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Joshua 8:24

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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.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 24

The embarrassment which Achan's sin gave to the affairs of Israel being over, we have them here in a very good posture again, the affairs both of war and religion. Here is, I. The glorious progress of their arms in the taking of Ai, before which they had lately suffered disgrace. 1. God encourages Joshua to attack it, with the assurance of success, and directs him what method to take (Jos 8:1, Jos 8:2). 2. Joshua gives orders accordingly to the men of war (Jos 8:3-8). 3. The stratagem is managed as it was projected, and succeeds as it was desired (Jos 8:9-22). 4. Joshua becomes master of this city, puts all the inhabitants to the sword, burns it, hangs the king, but gives the plunder to the soldiers (Jos 8:23-29). II. The great solemnity of writing and reading the law before a general assembly of all Israel, drawn up for that purpose upon the two mountains of Gerizim and Ebal, according to an order which Moses had received from the Lord, and delivered to them (Jos 8:30-35). Thus did they take their work before them, and make the business of their religion to keep pace with their secular business.

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 24

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrâʼêl, H3478) — Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity כָּלָה (kâlâh, H3615) — to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete,… הָרַג (hârag, H2026) — to smite with deadly intent יָשַׁב (yâshab, H3427) — properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to… עַי (ʻAy, H5857) — Ai, Aja or Ajath, a place in Palestine שָׂדֶה (sâdeh, H7704) — a field (as flat) מִדְבָּר (midbâr, H4057) — a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also… רָדַף (râdaph, H7291) — to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by) נָפַל (nâphal, H5307) — to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or… פֶּה (peh, H6310) — the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech);… חֶרֶב (chereb, H2719) — drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or… תָּמַם (tâmam, H8552) — to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive שׁוּב (shûwb, H7725) — to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not… נָכָה (nâkâh, H5221) — to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Numbers 21:24rank 2

And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.

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