7 occurrences in 7 dictionaries

Reference: Ai

American

Called also Hai, Ge 12:8; Aija, Ne 11:31; and Aiath, Isa 10:28. A royal city of the Canaanites, east of Bethel, near which Abraham once sojourned and built an altar, Ge 12:8; 13:3. It is memorable for Joshua's defeat on account of Achan, and his subsequent victory, Jos 7:2-5; 8:1-29. It was rebuilt, and is mentioned by Isaiah. Its ruins are spoken of by Eusebius and Jerome, but the exact site cannot now be fixed with certainty.

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Easton

ruins.

(1.) One of the royal cities of the Canaanites (Jos 10:1; Ge 12:8; 13:3). It was the scene of Joshua's defeat, and afterwards of his victory. It was the second Canaanite city taken by Israel (Jos 7:2-5; 8:1-29). It lay rebuilt and inhibited by the Benjamites (Ezr 2:28; Ne 7:32; 11:31). It lay to the east of Bethel, "beside Beth-aven." The spot which is most probably the site of this ancient city is Haiyan, 2 miles east from Bethel. It lay up the Wady Suweinit, a steep, rugged valley, extending from the Jordan valley to Bethel.

(2.) A city in the Ammonite territory (Jer 49:3). Some have thought that the proper reading of the word is Ar (Isa 15:1).

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Fausets

("heap of rains".)

1. AI or HAI, i.e. the Ai (Ge 12:8); a royal city (Jos 7:2; 8:9,23,29; 10:1-2; 12:9); E. of Bethel, "beside Bethaven." The second Canaanite city taken by Israel and "utterly destroyed." The name AIATH still belonged to the locality when Sennacherib marched against Jerusalem (Isa 10:28). "Men of Bethel and Ai," (223 according to Ezr 2:28, but 123 according to Ne 7:32,) returned from Babylon with Zerubbzbel. Ezra's list was made in Babylon; Nehemiah's in Judaea long after. Death and change of purpose would make many in Ezra's list of intending returners not appear in Nehemiah's list of those actually arriving.

Aija is mentioned among the towns reoccupied by the Benjamites (Ne 11:31). Perhaps the site is at the head of Wary Harith. (See BETHEL.) There is a hilltop E. of the church remains on the hill adjoining and E. of Bethel (Beitin); its Arab name, et Tel, means "the heap," and it doubtless is the site of Ai, or Hai (on the east of Abraham's encampment and altar, Ge 12:8). In the valley behind Joshua placed his ambush. Across the intervening valley is the spot where Joshua stood when giving the preconcerted signal. The plain or ridge can be seen down which the men of Ai rushed after the retreating Israelites, so that the men in ambush rose and captured the city behind the pursuers, and made it. "a heap" or tel for ever.

2. A city of Ammon, near Heshbon (Jer 49:3).

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Hastings

1. A place between which and Bethel Abraham was stationed before (Ge 12:8) and after (Ge 13:3) his sojourn in Egypt. The repulse of the Israelite attempt on the city (Jos 7:2-5) led to the exposure of the crime of Achan; when that was expiated, the city was captured and destroyed (Jos 8:1-28) by a ruse. It never reappears in history, though it continued to be inhabited: it is the Aiath in Isaiah's description of the march of the Assyrian (Jos 10:28), and the Aija of Ne 11:31. In 1Ch 7:28 'Azzah, enumerated among the cities of Ephraim, is in many MSS 'Ayyah, which is another form of the name. This, however, cannot in any case be the same place, which was within the tribe of Benjamin (Jos 18:23, where Avvim is possibly a corruption for the name of this city). After the Exile, Ai and Bethel between them supplied a contingent of 223 to the number that returned (Ezr 2:28), and the city was once more settled by Benjamites (Ne 11:31). That the city was insignificant is definitely stated in Jos 7:3, and indicated by the fact that in the list of captured cities it is almost the only one of which the situation is specified (Jos 12:9). Its capture, however, made a deep impression on the Canaanites (Jos 9:3; 10:1). As to its identification, the only indication to guide us is its proximity to Bethel (agreed by all to be Beitin), on the east of that place (as follows from Ge 12:8). Various sites have been proposed

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Morish

A'i Hai. Ha'i

1. Royal city of Canaan. It was known to Abraham, who pitched his tent between Hai and Bethel. Ge 12:8. It was conquered by Joshua

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Smith

A'i

(heap of ruins).

1. A city lying east of Bethel and "beside Bethaven."

Jos 7:2; 8:9

It was the second city taken by Israel after the passage of the Jordan, and was "utterly destroyed."

Jos 7:3-5; 1/type/bbe'>8:1,1; 9:3; 10:1-2; 12:9

2. A city of the Ammonites, apparently attached to Heshbon.

Jer 49:3

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Watsons

AI, called by the LXX, Gai, by Josephus, Aina, and by others Ajah, a town of Palestine, situate west of Bethel, and at a small distance north-west of Jericho. The three thousand men, first sent by Joshua to reduce this city, were repulsed, on account of the sin of Achan, who had violated the anathema pronounced against Jericho, by appropriating a part of the spoil. After the expiation of this offence, the whole army of Israel marched against Ai, with orders to treat that city as Jericho had been treated, with this difference, that the plunder was to be given to the army. Joshua, having appointed an ambush of thirty thousand men, marched against the city, and by a feigned retreat, drew out the king of Ai with his troops; and upon on a signal given by elevating his shield on the top of a pike, the men in ambush entered the city and set fire to it. Thus the soldiers of Ai, placed between two divisions of Joshua's army, were all destroyed; the king alone being preserved for a more ignominious death on a gibbet, where he hung till sunset. The spoil of the place was afterward divided among the Israelites. The men appointed for ambush are, in one place, said to be thirty thousand, and in another five thousand. For reconciling this apparent contradiction, most commentators have generally supposed, that there were two bodies placed in ambuscade between Bethel and Ai, one of twenty-five thousand and the other of five thousand men; the latter being probably a detachment from the thirty thousand first sent, and ordered to lie as near to the city as possible. Masius allows only five thousand men for the ambuscade, and twenty-five thousand for the attack.