And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
Parallel translations
- WEB Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
- BSB Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
- NKJV And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
- NASB Then Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
- NLT Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten.
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 and Israel pretend to be beaten and flee toward the wilderness, executing the planned ruse. The feigned defeat completes the bait.
Overview
The staged retreat carries out the strategy exactly as God had directed through Joshua. By appearing weak, Israel lures the whole force of Ai away from its defenses. This deliberate deception in lawful warfare differs from the sin of falsehood, serving instead the just judgment God had decreed on Canaan's cities.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Josh 18:12And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Bethaven.
- Josh 16:1And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel,
- Judg 20:36So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
- Josh 15:61In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 8:15 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.