Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
Parallel translations
- WEB All the people who were in the city were called together to pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
- KJV And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
- NKJV So all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
- NASB And all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city.
- NLT Then all the men in the town were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from 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
All the men of Ai are called out to pursue the fleeing Israelites and are drawn away from the city. The trap closes as the city is left exposed.
Overview
The complete commitment of Ai's forces to the chase leaves the city undefended for the ambush. The enemy's pursuit, meant to crush Israel, instead carries them to ruin. The scene shows how God turns the schemes and confidence of the wicked against themselves.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Judg 20:31The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.
- Rev 19:19–21Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army.
- Rev 16:14These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
- Judg 20:36–39Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.
- Ps 9:16The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion Selah
- Josh 8:5–6Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them.
- Ezek 38:11–22You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will come against a tranquil people who dwell securely, all of them living without walls or bars or gates—
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 8:16 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.