Reference: Ambush
Easton
Joshua at the capture of Ai lay in ambush, and so deceived the inhabitants that he gained an easy victory (Jos 8:4-26). Shechem was taken in this manner (Jg 9:30-45. Comp. Jer 51:12).
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He told them, "Look, set an ambush behind the city. Don't go very far from the city; all of you be ready! I and all the troops who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them. read more. They will attack us until we have lured them from the city, for they will say, 'They are retreating from us like before.' We will retreat from them. Then you rise up from your hiding place and seize the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you. When you capture the city, set it on fire. Do as the Lord says! See, I have given you orders." Joshua sent them away and they went to their hiding place west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. Joshua spent that night with the army. Bright and early the next morning Joshua gathered the army, and he and the leaders of Israel marched at the head of it to Ai. All the troops that were with him marched up and drew near the city. They camped north of Ai on the other side of the valley. He took five thousand men and set an ambush west of the city between Bethel and Ai. The army was in position -- the main army north of the city and the rear guard west of the city. That night Joshua went into the middle of the valley. When the king of Ai saw Israel, he and his whole army quickly got up the next day and went out to fight Israel at the meeting place near the Arabah. But he did not realize men were hiding behind the city. Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them and they retreated along the way to the desert. All the reinforcements in Ai were ordered to chase them; they chased Joshua and were lured away from the city. No men were left in Ai or Bethel; they all went out after Israel. They left the city wide open and chased Israel. The Lord told Joshua, "Hold out toward Ai the curved sword in your hand, for I am handing the city over to you." So Joshua held out toward Ai the curved sword in his hand. When he held out his hand, the men waiting in ambush rose up quickly from their place and attacked. They entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire. When the men of Ai turned around, they saw the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction. In the meantime the men who were retreating to the desert turned against their pursuers. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that the city was going up in smoke, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai. At the same time the men who had taken the city came out to fight, and the men of Ai were trapped in the middle. The Israelites struck them down, leaving no survivors or refugees. But they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua. When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had chased them toward the desert (they all fell by the sword), all Israel returned to Ai and put the sword to it. Twelve thousand men and women died that day, including all the men of Ai. Joshua kept holding out his curved sword until Israel had annihilated all who lived in Ai.
When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious. He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, reporting, "Beware! Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. read more. Now, come up at night with your men and set an ambush in the field outside the city. In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him." So Abimelech and all his men came up at night and set an ambush outside Shechem -- they divided into four units. When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city's gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places. Gaal saw the men and said to Zebul, "Look, men are coming down from the tops of the hills." But Zebul said to him, "You are seeing the shadows on the hills -- it just looks like men." Gaal again said, "Look, men are coming down from the very center of the land. A unit is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners." Zebul said to him, "Where now are your bragging words, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Are these not the men you insulted? Go out now and fight them!" So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out and fought Abimelech. Abimelech chased him, and Gaal ran from him. Many Shechemites fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. Abimelech went back to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. The next day the Shechemites came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it, he took his men and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked and struck them down. Abimelech and his units attacked and blocked the entrance to the city's gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down. Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled the city and spread salt over it.
Give the signal to attack Babylon's wall! Bring more guards! Post them all around the city! Put men in ambush! For the Lord will do what he has planned. He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon.