Joshua 8:14 kjv
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.
Joshua 8:14 nkjv
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.
Joshua 8:14 niv
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.
Joshua 8:14 esv
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.
Joshua 8:14 nlt
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.
Joshua 8 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Josh 8:2 | Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it. | God commands the ambush strategy. |
| Josh 8:4 | "You shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it." | Specific instruction for the hidden force. |
| Josh 8:6-7 | For they will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the city... Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city. | Israel's feigned retreat and the ambush's role. |
| Josh 7:4-5 | So about three thousand men went up there from the people, and they fled before the men of Ai... so that their hearts melted. | The king's previous victory leading to overconfidence. |
| Judg 20:29 | And Israel set an ambush against Gibeah all around. | Another example of an ambush strategy. |
| Judg 20:36-39 | And the men of Israel turned back toward the battle, for the men of Benjamin had trusted in the ambush they had set... Then the men of Israel turned back against the men of Benjamin. | An ambush as a successful military tactic. |
| 1 Sam 15:5 | And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. | Saul uses an ambush. |
| 2 Sam 5:23-24 | "You shall not go up in front...when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then be alert..." | God gives a specific battle strategy. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | King of Ai's overconfidence leading to his doom. |
| Prov 29:23 | A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor. | Humility contrasts with the king's arrogance. |
| Ps 7:15-16 | He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head. | The king walking into a trap of his own making. |
| Ps 33:10 | The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. | God frustrates Ai's battle plan. |
| Ps 57:6 | They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit before me, but fell into it themselves. | Similar motif of the wicked falling into their own trap. |
| Isa 46:10 | Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand...' | God's perfect foresight contrasted with the king's ignorance. |
| Isa 28:29 | This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. | God as the source of wisdom and counsel in strategy. |
| Zech 4:6 | "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts." | Victory due to divine orchestration, not solely human might. |
| Exod 14:4 | And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh... | God intentionally sets up enemies for their defeat. |
| Eph 6:11 | Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. | Spiritual principle of standing against deceptive strategies. |
| 2 Cor 2:11 | ...so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. | Contrasting awareness of spiritual schemes. |
| 1 Pet 5:8 | Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. | The need for vigilance, contrasting the king's obliviousness. |
Joshua 8 verses
Joshua 8 14 Meaning
Joshua 8:14 depicts the swift, decisive, and ultimately misguided action of the king of Ai and his forces. Driven by their perceived advantage, they eagerly pursued Israel's feigned retreat to a pre-determined battleground. Critically, their fatal mistake was their complete ignorance of the divinely orchestrated ambush positioned out of sight behind their city, sealing their downfall.
Joshua 8 14 Context
Joshua 8:14 is central to Israel's second, successful conquest of Ai. Following their humbling defeat in chapter 7 due to Achan's sin and God's subsequent restoration, this chapter details a divinely-ordained military strategy. God Himself instructed Joshua to set an ambush, draw the city's forces out with a feigned retreat, and then capture the vacated city. This verse describes the king of Ai's reaction to the bait. Unaware of Israel's renewed divine favor and their specific ambush, his overconfidence, fueled by his previous easy victory (Josh 7:4-5), leads him to prematurely commit his entire fighting force, leaving Ai undefended. Historically, ambushes were effective, if risky, tactics in Ancient Near Eastern warfare. The geographical reference "before the Arabah" highlights an open plain suitable for pursuit, which further facilitated the king's fateful decision. The narrative emphasizes God's sovereign control over battle outcomes and His willingness to use strategic wisdom, not just overt miracles, to achieve His purposes.
Joshua 8 14 Word analysis
- And it came to pass: (ויהי, wa-y'hî) A common Hebrew literary device indicating a progression in the narrative, often introducing a significant event that is part of God's unfolding plan.
- when the king of Ai saw it: This emphasizes the enemy's flawed perception. He saw what Israel intentionally presented – a fleeing army – leading him to a false conclusion. His visual information, without deeper insight, sealed his fate.
- that they hasted: (וַיְמַהֲרוּ, wa-y'maharû) Implies urgency and recklessness. The king acted quickly, without fully discerning the situation or anticipating a trap, indicative of overconfidence.
- and rose up early: (וַיַּשְׁכִּמוּ, wa-yaškimû) Signifies promptness and determination. The king was eager to seize what he thought was an easy opportunity, showcasing his zeal for battle against a supposedly weak enemy.
- and went out against Israel to battle: A proactive and direct confrontation. This was their military response, designed to deliver a decisive blow, believing they held the tactical advantage.
- he and all his people: This specifies the comprehensive mobilization of Ai's forces. This wholesale engagement, prompted by their leader, effectively left the city defenseless, an essential part of God's strategic plan.
- at the appointed place: (אֶל-מוֹעֵד, ’el mô‘ēd) Refers to a pre-determined, probably well-known, location suitable for battle, likely chosen by the king himself for a clear advantage. Ironically, this very choice led them into Israel's trap.
- before the Arabah: (לִפְנֵי הָעֲרָבָה, liphnê hā‘aravâ) The 'Arabah' is the geographical plain of the Jordan Valley. This detail locates the scene precisely, emphasizing the open terrain where a pursuit and pitched battle could occur, drawing Ai's forces away from their city.
- for he knew not: (וְהוּא לֹא יָדַע, w’hû lō’ yāda‘) This is the pivot point of the verse, highlighting the king's fatal ignorance. His lack of critical intelligence about Israel's hidden force was divinely orchestrated and key to the victory.
- that there were liers in wait against him: (כי אורב לו, kî ’ōrēb lô) Refers to the ambush force (from ארב, 'ereb, meaning "ambush") that Joshua strategically deployed according to God's command. This hidden element was the true weapon.
- behind the city: This precise spatial detail indicates the ambush's location, critical for them to seize the city after its defenders were drawn out, showcasing the thoroughness of God's plan.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and went out against Israel to battle": This sequence reveals the king's impulsivity and overconfidence. He reacts to the deceptive appearance of retreat with eagerness, deploying his forces quickly, convinced of an easy victory. This entire chain of actions is his undoing.
- "he and all his people, at the appointed place before the Arabah": This highlights the completeness of Ai's commitment to the pursuit and their choice of perceived advantageous terrain. By mobilizing all his people to a specific battleground far from the city, the king inadvertently created the perfect conditions for his city to be overrun by the hidden force.
- "for he knew not that there were liers in wait against him behind the city": This final clause acts as the narrative's central reveal. The king's lack of critical, divinely-withheld information about the concealed ambush behind his city is the linchpin of the strategy. It underscores the spiritual warfare truth: ignorance of God's methods or presence is often catastrophic for His enemies.
Joshua 8 14 Bonus section
The narrative of Joshua 8, culminating in the king of Ai's decisive action in verse 14, offers a vivid contrast to Israel's previous, failed attempt on Ai in chapter 7. The first defeat was a consequence of sin (Achan's transgression); the second victory, strategically detailed in Joshua 8:1-29, signifies God's renewed favor and specific instructions. This progression teaches about God's grace in forgiving His people and His precise guidance for restoration. The king of Ai's rapid response and total commitment to pursuit, as described in this verse, also suggests his overreliance on past success and a lack of humility, reflecting a common human tendency to be ensnared by previous, unearned triumphs. Furthermore, the strategic use of an ambush (the "liers in wait") illustrates that divine victories are not always miraculous, overt interventions but often involve God working through astute, divinely-guided human planning and military stratagem. This nuanced approach emphasizes both God's omnipotence and His ability to work through natural means when appropriate, allowing Israel to develop skill and discipline under His leadership.
Joshua 8 14 Commentary
Joshua 8:14 precisely illustrates the interplay of human decision, divine strategy, and sovereign outcome. The king of Ai's prompt response, born of overconfidence from a previous victory and a misjudgment of Israel's "retreat," set him firmly in God's trap. His ignorance regarding the hidden ambush—a secret known only to God and Joshua's faithful troops—was not a mere oversight but a divinely permitted blind spot that ensured Israel's success. This victory served as a profound lesson for Israel after the failure at Ai in chapter 7, emphasizing reliance on God's specific commands and strategic guidance rather than human might or hasty actions. It stands as a powerful polemic against any notion of independent human power or the efficacy of other gods; only the Lord Yahweh possesses the perfect knowledge and ability to orchestrate such a comprehensive triumph, ensuring His covenant promises are fulfilled through a divinely shrewd tactic. Practically, it teaches us that even when God empowers us, His methods may not always be straightforward, sometimes requiring patience, cunning, and absolute obedience to His instructions, and that pride can blind one to even the most apparent dangers.