Joshua 8:2 “And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king…”

Joshua 8:2

And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

World English Bible

You shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind it.”

American Standard Version

and thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: set thee an ambush for the city behind it.

Geneva Bible 1599

And thou shalt doe to Ai and to the King thereof, as thou didst vnto Iericho and to the King thereof: neuerthelesse the spoyle thereof and the cattell thereof shall ye take vnto you for a praye: thou shalt lye in wait against the citie on the backside thereof.

Darby Translation

And thou shalt do to Ai and to its king as thou didst to Jericho and to its king; only, the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take as prey for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city behind it.

Young's Literal Translation

and thou hast done to Ai and to her king as thou hast done to Jericho and to her king; only, its spoil and its cattle ye spoil for yourselves; set for thee an ambush for the city at its rear.'

Bible in Basic English

And you are to do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king: but their goods and their cattle you may take for yourselves: let a secret force be stationed to make a surprise attack on the town from the back.

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Cross references

“do to Ai”

Joshua 6:21 Joshua 8:24 Joshua 10:1 Joshua 10:28 Deuteronomy 3:2 Joshua 8:28

Joshua 6:21 · BSB

With the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.

Joshua 8:24 · BSB

When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as…

Joshua 10:1 · BSB

Now Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai and devoted it to destruction —doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king—and that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel…

Joshua 10:28 · BSB

On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jer…

Deuteronomy 3:2 · BSB

But the LORD said to me, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”

Joshua 8:28 · BSB

So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.

“only the spoil”

Deuteronomy 20:14 Proverbs 13:22 Psalm 39:6 Proverbs 28:20 Jeremiah 17:11 Joshua 8:27

Deuteronomy 20:14 · BSB

But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.

Proverbs 13:22 · BSB

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.

Psalm 39:6 · BSB

Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.

Proverbs 28:20 · BSB

A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

Jeremiah 17:11 · BSB

Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

Joshua 8:27 · BSB

Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.

“lay thee”

2 Chronicles 20:22 Joshua 8:7 Joshua 8:9 Joshua 8:12 Joshua 8:14 Joshua 8:19

2 Chronicles 20:22 · BSB

The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.

Joshua 8:7 · BSB

you are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

Joshua 8:9 · BSB

So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.

Joshua 8:12 · BSB

Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

Joshua 8:14 · BSB

When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set…

Joshua 8:19 · BSB

and 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.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

1Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.

3So Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out at night

Read Joshua 8