Then all the men in the town were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from the town.
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.
- BSB Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed 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.
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 children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike and kill of the people, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
- Rev 19:19–21I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse, and against his army.
- Rev 16:14for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty.
- Judg 20:36–39So the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck; for the men of Israel yielded to Benjamin, because they trusted the ambushers whom they had set against Gibeah.
- Ps 9:16Yahweh has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.
- Josh 8:5–6I and all the people who are with me will approach to the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.
- Ezek 38:11–22and you shall say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor 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.