1; God encourages Joshua.
3; The stratagem whereby Ai was taken.
29; The king thereof is hanged.
30; Joshua builds an altar;
32; writes the law on stones;
33; and pronounces the blessings and curses.
* Fear not.
1:9 7:6,7,9 De 1:21 7:18 31:8 Ps 27:1 46:11 Isa 12:2 41:10-16
Isa 43:2 Jer 46:27 Mt 8:26
* take all.
It would seem, from this verse, that all that were capable of
bearing arms were to march out of the camp on this occasion:
30,000; formed an ambuscade in one place; and 5,000; were placed
in another, who all gained their positions in the night. With
the rest of the army, Joshua appeared the next morning before
Ai, which the men of that city would naturally suppose was the
whole of the Israelitish force and, consequently, be the more
emboldened to come out and attack them. Some, however, think
that 30,000; men were the whole that were employed on this
occasion, 5,000; of whom were placed in ambush on the west of
the city, between Bethel and Ai (ver. 12,) and, with the rest,
Joshua appeared before the city in the morning. The king,
seeing but about 25,000; coming against him, though he had but
12,000; persons in the whole city (ver. 25), determined to risk
a battle, issued out, and was defeated by stratagem.
* see, I have.
6:2 Ps 44:3 Da 2:21,37,38 4:25,35
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