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Commentary on Joshua 8 verses 3–22
We have here an account of the taking of Ai by stratagem. The stratagem here used, we are sure, was lawful and good; God himself appointed it, and we have no reason to think but that the like is lawful and good in other wars. Here was no league broken, no treaty of peace, that the advantage was gained; no, these are sacred things, and not to be jested with, nor used to serve a turn; truth, when once it is plighted, becomes a debt even to the enemy. But in this stratagem here was no untruth told; nothing was concealed but their own counsels, which no enemy ever pretended a right to be entrusted with; nothing was dissembled, nothing counterfeited but a retreat, which was no natural or necessary indication at all of their inability to maintain their onset, or of any design not to renew it. The enemy ought to have been upon their guard, and to have kept within the defence of their own walls. Common prudence, had they been governed by it, would have directed them not to venture on the pursuit of an army which they saw was so far superior to them in numbers, and leave their city unguarded; but (si populus vult decipi, decipiatur - if the people will be deceived, let them) if the Canaanites will be so easily imposed upon, and in pursuit of God's Israel will break through all the laws of policy and good management, the Israelites are not at all to be blamed for taking advantage of their fury and thoughtlessness; nor is it any way inconsistent with the character God is pleased to give of them, that they are children that will not lie. Now in the account here given of this matter,
I. There is some difficulty in adjusting the numbers that were employed to effect it. Mention is made (Jos 8:3) of 30,000 that were chosen and sent away by night, to whom the charge was given to surprise the city as soon as ever they perceived it was evacuated, Jos 8:4, Jos 8:7, Jos 8:8. And yet afterwards (Jos 8:12) it is said, Joshua took 5000 men and set them to lie in ambush behind the city, and that ambush entered the city, and set it on fire, Jos 8:19. Now, 1. Some think there were two parties sent out to lie in ambush, 30,000 first, and afterwards 5000 to guard the roads, and to intercept those that were first sent out; and that Joshua made his open attack upon the city with all the thousands of Israel. So the learned bishop Patrick, insisting upon God's command (Jos 8:1) to take all the people of war with him. But, 2. Others think that all the people were taken only to encamp before the city, and that out of them Joshua chose out 30,000 men to be employed in the action, out of which he sent out 5000 to lie in ambush, which were as many as could be supposed to march incognito - without being discovered (more would have been seen, and thus the design would have been broken) and that then with the other 25,000 he made the open attack, as Masius thinks, or with the 30,000, which, as Calvin thinks, he kept entire for that purpose, having, besides them, sent out 5000 for an ambuscade. And those 5000 (they think) must be meant by those (Jos 8:3) whom he sent away by night, with orders to lie in wait behind the city, though the particular number is not specified till Jos 8:12. If we admit such a seeming disturbance in the order of the narrative (of which, perhaps, similar instances might be cited from the other scripture histories), it seems most probable that there was but one ambushment, which consisted only of 5000, enough for such a purpose.
II. Yet the principal parts of the story are plain enough, that a detachment being secretly marched behind the city, on the other side to that on which the main body of the army lay (the situation of the country, it is probable, favouring their concealment), Joshua, and the forces with him, faced the city; the garrison made a vigorous sally out upon them, whereupon they withdrew, gave ground, and retreated in some seeming disorder towards the wilderness, which being perceived by the men of Ai, they drew out all the force they had to pursue them. This gave a fair opportunity for those that lay in ambush to make themselves masters of the city, whereof when they had given notice by a smoke to Joshua, he, with all his force, returned upon the pursuers, who now, when it was too late, were aware of the snare they were drawn into, and, their retreat being intercepted, they were every man of them cut off. The like artifice we find used, Jdg 20:30, etc. Now in this story we may observe,
1.What a brave commander Joshua was. See, (1.) His conduct and prudence. God gave him the hint (v. 2) that he should lay an ambush behind the city, but left him to himself to order the particulars, which he did admirably well. Doubtless wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men, Ecc 7:19. (2.) His care and industry (Jos 8:10): He rose up early in the morning, that he might lose no time, and to show how intent his mind was upon his business. Those that would maintain their spiritual conflicts must not love their ease. (3.) His courage and resolution; though an army of Israelites had been repulsed before Ai, yet he resolves to lead them on in person the second time, Jos 8:5. Being himself also an elder, he took the elders of Israel with him to make this attack upon the city (Jos 8:10), as if he were going rather to sit in judgment upon them as criminals than to fight them as enemies. (4.) His caution and consideration (Jos 8:13): He went that night into the midst of the valley, to make the necessary dispositions for an attack, and to see that every thing was in good order. It is the pious conjecture of the learned bishop Patrick that he went into the valley alone, to pray to God for a blessing upon his enterprise, and he did not seek in vain. (5.) His constancy and perseverance; when he had stretched out his spear towards the city (Jos 8:18, a spear almost as fatal and formidable to the enemies of Israel as the rod of Moses was) he never drew back his hand till the work was done. His hands in fighting, like Moses's in interceding, were steady till the going down of the sun. Those that have stretched out their hands against their spiritual enemies must never draw them back. Lastly, What Joshua did in the stratagem is applicable to our Lord Jesus, of whom he was a type. Joshua conquered by yielding, as if he had himself been conquered; so our Lord Jesus, when he bowed his head and gave up the ghost, seemed as if death and triumphed over him, and as if he and all his interests had been routed and ruined; but in his resurrection he rallied again and gave the powers of darkness a total defeat; he broke the serpent's head, by suffering him to bruise his heel. A glorious stratagem!
2.What an obedient people Israel was. What Joshua commanded them to do, according to the commandment of the Lord (Jos 8:8), they did it without murmuring or disputing. Those that were sent to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai (two cities confederate against them) were in a post of danger, and had they been discovered might all have been cut off, and yet they ventured; and, when the body of the army retreated and fled, it was both disgraceful and perilous, and yet, in obedience to Joshua, they did it.
3.What an infatuated enemy the king of Ai was, (1.) That he did not by his scouts discover those that lay in ambush behind the city, Jos 8:14. Some observe it as a remarkable instance of the power of God in making men blind to their own interest, and the things that belong to their peace, that he wist not that there were liers in wait against him. Those are most in danger who are least aware that they are so. (2.) That when Israel seemed to fly he drew out all his forces to pursue them, and left none to guard his city and to secure his retreat, Jos 8:17. Thus the church's enemies often run themselves into destruction by their own fury and the violence of their rage against the Israel of God. Pharaoh plunged himself into the Red Sea by the eagerness with which he pursued Israel. (3.) That from the killing of thirty-six men out of 3000, when Israel made the former attack upon his city, he should infer the total routing of so great an army as now he had to deal with (Jos 8:6): They flee before us as at the first. See how the prosperity of fools destroys them and hardens them to their ruin. God had made use of the men of Ai as a scourge to chastise his people for meddling with the accursed thing, and this had puffed them up with a conceit that they must have the honour of delivering their country from these formidable invaders; but they were soon made to see their mistake, and that when the Israelites had reconciled themselves to their God they could have no power against them. God had made use of them only for the rebuking of Israel, with a purpose, when the correction was over, to throw the rod itself into the fire; howbeit, they meant not so, but it was in their heart to destroy and cut off, Isa 10:5-7.
4.What a complete victory Israel obtained over them by the favour and blessing of God. Each did his part: the divided forces of Israel, by signals agreed on, understood one another, and every thing succeeded according to the project; so that the men of Ai, even when they were most confident of victory, found themselves surrounded, so that they had neither spirit to resist nor room to fly, but were under a fatal necessity of yielding their lives to the destroyers. And now it is hard to say whether the shouts of the men of Israel, or the shrieks of the men of Ai, were the louder, but easy to imagine what terror and confusion they were filled with, when their highest assurances sunk so suddenly into the heaviest despair. Note, The triumphing of the wicked is short, Job 20:5. They are exalted for a little while, that their fall and ruin may be the sorer, Job 24:24. See how easily, how quickly, the scale turns against those that have not God on their side.
At first, we were overcome because of sins, and those who were living in Ai destroyed very many of us. Ai means chaos. But we know chaos to be the place or habitation of opposing powers, of which the devil is the king and chief. Against him, as Jesus [Joshua] comes, he divides the people into two parts; he stations some in the front and others in the rear, so they may come behind the enemies unexpectedly. Consider if the first part is not about the people of whom he says, "I came only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," and of whom the apostle says, "But grace and peace to every person who does good, to the Jew first, then also to the Greek," that is, the later Gentile. Those are the people, therefore, who are stationed in the front and seem to flee with Jesus. But the people in back are the ones who are gathered from the nations and who come unexpectedly. For who expected the nations to be saved? They strike more keenly behind the adversaries, and thus both people together overthrow and conquer the throng of demons confined in the middle.
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SUMMARY
Joshua 8:13 meticulously outlines the strategic deployment of Israelite forces under Joshua's command for the second, successful assault on Ai. This verse details the precise positioning of the main army to the north of the city and a crucial ambush force to the west, setting the stage for the feigned retreat strategy. Joshua's personal involvement, moving "that night into the midst of the valley," underscores his diligent leadership and commitment to executing God's divinely revealed plan for victory, demonstrating a stark contrast to the previous, ill-fated attempt.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Joshua 8:13 effectively employs several literary devices to convey its strategic depth and the meticulous nature of the Israelite operation. The detailed description of troop placement utilizes vivid Imagery, painting a clear mental picture of the strategic landscape: the main host positioned on the "north of the city" and the "liers in wait on the west of the city," with Joshua himself moving into the "midst of the valley." This precise geographical detailing emphasizes the calculated and deliberate nature of the plan. There is also a strong sense of Foreshadowing embedded in this verse; the careful and deliberate positioning of forces, particularly the hidden ambush, clearly signals that the upcoming battle will be a calculated victory, contrasting sharply with the impulsive and disastrous defeat described in Joshua 7. Furthermore, Joshua's personal movement "that night" serves as a form of Emphasis, highlighting his active, dedicated, and hands-on leadership, distinguishing him as a commander who is deeply invested in the execution of God's will.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Joshua 8:13 serves as a profound theological statement on the interplay between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. While God had explicitly given Joshua the strategy for conquering Ai and promised victory, the execution of that plan required meticulous human preparation, disciplined obedience, and diligent leadership. This verse illustrates that God's promises do not negate the need for human effort; rather, divine guidance often works through and empowers human diligence. It underscores that repentance and renewed obedience, as seen after the sin of Achan, lead to a restoration of God's favor and the enablement of human action towards divine purposes. The careful positioning of troops and Joshua's personal oversight demonstrate a profound trust in God's method, even when it involves complex military deception, affirming that true success comes from aligning human action with divine instruction.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Joshua 8:13 offers timeless lessons for believers today, emphasizing that God's divine guidance often works in tandem with human diligence and meticulous preparation. Just as Joshua did not passively wait for victory but actively engaged in the detailed deployment of his forces, so too are we called to be active participants in God's plans for our lives and ministries. This verse reminds us that true faith is not a substitute for hard work, but rather empowers and directs our efforts. It teaches the importance of learning from past failures, repenting of disobedience, and then approaching new challenges with humility, precision, and renewed commitment to God's specific instructions. For leaders, Joshua's personal presence "that night in the midst of the valley" serves as a powerful model of engaged, hands-on leadership, demonstrating that the most effective leaders are those who are personally invested in the details and welfare of their mission and those they lead.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Joshua need such a complex strategy if God was with them and promised victory?
Answer: God's promise of victory does not negate the need for human effort, responsibility, or strategic thinking. In fact, God often chooses to work through human means, guiding and empowering them. The complex strategy for Ai served several purposes: it tested Israel's renewed obedience and diligence after their previous failure; it demonstrated the importance of human responsibility in executing divine commands; and it allowed for God's intervention to be clearly seen in the success of a plan that, while humanly clever, was divinely ordained. It teaches that faith is not passive, but active and engaged, working in concert with God's sovereign plan, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 20:1-4.
What is the significance of Joshua going "that night into the midst of the valley"?
Answer: Joshua's personal presence "that night into the midst of the valley" is highly significant. It demonstrates his active, hands-on leadership, his dedication to the mission, and his meticulous attention to detail. Rather than merely giving orders from a distance, Joshua was personally involved in the critical final stages of deployment, ensuring that every part of the complex strategy was perfectly executed. This action highlights his servant leadership, his commitment to God's plan, and his willingness to endure personal discomfort for the success of the entire operation. It underscores the importance of a leader's personal investment and oversight, especially in crucial moments, reflecting the kind of diligent stewardship encouraged throughout Scripture.
How does this account relate to the earlier defeat at Ai?
Answer: This account is a direct and intentional contrast to the earlier defeat at Ai, detailed in Joshua 7. The first defeat was a result of Israel's sin (Achan's transgression) and their overconfidence, leading to a presumptuous and ill-prepared attack. In contrast, Joshua 8:13 and the subsequent victory showcase Israel's repentance, renewed obedience, and meticulous adherence to God's specific, detailed instructions for battle. The narrative highlights the stark consequences of sin and disobedience versus the blessings that flow from humility, obedience, and diligent preparation under divine guidance. It's a powerful lesson in learning from failure and returning to God's ways, demonstrating that God's faithfulness is met by human responsibility.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Joshua 8:13, with its depiction of meticulous preparation, strategic leadership, and ultimate victory through obedience, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment. Joshua, as the leader of Israel, meticulously orchestrates the battle plan, personally overseeing the deployment of forces to secure victory. This foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate and perfect Leader, who meticulously planned and executed the divine strategy for humanity's salvation. Just as Joshua's "liers in wait" were a hidden force designed to secure victory, so too did Christ's humble incarnation and suffering on the cross conceal the ultimate ambush of sin and death, leading to His glorious resurrection. His journey to the cross was not a haphazard event but a deliberate and precise fulfillment of God's redemptive plan, much like Joshua's nocturnal movement into the valley to ensure the battle's success. Christ's victory over the powers of darkness, achieved through His obedient sacrifice and resurrection, is the ultimate fulfillment of any earthly conquest, offering eternal freedom and life to those who trust in Him. He is the true Captain of our salvation, leading us not merely to a physical land, but into the eternal kingdom, having already secured the decisive victory over our greatest enemies, as seen in Colossians 2:15 and 1 Corinthians 15:54-57. His perfect leadership, as described in Mark 10:45, ensures our ultimate triumph.