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Here is God's encouragement to Joshua, ver. 1, 2.
Joshua's orders to the men of war, ver. 3 - 8.
The stratagem succeeds, ver. 9 - 22.
Joshua takes and destroys the city, ver. 23 - 29.
The solemn writing and reading of the law before all Israel,
ver. 30 - 35.
1: Take all the people - That all of them might be partakers of this
first spoil, and thereby encouraged to proceed in their work. The weak
multitude indeed were not to go, because they might have hindered them in
the following stratagem; and it was but fit that the military men who run
the greatest hazards, should have the precedency in the spoils.
2: To Ai - That is, the city and people of Ai. Unto Jericho
and her king - That is, overcome and destroy them. This was enjoined to
chastise their last insolence, and the triumphs and blasphemies which
doubtless their success had produced: and to revive the dread and terror
which had been impressed upon the Canaanites by Jericho's ruin, and
had been much abated by the late success of Ai.
3: To go up against Ai - That is, to consider about this expedition;
not as if all the people of war did actually go up, which was both
unnecessary and burdensome: but it seems to be resolved by Joshua and
all the council of war, that the thirty thousand here following should be
selected for the enterprize. Either,
1, the thirty thousand now mentioned;
or, 2. part of them; namely, such as were to lie in wait; and these were
only five thousand men, as is expressed, ver.(12).
4: Them - The same party last spoken of, even the five thousand
mentioned ver.(12), there are only two parties engaged in the taking of
Ai, and but one ambush, as plainly appears by comparing ver.(9),
with ver.(12), which speaks only of five thousand, who are justly
supposed to be a part of those thirty thousand named, ver.(3).
5: That are - Or, that shall be: for at present he sent them
away, ver.(9), but the next morning followed, and joined himself with
them, (Jos 8:10,11).
That we - I and the twenty five thousand with me.
9: Sent them - The same party. Among the people - Heb. that
people, the people of war as they are called, ver.(11), that is,
the main body of the host consisting of thirty thousand.
10: The people - Heb. that people, not all the people of
Israel; which was needless, and required more time than could now be
spared; but the rest of that host of thirty thousand, whereof five thousand
were sent away; the remainder are numbered, to see whether some of them had
not withdrawn themselves, taking the advantage of the night, and of the
design of laying an ambush; and that it might be evident, this work was done
without any loss of men, whereby they might be encouraged to trust in God,
and to proceed resolutely in their work. The elders of Israel - The chief
magistrates and rulers of Israel under Joshua; and these, I suppose,
went with Joshua, and with the army, to take care that the cattle and
the spoil of the city, which was given by God to all Israel for a prey,(Jos 8:2,27), might be justly and equally divided between those that went
to battle, and the rest of the people.
11: That were with him - Namely, the thirty thousand mentioned,
ver.(3), or the most of them.
12: And he took - Or rather, but he had taken, namely, out of the
said number of thirty thousand, for this is added by way of recapitulation
and farther explication of what is said in general, ver.(9).
13: Joshua went - Namely, accompanied with a small part of the host
now mentioned, that is, very early in the morning, when it was yet dark,
as is said in a like case, (Joh 20:1), whence it is here called night,
though it was early in the morning, as is said, (Jos 8:10), for it seems
most probable, that all was done in one night's space, and in this manner;
Joshua sends away the ambush by night, ver.(3), and lodgeth that night
with twenty - five thousand men, ver.(9), not far from the city. But not
able or willing to sleep all night, he rises very early, ver.(10), and
numbers his men, which by the help of the several officers was quietly done,
and so immediately leads them towards Ai; and while it was yet duskish
or night, he goes into the midst of the valley, ver.(13), and when the
day dawns he is discovered by the king and people of Ai, who thereupon
rose up early to fight with them, ver.(14).
The valley - Which was near the city, thereby to allure them forth.
14: His people - Namely, all his men of war, for the rest were left
in Ai, ver.(16).
At a time appointed - At a certain hour agreed upon between the king and
people of Ai, and of Bethel too, who were their confederates in this
enterprize, as it may seem from ver.(17). Possibly they might appoint
the same hour of the day on which they had fought against Israel with
good success, looking upon it as a lucky hour. Before the plain - That
is, towards or in sight of that plain or valley in which the Israelites
were, that so they might put themselves in battle - array.
Against him - The former success having made him secure, as is usual in
such cases; God also blinding his mind, and infatuating him, as he useth to
do with those whom he intends to destroy.
15: Made as if they were beaten - That is, fled from them, as it were
for fear of a second blow. The wilderness - Which lay between Ai and
Jericho, whither they now seemed to flee.
16: All the people - Namely, all that were able to bear arms, for old
men and children were unfit for the pursuit or fight; and that they were yet
left, may seem from (Jos 8:24,25).
17: Not a man - Namely, fit for war. Bethel - Which, being a
neighbouring city, and encouraged by the former success, had sent some
forces to assist them; and now, upon notice sent to them of the flight of
their common enemies, or upon some other signal given, all their men of war
join with those of Ai in the pursuit.
18: Stretch out the spear - This was, either,
- for a sign to his host present with him, to stop their flight,
and make head against the pursuers: or,
- for a signal to the liers in wait, or,
- as a token of God's presence and assistance with them,
and of their victory.
19: Set the city on fire - Not all of it, as appears from
ver.(28), and because then they had lost that prey which God had
allowed them; but part of it, enough to raise a smoke, and give notice
to their brethren of their success.
21: All Israel - That is, all the Israelites there present.
22: The other - They who lay in ambush.
23: Took alive - Reserving him to a more ignominious punishment.
24: Smote it - That is, the inhabitants of it, the men, who
through age or infirmity were unfit for war, and the women, ver.(25).
25: Of Ai - Not strictly, but largely so called, who were now in
Ai, either as constant and settled inhabitants, or as sojourners and
such as came to them for their help.
26: Drew not his hand back - He kept his hand and spear in the same
posture, both stretched out and lifted up, as a sign both to encourage them,
and to direct them to go on in the work.
29: Hanged on a tree - He dealt more severely with the kings of
Canaan than with the people, because the abominable wickedness of that
people was not restrained and punished (as it should have been) but
countenanced and encouraged by their evil examples; and because they were
the principal authors of the destruction of their own people, by engaging
them in an obstinate opposition against the Israelites.
Down from the tree - According to God's command in that case,(De 21:22).
The gate of the city - Which place he chose either as most commodious, now
especially when all the city within the gate was already turned in to an
heap of stones and rubbish; or because this was the usual place of judgment;
and therefore proper to bear the monument of God's just sentence against
him, not without reflection upon that injustice which he had been guilty of
in that place.
30: Then - Namely, after the taking of Ai. For they were obliged
to do this, when they were brought over Jordan into the land of
Canaan, (De 11:29,27:2,3), which is not to be understood strictly,
as if it were to be done the same day; for it is manifest they were first
to be circumcised, and to eat the passover, which they did, and which was
the work of some days; but as soon as they had opportunity to do it, which
was now when these two great frontier cities were taken and destroyed,
and thereby the coast cleared, and the bordering people under great
consternation, so that all the Israelites might securely march thither.
And indeed this work was fit to be done as soon as might be, that thereby
they might renew their covenant with God, by whose help alone they could
expect success in their great and difficult enterprize.
Built an altar - Namely, for the offering of sacrifices, as appears from
the following verse. Mount Ebal - God's altar was to be but in one place,(De 12:13,14), and this place was appointed to he mount
Ebal, (De 27:4,5), which also seems most proper, that in that
place whence the curses of the law were denounced against sinners, there
might also be the tokens and means of grace, and peace, and reconciliation
with God, for the removing of the curses, and the procuring of God's
blessing to sinners.
32: Upon the stones - Not upon the stones of the altar, which were to
be rough and unpolished, ver.(31), but upon other stones, smooth and
plaistered, as is manifest from (De 27:2).
The law of Moses - Not certainly the whole five books of Moses, for
what stones and time would have sufficed for this, but the most weighty
parts of the law, and especially the law of the ten commandments.
33: All Israel - That is, the whole congregation, old and young, male
and female. That side - Some on one side of it, and some on the other.
Mount Gerizim - These two places were in the tribe of Ephraim, not far
from Shechem, as appears both from scripture, and from other authors.
Bless - Or curse, which is easily understood out of the following verse.
34: Afterward - After the altar was built, and the stones plaistered
and writ upon. He read - That is, he commanded the priests or Levites
to read, (De 27:14).
Blessings and cursings - Which words came in not by way of explication, as
if the words of the law were nothing else besides the blessings and curses;
but by way of addition, to note that these were read over and above the
words of the law.
35: Read not - Therefore he read not the blessings and curses only,
as some think, but the whole law, as the manner was when all Israel, men
and women, were assembled together, or the ten commandments.
Among them - Who were proselytes, for no others can be supposed to be with
them at this time.
