Joshua 8:25

. And [so] it was, [that] all that fell that day,.... Partly in the city, and partly in the field, both by the ambush and the army: both of men and women; [were] twelve thousand, [even] all the men of Ai; so that the city was not a very large one, and the numbers of inhabitants were comparatively but few, as in Joshua 7:3. Joshua 8:26 Ver. 26. For Joshua drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out his spear,.... But continued it, and that stretched out: until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai; just as the hand of Moses was held up, and kept held up until Amalek was discomfited by Joshua, Exodus 17:12. Joshua 8:27 Ver. 27. Only the cattle, and the spoil of the city, Israel took for a prey unto themselves,.... Even all their substance, as besides their cattle, also their gold, silver, household goods, merchandise, &c. according unto the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua, Joshua 8:2. Joshua 8:28 Ver. 28. And Joshua burnt Ai,....

. However, being Gentiles, some external rites and ceremonies were to be performed upon them, as well as a declaration at least of their renouncing idolatry was required of them, before they could be admitted into the camp of Israel; and which was required even of a proselyte of the gate, or of one that was only a sojourner among them. {e} hytwxpvm lk "omnes familias ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version. Joshua 6:24 Ver. 24. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that [was] therein,.... As Babylon the great, of which this city was an emblem, as has been observed, See Gill on "Joshua 6:20"; will be burnt with fire also, Revelation 18:8; only the silver and the gold, and the vessels of brass and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord; See Gill on "Joshua 6:19". Joshua 6:25 Ver. 25. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive,.... From perishing by the sword, as the rest of the inhabitants did.

8:23-29 God, the righteous Judge, had sentenced the Canaanites for their wickedness; the Israelites only executed his doom. None of their conduct can be drawn into an example for others. Especial reason no doubt there was for this severity to the king of Ai; it is likely he had been notoriously wicked and vile, and a blasphemer of the God of Israel.

And so it was, that all that fell that day,.... Partly in the city, and partly in the field, both by the ambush and the army: both of men and women: were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai; so that the city was not a very large one, and the numbers of inhabitants were comparatively but few, as in Joshua 7:3.

Not strictly, but largely so called, who were now in Ai, either as constant and settled inhabitants, or as sojourners, and such as came to them for their help, such as being confederate with them are esteemed as one with them; for it is evident that the men of Beth-el are included in this number, Joshua 8:17 , the Israelites who took this number being unable to distinguish who belonged to the one city, and who to the other.

No doubt Joshua had ascended the heights, most likely those to the north of the valley, so as to separate himself from the flying Israelites on the lower ground, and to be visible to the men in ambush behind the city. He now, at the command of God, gives the appointed signal to the ambush.

When all the men of Ai, who had come out to pursue the Israelites, had been slain upon the field (namely) in the desert, all Israel returned to Ai and smote it (the town, i.e., the inhabitants), so that on that day there fell of men and women, 12,000, all the people of Ai: for Joshua did not draw back his hand, which had been stretched out with the javelin, till all the inhabitants of Ai were smitten with the ban, i.e., put to death; according to the common custom of war, that the general did not lower the war-signal till the conflict was to cease (see Suidas in Σημεῖα, and Lipsius de militia, Rom. iv. dial. 12).

[Reformed Biblical] And for the burning of Achan, commanded #Joshua 7:15 , it seems not likely to be meant of his burning alive, because that burning is common to him, and all that he hath , as is there expressed; but of the burning of his dead carcass, and other lifeless things, as the manner was with accursed things, #Deuteronomy 13:16 . ## Ver. 26. A great heap of stones; as a monument of the sin and judgment here mentioned, that others might be instructed and warned by the example; and as a brand of infamy, as #Joshua 8:29 2 Samuel 18:17 . ## The valley of Achor; or, the valley of trouble, from the double trouble expressed #Joshua 7:25 . ## JOSHUA CHAPTER 8 God puts new courage into Joshua; commands him to go and besiege Ai, promising he should take it, #Joshua 8:1,2 . The stratagem whereby it is taken; it is burnt, #Joshua 8:3-22 . The king is taken prisoner; the inhabitants are put to the sword; the cattle and goods spoiled; the king is hanged, #Joshua 8:23-29 . Joshua builds an altar, #Joshua 8:30 ; offers thereon, #Joshua 8:31 ; writes the law on stones, ## #Joshua 8:32 . It and its blessings and curses are read before the people, #Joshua 8:33-35 . ## Ver. 1. Take all the people of war with thee; partly to strengthen them against those fears which their late defeat had wrought in them; and partly that all of them might be partakers of this first spoil, and thereby be encouraged to proceed in their work.

The spitting before the face of the man ( בְּפָנַיו in front of him) is by the Jewish interpreters understood of spitting on the ground in his presence (Talmud, 'Jebam.,' 106; Madmen., 'In Jibbum.,' 4:6-8). This seems to be what the words express (cf. Deuteronomy 4:37 ; Deuteronomy 7:24 ; Deuteronomy 11:25 ; Joshua 10:8 ; Ezekiel 10:8 , for the rendering of בפני ); and this, according to Oriental notions, would be insult enough (cf. Numbers 12:14 ; Isaiah 1:6 ; Niebuhr, ' Description de l'Arabie,' 1:49). Deuteronomy 25:7