Joshua 8 20

Joshua 8:20 kjv

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.

Joshua 8:20 nkjv

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.

Joshua 8:20 niv

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.

Joshua 8:20 esv

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.

Joshua 8:20 nlt

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.

Joshua 8 verses

Joshua 8 20 Meaning

Joshua 8:20 vividly describes the precise moment of despair and entrapment for the men of Ai. Having been lured out of their city by a feigned retreat of the Israelites, they look back to find their city burning, utterly consumed by fire. This devastating sight simultaneously reveals the ambush and crushes their will, leaving them completely without the ability to flee in any direction. Furthermore, the very Israelites they had pursued from the city now turn around, effectively ensnaring the Ai soldiers between two forces and sealing their inescapable doom. It signifies the success of God's strategic plan and the swift, absolute judgment upon those who oppose His will.

Joshua 8 20 Context

Joshua chapter 8 follows immediately after Israel's initial defeat at Ai and the subsequent repentance and Achan's judgment in chapter 7. God, having restored His favor, then provides Joshua with a detailed military strategy for taking Ai. This plan involves a main force drawing the men of Ai out of the city through a feigned retreat into the wilderness, while an ambush force simultaneously enters and burns the now-defenseless city. Joshua 8:20 describes the climax of this precisely executed divine strategy. The verse portrays the men of Ai's sudden realization of their dire situation—their city is burning, and they are caught between two forces of Israelites—the group they pursued, who have now turned, and the ambushers from within the city. Historically, the strategy employed highlights God's sovereign hand in battle, providing victory through both direct intervention and wisdom in military tactics. Culturally, the complete destruction by fire served as a polemic against the strength of Canaanite cities and their deities, demonstrating that Yahweh alone controls destiny and gives victory, fulfilling His promise of inheritance and judgment upon the wicked inhabitants of the land.

Joshua 8 20 Word analysis

• When the men of Ai looked behind them:

  • men of Ai: These were the last remnants of Ai's fighting force, caught in the deceptive pursuit. Ai itself represented a stronghold of Canaanite resistance, initially proving difficult due to Israel's sin.
  • looked behind them: The Hebrew verb is "פָּנָה" (panah), meaning "to turn, to face, to look." This indicates a conscious turning, perhaps sensing something amiss, or reaching a pre-determined point where they realized the retreat was too deep. This turning reveals their error. It's the moment of devastating realization.

• they saw the smoke of the city going up to heaven:

  • smoke: Hebrew "עָשָׁן" ('ashan). Smoke rising signifies destruction, desolation, and finality, often associated with God's judgment (Gen 19:28; Rev 9:2). It visually confirms their utter loss.
  • the city going up to heaven: Hebrew "עוֹלֶה הַשָּׁמַיִם" (ʻolēh ha-shamayim), literally "ascending the heavens/sky." This emphasizes the visible enormity of the fire; the smoke was so vast it appeared to fill the entire visible sky, leaving no doubt about the city's fate. It signifies a comprehensive and total conflagration.

• and they had no power to flee this way or that,

  • no power: Hebrew "אֵין כֹּחַ" (ein koach), "no strength/ability/might." This goes beyond physical exhaustion; it implies a complete psychological collapse and a divinely ordained paralysis, a sense of utter hopelessness. Their military prowess evaporated.
  • to flee: Hebrew "לָנוּס" (lanus), "to escape, to take flight." Flight is the natural instinct for survival in defeat, but it was supernaturally denied to them.
  • this way or that: Hebrew "לְאָנֶה וּלְהֵנָּה" (le'anah ulehennah), literally "hither and thither," or "wherever." It denotes absolute disorientation and the closure of all possible escape routes, physically and psychologically. They were completely surrounded and trapped.

• and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers.

  • people who had fled to the wilderness: This refers to the main body of Israelite soldiers who had feigned retreat, leading the men of Ai far from their city.
  • turned back: Hebrew "וַיָּשֻׁבוּ" (vayashuvu), from "שוב" (shuv), "to return, turn back." This is the pivotal moment of the ambush, the dramatic reversal. The hunter becomes the hunted, demonstrating the tactical brilliance divinely revealed.
  • against the pursuers: The men of Ai, who had been confident pursuers, now found themselves facing the very ones they sought to destroy. This inversion of roles highlights the completeness of God's strategic victory and the enemies' fall into their own trap.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw the smoke of the city going up to heaven": This phrase captures the immediate, terrifying revelation. It's a moment of clarity for the Ai-ites that brings absolute despair. The visual confirmation of their city's destruction seals their fate and removes all hope.
  • "and they had no power to flee this way or that": This describes the internal paralysis and external entrapment. Their physical strength and strategic options are nullified. It illustrates divine judgment not just as a physical defeat but also as a crushing of the will to resist.
  • "and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers": This depicts the final, closing movement of the divine strategy. The reversal of roles—from fleeing to attacking—completes the pincer movement, illustrating the futility of their chase and the perfect execution of the ambush. This physical trapping mirrors their spiritual inability to escape God's judgment.

Joshua 8 20 Bonus section

The detailed depiction of the trap closing in Joshua 8:20 can be seen as an irony. The men of Ai, confident in their strength after a previous victory against Israel, were led into a precise, divinely orchestrated trap, thinking they were gaining an advantage by drawing Israel deeper into the wilderness. Their "pursuit" became their downfall. This irony highlights the theme that human wisdom and strength are foolishness before God's ultimate plan. Furthermore, the complete psychological and physical debilitation described in the verse (having "no power to flee") demonstrates that victory in biblical narratives often extends beyond mere physical combat to encompass the enemy's total will and spirit. It's not just that they couldn't escape, but that their desire or capacity to even try to escape was extinguished, showing the demoralizing power of God's judgment. This account provides a practical lesson that disobedience leads to weakness and defeat, while humble obedience, even after failure, leads to overwhelming victory orchestrated by God's perfect strategy.

Joshua 8 20 Commentary

Joshua 8:20 encapsulates the moment of divine strategic victory for Israel over Ai, after the initial humbling defeat. It's a stark portrayal of sudden, inescapable judgment. The verse is highly visual and visceral, detailing the enemy's crushing realization as their city burns. This sight not only reveals the tactical deception but also spiritually paralyses them; their "power to flee" vanishes not just due to physical encirclement but from the overwhelming psychological blow. The burning city signifies a holistic destruction—material, spiritual, and military. The "smoke going up to heaven" implicitly points to a divine hand in the devastation, a spectacle of judgment evident to all. The crucial reversal—the "fled" Israelites "turned back"—illustrates God's intricate wisdom in orchestrating events. It shows His ability to turn tables on His enemies, using what appeared to be a weakness (the feigned retreat) into a decisive strength. The men of Ai, caught between a flaming past and a present enemy, had no hope. This verse confirms God's faithfulness to Israel after their repentance, His strategic genius in warfare, and the certain doom of those who stand against His purpose. It also reinforces the principle that true strength and victory come not from human might or fortifications, but from God's ordained plan.