Joshua 8 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Joshua 8 meaning explained in AI Summary

The Alliance of Southern Kings: After the conquest of Ai, the Israelites continue to conquer the land. However, they face a new challenge when five southern kings form an alliance against them. Joshua and the Israelites defeat the alliance of southern kings at the battle of Gibeon. The victory is a decisive one, and it establishes the Israelites as the dominant power in the land. The alliance of southern kings is a reminder that the Israelites will face many challenges in the Promised Land. However, it is also a reminder that God is with them and that he will give them victory over their enemies.

After the defeat at Ai in the previous chapter, Joshua and the Israelites regroup. God reveals that the defeat was due to Achan's sin (stealing devoted items) and instructs Joshua on how to deal with it. Achan confesses and is stoned to death along with his family and possessions, cleansing the camp from sin.

With the sin purged, God gives Joshua a new strategy to take Ai:

Ambush: Joshua sends a large force to hide behind Ai, while he leads a smaller force to face the city directly.
Deception: The smaller force pretends to retreat, just like they did before, luring the men of Ai out of the city.
Signal: Once the men of Ai are far enough, Joshua raises his spear as a signal for the ambush to attack and take the city.
Total Destruction: The Israelites burn Ai to the ground and kill all its inhabitants, as God commanded.

With Ai captured, Joshua builds an altar on Mount Ebal and offers burnt offerings and peace offerings to God. He then reads the blessings and curses of the covenant (as written in the Book of the Law) to the assembled Israelites.

Key Points:

Obedience is crucial: Achan's sin highlights the importance of complete obedience to God's commands.
God's forgiveness and restoration: After dealing with the sin, God forgives and empowers the Israelites for victory.
Strategic warfare: God provides a clever strategy, demonstrating his involvement in their battles.
Renewal of the covenant: The victory at Ai allows the Israelites to establish themselves in the land and renew their commitment to God's covenant.

Chapter 8 marks a turning point in the conquest of Canaan. The Israelites, having learned a painful lesson about obedience, are now poised for further victories under God's leadership.

Joshua 8 bible study ai commentary

Joshua 8 details Israel's redemption from failure through obedience to God's precise strategy, leading to the decisive victory over Ai. The narrative pivots from military conquest to covenantal worship, demonstrating that the purpose of conquering the land is to establish God's Law and presence within it. It starkly contrasts the disastrous consequences of disobedience in chapter 7 with the success that follows faithful adherence to divine command, culminating in a national rededication to the covenant at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.

Joshua 8 context

Historically, the events occur in the Late Bronze Age (c. 1400 BC), as Israel begins its conquest of Canaan. Warfare in the Ancient Near East often involved plundering and displays of power, but Israel's military action is framed as a divine mandate (herem), a judgment against the religiously and morally corrupt Canaanite city-states. The covenant renewal ceremony is a common feature of ANE suzerain-vassal treaties, where a dominant king (God) establishes the laws and obligations for his subject people (Israel). This chapter places Yahweh's treaty, the Mosaic Law, at the center of Israel's national identity and right to the land.

Joshua 8:1-2

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”

In-depth-analysis

"Do not be afraid": This phrase is a direct divine encouragement, echoing God's initial charge in Joshua 1:9. It marks a reset after the fear and dismay caused by the defeat in chapter 7.
"I have given": The verb is in the perfect tense in Hebrew, indicating a completed action from God's perspective. The victory is assured before the battle begins, contingent only on obedience.
Contrast with Jericho: The core command for destruction (herem) is the same, but with a crucial difference.
"Only its spoil... take as plunder": This is a key point of grace and restoration. Achan's sin involved taking plunder that was forbidden (Josh 7:1, 21). Here, God explicitly permits it, showing that the previous ban was specific to Jericho as the "firstfruits" of the conquest, and now God provides for His people.
"Lay an ambush": God provides a specific military strategy. This contrasts sharply with Israel's arrogant and failed self-devised plan in chapter 7. Faith is now expressed through strategic obedience, not blind presumption.

Bible references

Deut 31:8: "It is the Lord who goes before you... Do not fear or be dismayed." (Direct encouragement echoed here).
Josh 1:9: "...Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened... for the Lord your God is with you." (Reiteration of the foundational command to Joshua).
Josh 6:2, 17: "See, I have given Jericho into your hand... the city and all that is in it are devoted to the Lord for destruction." (The precedent for herem is established).
Luke 5:4-6: "...'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.'" (Parallels obedience to a specific divine command after prior failure, leading to success).

Cross references

Josh 7:3-5 (prideful human strategy failed), Deut 20:14 (law permitting plunder from certain cities), 1 Sam 15:3, 19 (Saul’s failure to fully execute herem), Eph 6:10 (be strong in the Lord).

Joshua 8:3-13

So Joshua arose with all the fighting men... he chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night... "You shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand"... they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai... But all the people who were in the camp he put in the main camp north of Ai.

In-depth-analysis

Two Groups: There's a scholarly debate over the numbers (30,000 vs. 5,000 in v. 12). This could refer to two different ambush forces, a copyist error, or the 5,000 being a specialized group chosen from the 30,000. The key is the complex strategy.
Precise Obedience: Joshua meticulously follows the Lord’s command. He doesn't just hear the strategy; he implements its details perfectly, assigning roles and positioning his troops.
Word - 'ormah: The plan uses cunning/strategy. This isn't trickery in a sinful sense but wise tactics given by God. It demonstrates that faith is not the absence of planning, but planning that aligns with God's revealed will.
The Lure: The main force with Joshua serves as bait, a feigned retreat designed to draw out all of Ai's soldiers, leaving the city defenseless. This exploits the enemy's recent victory-fueled arrogance.

Bible references

Judg 20:29-36: "So Israel set an ambush around Gibeah... the men of Benjamin were drawn away from the city." (A strikingly similar military strategy used by Israel).
Prov 21:31: "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." (Illustrates the principle of human preparation coupled with divine sovereignty).
2 Kings 7:6-7: "For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots... so they fled." (God using military-like deception to grant victory).

Cross references

Gen 34:13 (deception used sinfully), 2 Sam 5:23-24 (David inquiring of God for military strategy), Neh 4:16-20 (Nehemiah's strategic preparations).

Joshua 8:14-23

And as soon as the king of Ai saw it, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place... to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city... Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.”... And the ambush rose quickly from its place... they struck the city with the edge of the sword... so that they had no one left who survived or escaped.

In-depth-analysis

Enemy's Arrogance: The king of Ai repeats his successful tactic from chapter 7, but this time it's a trap. Their overconfidence blinds them to the possibility of a different strategy.
The Javelin (Hebrew: kidon): This is the divine signal. It's a symbolic act, similar to Moses' staff. When Joshua points his javelin, God's power is unleashed and the victory is secured. The signal from the human leader initiates the divinely-ordained outcome. It remained outstretched until the victory was complete (v. 26), reminiscent of Moses' arms being held up (Exodus 17:11-12).
Total Annihilation: The pincer movement of the main army and the ambush force results in the complete destruction of Ai's army. The language "no one left who survived or escaped" emphasizes the totality of the herem judgment.

Bible references

Exod 17:11: "Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed..." (The human leader's symbolic action is linked to divine victory).
Exod 14:15-16: "The Lord said to Moses... 'Lift up your staff... and the people of Israel will go on dry ground'." (A symbolic object used to initiate a divine act of salvation/judgment).
Rev 19:15: "From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations." (Christ's word, symbolized as a weapon, executes final judgment).

Cross references

Judg 7:16-22 (Gideon's use of signals and psychological warfare), Isa 11:4 (Messiah striking the earth with the rod of his mouth), Heb 4:12 (the Word of God as a weapon).

Joshua 8:24-29

...Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword... The number of men and women who fell that day was 12,000—all the people of Ai... Joshua did not draw back his hand... until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction... Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the Lord... And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the city gate and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.

In-depth-analysis

Completion of Herem: The judgment extends from the army to the entire city's population. This is presented not as ethnic cleansing, but as divine judgment on a corrupt culture that God had warned against for centuries (Gen 15:16).
King on a Tree: Hanging the defeated king was a common ANE practice to display ultimate victory and humiliation.
Word - talah 'al-'ets (hanged on a tree): This action had specific theological weight in Israel. According to the Law, being hanged made one "accursed of God."
Sunset Burial: Joshua's obedience is precise. He doesn't just destroy Ai; he follows the specific command regarding executed bodies. This act prevents the land from being defiled by the curse overnight.
Heap of Stones: Like the heap over Achan (Josh 7:26), this serves as a permanent memorial and warning. Achan, the covenant-breaker, and the king of Ai, the covenant-outsider, both meet a similar end, marked by stones of judgment.

Bible references

Deut 21:22-23: "...if you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God." (Direct fulfillment of this Mosaic command).
Gal 3:13: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'." (The Apostle Paul explicitly interprets the Deuteronomy passage typologically, applying it to Christ's crucifixion, where He took the curse for believers).
Gen 15:16: "...for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." (The justification for herem is the long-foretold culmination of Canaanite sin).

Cross references

Josh 7:26 (heap of stones over Achan), Josh 10:26-27 (Joshua executes other kings similarly), Esth 7:10 (Haman hanged on his own gallows), 1 Sam 15:8 (Saul fails by sparing King Agag).

Joshua 8:30-35

Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded... an altar of uncut stones... and they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses... And all Israel... stood on opposite sides of the ark... half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal... to bless the people... And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse...

In-depth-analysis

Shift from Conquest to Worship: The narrative makes a dramatic pivot. The immediate sequel to military victory is not rest or celebration, but a national covenant renewal ceremony. This demonstrates the ultimate purpose of possessing the land: to live in it under God's rule.
Mount Ebal: This was the mountain designated for the curses of the covenant. Building the altar here is profound. It's on the place of the curse that sacrifices (atonement) are offered. This foreshadows Christ taking the curse upon himself.
Uncut Stones: Adherence to this specific command shows that worship must be on God's terms, free from human artistry or pride, preventing the altar from becoming an idol.
Writing and Reading the Law: This is the heart of the event. Israel's national life is re-centered on the Torah. They are reminded that their claim to the land is conditional upon their obedience to the covenant.
Inclusivity: "The alien (ger) as well as the native-born" are included. This shows that belonging to God's people was based on covenant allegiance, not ethnicity alone. It's a key principle of God's redemptive plan.

Bible references

Deut 27:2-8: "...you shall set up large stones... and write on them all the words of this law... you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall not wield an iron tool on them." (The direct command that Joshua is meticulously fulfilling).
Deut 11:29: "And when the Lord your God brings you into the land... you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal." (The precise location commanded by Moses).
Exod 20:25: "If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you profane it." (The foundational law for altar construction).
Neh 8:1-3, 8: "...they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses... he read from it... and all the people were attentive..." (A similar national re-centering on the Law after the exile).

Cross references

2 Kings 23:2-3 (Josiah’s covenant renewal), Gal 3:10 (all who rely on works of law are under a curse), Eph 2:19-20 (Gentiles are no longer strangers and aliens), Rev 5:9 (redeemed people from every tribe and tongue and nation).

Polemics

The placement of this event is theologically significant. Some scholars argue it happened later chronologically, but the author of Joshua places it here to make a powerful statement: The conquest of the land is inextricably linked to, and for the purpose of, faithfulness to the covenant Law. It is a polemic against the Canaanite idea that land is controlled by territorial gods like Baal. Joshua builds an altar to Yahweh in the heart of Canaan, declaring Him the one true King of this land.

Joshua chapter 8 analysis

Theological Structure (Chiasm): The chapter is brilliantly structured. It begins with God's command (A), moves to the military campaign and victory (B), and climaxes with covenant worship and renewal (A'). This shows that the purpose of God's power (B) is to bring people back to faithfulness under His Word (A/A').
Restoration as a Theme: The chapter is a complete reversal of chapter 7.| Chapter 7 (Failure) | Chapter 8 (Restoration) || :--- | :--- || Disobedience | Obedience to God's precise word || Human strategy, pride | Divine strategy, dependence || Fear and dismay after defeat | Fearlessness from God's promise || Israel flees from Ai | Ai flees from Israel || Forbidden plunder (Achan) | Permitted plunder (All Israel) || A covenant-breaker judged | A covenant-enemy king judged || Heap of stones (shame) | Altar & stones of Law (worship) |
Joshua's Javelin Typology: Some commentators see Joshua's (Yehoshua) outstretched javelin as a picture of Jesus (Yeshua), our captain, whose outstretched arms on the cross secured the ultimate victory over sin, death, and Satan (the "king" of the worldly city). Victory was not complete until His work was finished.
The Law in the Land: By writing the law on stones in the center of the promised land, Israel formally and publicly declared that the land would be governed by the laws of Yahweh, not the customs of the Canaanites or the will of a human king. This establishes a "constitutional" foundation for the new nation.

Joshua 8 summary

After the humbling defeat caused by Achan’s sin, God restores Israel by providing a detailed strategy to conquer Ai through an ambush. Joshua’s perfect obedience leads to a total victory, demonstrating that success is rooted in dependence on God, not human strength. The chapter climaxes not with the military win, but with Israel fulfilling Moses’ command to build an altar on Mount Ebal and conduct a nationwide covenant renewal ceremony, firmly establishing God’s Law as the foundation for their life in the Promised Land.

Joshua 7 AI Joshua 9 AI

Joshua 8 AI Image Audio and Video

Joshua chapter 8 kjv

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.
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.
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: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
¹⁰ 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.
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.
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.
¹³ 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.
¹⁴ 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 liers in ambush against him behind the city.
¹⁵ And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
¹⁶ 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.
¹⁷ 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.
¹⁸ 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.
¹⁹ 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.
²⁰ 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.
²¹ 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.
²² 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.
²³ And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
²⁴ 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.
²⁵ And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.
²⁶ For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
²⁷ 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.
²⁸ And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.
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 carcass 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.
³⁰ Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,
³¹ 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 lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
³² 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.
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.
³⁴ 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.
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.

Joshua chapter 8 nkjv

¹ Now the LORD 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, his people, his city, and his land.
² And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay 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 thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night.
⁴ And he commanded them, saying: "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
⁵ Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when they come out against us as at the first, that we shall flee before them.
⁶ For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, 'They are fleeing before us as at the first.' Therefore we will flee before them.
⁷ Then you shall rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
⁸ And it will be, when you have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the LORD you shall do. See, I have commanded you."
⁹ Joshua therefore sent them out; and they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
¹⁰ Then Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
¹¹ And all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near; and they came before the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now a valley lay between them and Ai.
¹² So he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
¹³ And when they had set the people, all the army that was on the north of the city, and its rear guard on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
¹⁴ Now it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
¹⁵ And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
¹⁶ So all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
¹⁷ There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city open and pursued Israel.
¹⁸ Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city.
¹⁹ So those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to set the city on fire.
²⁰ And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or that way, and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.
²¹ Now when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.
²² Then the others came out of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
²³ But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
²⁴ And it came to pass when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness where they pursued them, and when they all had fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.
²⁵ So it was that all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand?all the people of Ai.
²⁶ For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
²⁷ Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which He had commanded Joshua.
²⁸ So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day.
²⁹ And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.
³⁰ Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal,
³¹ as Moses the servant of the LORD 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 has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
³² And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
³³ Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
³⁴ And 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.
³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them.

Joshua chapter 8 niv

¹ Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.
² 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 an ambush behind the city."
³ So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night
⁴ with these orders: "Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don't go very far from it. All of you be on the alert.
⁵ I and all those with me will advance on the city, and when the men come out against us, as they did before, we will flee from them.
⁶ They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, 'They are running away from us as they did before.' So when we flee from them,
⁷ you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. The LORD your God will give it into your hand.
⁸ When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the LORD has commanded. See to it; you have my orders."
⁹ Then Joshua sent them off, 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 with the people.
¹⁰ Early the next morning Joshua mustered his army, and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai.
¹¹ The entire force that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city.
¹² Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
¹³ So the soldiers took up their positions?with the main camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.
¹⁴ When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city.
¹⁵ Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
¹⁶ All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city.
¹⁷ Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.
¹⁸ Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city." So Joshua held out toward the city the javelin that was in his hand.
¹⁹ As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire.
²⁰ The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising up into the sky, but they had no chance to escape in any direction; the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the wilderness had turned back against their pursuers.
²¹ For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from it, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai.
²² Those in the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives.
²³ But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
²⁴ When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the wilderness where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it.
²⁵ Twelve thousand men and women fell that day?all the people of Ai.
²⁶ For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed all who lived in Ai.
²⁷ But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the LORD had instructed Joshua.
²⁸ So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolate place to this day.
²⁹ He impaled the body of the king of Ai on a pole and left it there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take the body from the pole and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.
³⁰ Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel,
³¹ as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses?an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the LORD burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings.
³² There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses.
³³ All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.
³⁴ Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law?the blessings and the curses?just as it is written in the Book of the Law.
³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.

Joshua chapter 8 esv

¹ And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.
² And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it."
³ So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night.
⁴ And he commanded them, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready.
⁵ And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them.
⁶ And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, 'They are fleeing from us, just as before.' So we will flee before them.
⁷ Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will give it into your hand.
⁸ And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the LORD. See, I have commanded you."
⁹ So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people.
¹⁰ Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
¹¹ And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai.
¹² He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
¹³ So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley.
¹⁴ And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
¹⁵ And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness.
¹⁶ So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city.
¹⁷ Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.
¹⁸ Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.
¹⁹ And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire.
²⁰ So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers.
²¹ And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.
²² And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And Israel struck them down, until there was left none that survived or escaped.
²³ But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him near to Joshua.
²⁴ When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword.
²⁵ And all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, all the people of Ai.
²⁶ But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction.
²⁷ Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their plunder, according to the word of the LORD that he commanded Joshua.
²⁸ So Joshua burned Ai and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day.
²⁹ And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.
³⁰ At that time Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,
³¹ just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, "an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.
³² And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
³³ And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel.
³⁴ And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

Joshua chapter 8 nlt

¹ Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land.
² You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town."
³ So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 of his best warriors and sent them out at night
⁴ with these orders: "Hide in ambush close behind the town and be ready for action.
⁵ When our main army attacks, the men of Ai will come out to fight as they did before, and we will run away from them.
⁶ We will let them chase us until we have drawn them away from the town. For they will say, 'The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.' Then, while we are running from them,
⁷ you will jump up from your ambush and take possession of the town, for the LORD your God will give it to you.
⁸ Set the town on fire, as the LORD has commanded. You have your orders."
⁹ So they left and went to the place of ambush between Bethel and the west side of Ai. But Joshua remained among the people in the camp that night.
¹⁰ Early the next morning Joshua roused his men and started toward Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel.
¹¹ All the fighting men who were with Joshua marched in front of the town and camped on the north side of Ai, with a valley between them and the town.
¹² That night Joshua sent about 5,000 men to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the town.
¹³ So they stationed the main army north of the town and the ambush west of the town. Joshua himself spent that night in the valley.
¹⁴ When the king of Ai saw the Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurried out early in the morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn't realize there was an ambush behind the town.
¹⁵ Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten.
¹⁶ Then all the men in the town were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from the town.
¹⁷ There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not chase after the Israelites, and the town was left wide open.
¹⁸ Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Point the spear in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the town over to you." Joshua did as he was commanded.
¹⁹ As soon as Joshua gave this signal, all the men in ambush jumped up from their position and poured into the town. They quickly captured it and set it on fire.
²⁰ When the men of Ai looked behind them, smoke from the town was filling the sky, and they had nowhere to go. For the Israelites who had fled in the direction of the wilderness now turned on their pursuers.
²¹ When Joshua and all the other Israelites saw that the ambush had succeeded and that smoke was rising from the town, they turned and attacked the men of Ai.
²² Meanwhile, the Israelites who were inside the town came out and attacked the enemy from the rear. So the men of Ai were caught in the middle, with Israelite fighters on both sides. Israel attacked them, and not a single person survived or escaped.
²³ Only the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua.
²⁴ When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside.
²⁵ So the entire population of Ai, including men and women, was wiped out that day ? 12,000 in all.
²⁶ For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in Ai was completely destroyed.
²⁷ Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
²⁸ So Joshua burned the town of Ai, and it became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day.
²⁹ Joshua impaled the king of Ai on a sharpened pole and left him there until evening. At sunset the Israelites took down the body, as Joshua commanded, and threw it in front of the town gate. They piled a great heap of stones over him that can still be seen today.
³⁰ Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.
³¹ He followed the commands that Moses the LORD's servant had written in the Book of Instruction: "Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools." Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.
³² And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the stones of the altar the instructions Moses had given them.
³³ Then all the Israelites ? foreigners and native-born alike ? along with the elders, officers, and judges, were divided into two groups. One group stood in front of Mount Gerizim, the other in front of Mount Ebal. Each group faced the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the LORD's Covenant. This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the LORD, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel.
³⁴ Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of Instruction.
³⁵ Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.