Joshua 8:2

1 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.

And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”

3 So Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out at night

4 with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.

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
And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”
KJV
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.
WEB
You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”
ASV
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: set thee an ambush for the city behind it.
DARBY
And thou shalt do to Ai and to its king as thou didst to Jericho and to its king; only, the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take as prey for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city behind it.
BLB
And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and to its king; only its spoil and its cattle you⁺ shall take as plunder for yourselves. Set up to you an ambush for the city behind it.”
ÅB
Og du skal gjøre med Ai og dets konge som du gjorde med Jeriko og dets konge; bare hærfanget og feet der kan dere ta for dere selv. Legg nå et bakhold mot byen, på vestsiden!
OTB
Du skal gjøre med Ai og dets konge som du gjorde med Jeriko og dets konge, men du kan ta byttet og buskapen for dere selv. Legg et bakhold bak byen."
B1930
Og du skal gjøre med Ai og dets konge som du gjorde med Jeriko og dets konge; bare hærfanget og feet der kan I ta for eder selv. Legg nu et bakhold mot byen, på vestsiden!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Deuteronomy 20:14

    But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.

    Read in context
  • Joshua 6:21

    At the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.

    Read in context
  • 2 Chronicles 20:22

    The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.

    Read in context
  • Proverbs 13:22

    A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.

    Read in context
  • Joshua 8:12

    Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

    Read in context
  • Joshua 10:28

    On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

    Read in context
  • Joshua 8:24

    When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.

    Read in context
  • Joshua 8:9

    So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.

    Read in context