Joshua 8:15
13 So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
14 When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.
Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
16 Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
17 Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
- KJV
- And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
- WEB
- Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
- ASV
- And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
- DARBY
- And Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten before them; and they fled by the way of the wilderness.
- BLB
- And Joshua and all Israel were struck before their faces, and they fled by the way of the wilderness.
- ÅB
- Og Josva og hele Israel lot seg slå av dem og flyktet bortimot ørkenen.
- OTB
- Josva og hele Israel lot som om de var slått foran dem og flyktet mot ødemarken.
- B1930
- Og Josva og hele Israel lot sig slå av dem og flyktet bortimot ørkenen.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Joshua 18:12
On the north side their border began at the Jordan, went up past the northern slope of Jericho, headed west through the hill country, and came out at the wilderness of Beth-aven.
Read in contextJoshua 15:61
These were in the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,
Read in contextJoshua 16:1
The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.
Read in contextJudges 20:36
Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.
Read in context