So he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
Parallel translations
- WEB He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
- KJV And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
- BSB Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
- NASB Then he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
- NLT That night Joshua sent about 5,000 men to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the town.
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
Joshua sets about five thousand men in ambush west of the city between Bethel and Ai. A second detail of the ambush is recorded.
Overview
This verse supplies further detail of the ambush arrangement, with some understanding it as a select group within the larger force mentioned earlier. The numbers and placement emphasize careful coordination of the operation. The mention of Bethel reflects that the nearby city's men were also drawn into the engagement.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Josh 8:2–3You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”
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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 8:12 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
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