Joshua

Joshua 8:18–22

¹⁸Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out your battle lance^a toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai, ¹⁹and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.

²⁰When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now turned against their pursuers. ²¹When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai. ²²Meanwhile, those in the ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces on both sides. So Israel struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained.

Footnotes

a 8:18 Or javelin; twice in this verse, and also in verse 26

Read all of Joshua 8

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Joshua 8:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the LORD	יְהוָ֜ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Joshua	יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ	yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3091 Jehoshua
Hold out	נְ֠טֵה	nə·ṭêh	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
your battle lance	בַּכִּיד֤וֹן	bak·kî·ḏō·wn	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3591 dart, javelin
toward	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Ai	הָעַ֔י	hā·‘ay	Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5857 Ai, Aja, Ajath
for	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
into your hand	בְיָדְךָ֖	ḇə·yā·ḏə·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3027 hand
I will deliver	אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה	’et·tə·nen·nāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H5414 give, put, set
So Joshua	יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ	yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3091 Jehoshua
held out	וַיֵּ֧ט	way·yêṭ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
his battle lance	בַּכִּיד֥וֹן	bak·kî·ḏō·wn	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3591 dart, javelin
toward	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to

Joshua 8:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and as soon as he did so	כִּנְט֣וֹת	kin·ṭō·wṯ	Preposition-k; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
the men in ambush	וְהָאוֹרֵ֡ב	wə·hā·’ō·w·rêḇ	Conjunctive waw, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H693 lie in wait
rose	קָם֩	qām	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
quickly	מְהֵרָ֨ה	mə·hê·rāh	Adverb	H4120 haste, speed
from their position	מִמְּקוֹמ֤וֹ	mim·mə·qō·w·mōw	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4725 standing, spot, condition
They rushed forward	וַיָּר֙וּצוּ֙	way·yā·rū·ṣū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7323 run
entered	וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ	way·yā·ḇō·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
the city	הָעִ֖יר	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
captured it	וַֽיִּלְכְּד֑וּהָ	way·yil·kə·ḏū·hā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural; third person feminine singular	H3920 capture, seize, take (by lot)
and immediately	וַֽיְמַהֲר֔וּ	way·ma·hă·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4116 hasten
set it	הָעִ֖יר	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
on fire	וַיַּצִּ֥יתוּ	way·yaṣ·ṣî·ṯū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3341 kindle, burn

Joshua 8:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When the men	אַנְשֵׁי֩	’an·šê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H582 man, mankind
of Ai	הָעַ֨י	hā·‘ay	Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5857 Ai, Aja, Ajath
turned	וַיִּפְנ֣וּ	way·yip̄·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6437 turn
and looked	וַיִּרְא֗וּ	way·yir·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7200 see
back	אַחֲרֵיהֶ֜ם	’a·ḥă·rê·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural	H310 behind
the smoke	עֲשַׁ֤ן	‘ă·šan	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6227 smoke
of the city	הָעִיר֙	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
was rising	עָלָ֜ה	‘ā·lāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5927 go up, ascend, climb
into the sky	הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָה	haš·šā·may·māh	Article; Noun - masculine plural; third person feminine singular	H8064 sky, aloft
They could not	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
escape	לָנ֖וּס	lā·nūs	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5127 flee, escape
in any direction	הֵ֣נָּה	hên·nāh	Adverb	H2008 hither
and the troops	וְהָעָם֙	wə·hā·‘ām	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
who had fled	הַנָּ֣ס	han·nās	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5127 flee, escape
to the wilderness	הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר	ham·miḏ·bār	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4057 mouth
now turned	נֶהְפַּ֖ךְ	neh·paḵ	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2015 turn, overturn
against	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
their pursuers	הָרוֹדֵֽף׃	hā·rō·w·ḏêp̄	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H7291 pursue, chase, persecute

Joshua 8:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When Joshua	וִיהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ	wî·hō·wō·šu·a‘	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3091 Jehoshua
and all	וְכָֽל־	wə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
saw	רָא֗וּ	rā·’ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H7200 see
that	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the men in ambush	הָֽאֹרֵב֙	hā·’ō·rêḇ	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H693 lie in wait
had captured	לָכַ֤ד	lā·ḵaḏ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3920 capture, seize, take (by lot)
the city	הָעִ֔יר	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
and that	וְכִ֥י	wə·ḵî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
smoke	עֲשַׁ֣ן	‘ă·šan	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6227 smoke
was rising from	עָלָ֖ה	‘ā·lāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5927 go up, ascend, climb
they turned around	וַיָּשֻׁ֕בוּ	way·yā·šu·ḇū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7725 turn back, return
and struck down	וַיַּכּ֖וּ	way·yak·kū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5221 smite
the men	אַנְשֵׁ֥י	’an·šê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H582 man, mankind
of Ai	הָעָֽי׃	hā·‘āy	Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5857 Ai, Aja, Ajath

Joshua 8:22

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Meanwhile	וְאֵ֨לֶּה	wə·’êl·leh	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
those in the ambush	וְאֵ֨לֶּה	wə·’êl·leh	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
came out	יָצְא֤וּ	yā·ṣə·’ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H3318 go or come out
of	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the city	הָעִיר֙	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
against them	לִקְרָאתָ֔ם	liq·rā·ṯām	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine plural	H7122 encounter, befall
and the men of Ai were	וַיִּֽהְי֤וּ	way·yih·yū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
trapped between	בַּתָּ֔וֶךְ	bat·tā·weḵ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H8432 midst
the Israelite	לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙	lə·yiś·rā·’êl	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
forces	אֵ֥לֶּה	’êl·leh	Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
on	מִזֶּ֖ה	miz·zeh	Preposition-m; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
both sides	וְאֵ֣לֶּה	wə·’êl·leh	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
So	וַיַּכּ֣וּ	way·yak·kū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5221 smite
until	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
no	בִּלְתִּ֥י	bil·tî	Preposition	H1115 not, except
survivor	שָׂרִ֥יד	śā·rîḏ	Noun - masculine singular	H8300 survivor
or fugitive	וּפָלִֽיט׃	ū·p̄ā·lîṭ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H6412 escaped one, fugitive
remained	הִשְׁאִֽיר־	hiš·’îr-	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7604 remain, be left over

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Joshua 8:18 Joshua 8:26 · Job 15:25

Joshua 8:22 Deuteronomy 7:2

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.