flee Jdg 20:36 – for the men
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jos 8:15-17. All Israel made as if they were beaten That is, they fled from them, as it were for fear of a second blow. The wilderness Which lay between Ai and Jericho, whither they now seemed to flee. All the people that were in Ai Namely, all that were able to bear arms, for old men and children were unfit for the pursuit or fight; and that they were yet left, appears from Jos 8:24-25. Not a man Namely, fit for war. Bethel Which, being a neighbouring city, and encouraged by the former success, had sent some forces to assist them; and now, upon notice sent to them of the flight of their common enemies, or upon some other signal given, all their men of war joined with those of Ai in the pursuit.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
8:15 And Joshua and all Israel {g} made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
(g) As they who pretended to flee for fear.