the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is near Bethel, one;
Parallel translations
- WEB the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
- KJV The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
- NKJV the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
- NASB the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
- NLT The king of Jericho The king of Ai, near Bethel
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The roll call of defeated western kings begins with Jericho and Ai, the first two cities Israel took.
Overview
Jericho fell by faith at God's command (Joshua 6), and Ai after Israel dealt with sin in the camp (Joshua 7-8). Heading the list with them recalls how the conquest began in obedience and dependence on God. Each 'one' tallied marks a victory the Lord granted.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Josh 8:29–35He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.
- Josh 6:2–21And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.
- Josh 8:1Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
- Josh 8:17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 12:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.