Thematic Bible
Joshua 8:1 (show verse)
The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole military force with you and go attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land.
Joshua 8:2 (show verse)
Treat Ai and its king as you did Jericho and its king; you may plunder its spoil and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”
Joshua 8:3 (show verse)
So Joshua and the whole military force set out to attack Ai. Joshua selected 30,000 fighting men and sent them out at night.
Joshua 8:4 (show verse)
He commanded them: “Pay attention. Lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it, and all of you be ready.
Joshua 8:5 (show verse)
Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them.
Joshua 8:6 (show verse)
They will come after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us as before.’ While we are fleeing from them,
Joshua 8:7 (show verse)
you are to come out of your ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God has handed it over to you.
Joshua 8:8 (show verse)
After taking the city, set it on fire. Follow the Lord’s command—see that you do as I have ordered you.”
Joshua 8:9 (show verse)
So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the ambush site and waited between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But he spent that night with the troops.
Joshua 8:10 (show verse)
Joshua started early the next morning and mobilized them. Then he and the elders of Israel led the troops up to Ai.
Joshua 8:11 (show verse)
All those who were with him went up and approached the city, arriving opposite Ai, and camped to the north of it, with a valley between them and the city.
Joshua 8:12 (show verse)
Now Joshua had taken about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
Joshua 8:13 (show verse)
The military force was stationed in this way: the main camp to the north of the city and its rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
Joshua 8:14 (show verse)
When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, the men of the city hurried and went out early in the morning so that he and all his people could engage Israel in battle at a suitable place facing the Arabah. But he did not know there was an ambush waiting for him behind the city.
Joshua 8:15 (show verse)
Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten back by them and fled toward the wilderness.
Joshua 8:16 (show verse)
Then all the troops of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
Joshua 8:17 (show verse)
Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city exposed while they pursued Israel.
Joshua 8:18 (show verse)
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold out the sword in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the city over to you.” So Joshua held out his sword toward it.
Joshua 8:19 (show verse)
When he held out his hand, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They ran, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
Joshua 8:20 (show verse)
The men of Ai turned and looked back, and smoke from the city was rising to the sky! They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.
Joshua 8:21 (show verse)
When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.
Joshua 8:22 (show verse)
Then men in ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces, some on one side and some on the other. They struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained,
Joshua 8:23 (show verse)
but they captured the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
Joshua 8:24 (show verse)
When Israel had finished killing everyone living in Ai who had pursued them into the open country, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the sword.
Joshua 8:25 (show verse)
The total of those who fell that day, both men and women, was 12,000—all the people of Ai.
Joshua 8:26 (show verse)
Joshua did not draw back his hand that was holding the sword until all the inhabitants of Ai were completely destroyed.
Joshua 8:27 (show verse)
Israel plundered only the cattle and spoil of that city for themselves, according to the Lord’s command that He had given Joshua.
No Themes for this verse.
Joshua 8:28 (show verse)
Joshua burned Ai and left it a permanent ruin, desolate to this day.
Joshua 8:29 (show verse)
He hung the body of the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take his body down from the tree. They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and put a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.
Joshua 8:30 (show verse)
At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the Lord, the God of Israel,
Altar » Mosaic commandments prescribing the construction of
Altar » Built by » Joshua
Altars » Mentioned in scripture » Of joshua
Curse » Curses of the mosaic law
Ebal » Ebal, in samaria
Ebal » Mountain » Ephraim » Altar » built on
Joshua » Characteristics of » Spiritual mindedness
Law » Engraved upon monuments
Mountains » Names of » Ebal, in samaria
Pillar » By joshua, the crossing of the jordan river
Altar » Built by » Joshua
Altars » Mentioned in scripture » Of joshua
Curse » Curses of the mosaic law
Ebal » Ebal, in samaria
Ebal » Mountain » Ephraim » Altar » built on
Joshua » Characteristics of » Spiritual mindedness
Law » Engraved upon monuments
Mountains » Names of » Ebal, in samaria
Pillar » By joshua, the crossing of the jordan river
Joshua 8:31 (show verse)
just as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used. Then they offered burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings on it.
Altar » Mosaic commandments prescribing the construction of
Altar » Built by » Joshua
Altars » Laws regarding the building of
Altars » Mentioned in scripture » Of joshua
Curse » Curses of the mosaic law
Iron » Made into » Tools for artificers
Law » Engraved upon monuments
Peace offerings » Offered » By joshua
Peace offerings » Was offered » By joshua after his victories
Stones » Used » In building altars
Altar » Built by » Joshua
Altars » Laws regarding the building of
Altars » Mentioned in scripture » Of joshua
Curse » Curses of the mosaic law
Iron » Made into » Tools for artificers
Law » Engraved upon monuments
Peace offerings » Offered » By joshua
Peace offerings » Was offered » By joshua after his victories
Stones » Used » In building altars
Joshua 8:32 (show verse)
There on the stones, Joshua copied the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the Israelites.
Joshua 8:33 (show verse)
All Israel, foreigner and citizen alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark of the Lord’s covenant facing the Levitical priests who carried it. As Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded earlier, half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal, to bless the people of Israel.
Benedictions » Instances of » By half the tribes, who stood on mount gerizim
Curse » Curses of the mosaic law
Ebal » Ebal, in samaria
Ebal » A mountain of ephraim. Half of the tribes of israel stand on, to respond amen to the curses of the law
Gerizim » Mount of blessing
Law » Curses of, responsively read by levites and people at mount ebal and mount gerizim
Law » Engraved upon monuments
Levites » Pronounced the blessings of the law in the responsive service at mount gerizim
Mountains » Names of » Gerizim, in samaria
Mountains » Names of » Ebal, in samaria
Strangers in israel » Laws respecting » To have the law read to them
The word of God » To be read publicly
Worship » The word of God read in public assemblies
Worship » On mount gerizim and mount ebal
Curse » Curses of the mosaic law
Ebal » Ebal, in samaria
Ebal » A mountain of ephraim. Half of the tribes of israel stand on, to respond amen to the curses of the law
Gerizim » Mount of blessing
Law » Curses of, responsively read by levites and people at mount ebal and mount gerizim
Law » Engraved upon monuments
Levites » Pronounced the blessings of the law in the responsive service at mount gerizim
Mountains » Names of » Gerizim, in samaria
Mountains » Names of » Ebal, in samaria
Strangers in israel » Laws respecting » To have the law read to them
The word of God » To be read publicly
Worship » The word of God read in public assemblies
Worship » On mount gerizim and mount ebal
Joshua 8:34 (show verse)
Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings as well as the curses—according to all that is written in the book of the law.
Curse » Curses of the mosaic law
Law » Curses of, responsively read by levites and people at mount ebal and mount gerizim
Law » Engraved upon monuments
the Law of moses » Publicly read » By joshua
Strangers in israel » Laws respecting » To have the law read to them
The bible » Purpose » Read in the great congregation
The word of God » To be read publicly
Word » Purpose of » Read in the great congregation
Worship » The word of God read in public assemblies
Worship » On mount gerizim and mount ebal
Law » Curses of, responsively read by levites and people at mount ebal and mount gerizim
Law » Engraved upon monuments
the Law of moses » Publicly read » By joshua
Strangers in israel » Laws respecting » To have the law read to them
The bible » Purpose » Read in the great congregation
The word of God » To be read publicly
Word » Purpose of » Read in the great congregation
Worship » The word of God read in public assemblies
Worship » On mount gerizim and mount ebal
Joshua 8:35 (show verse)
There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, the little children, and the foreigners who were with them.
Children » Instruction of
Children » Present at religious worship
Children » Worship
Children » Indulgence of » Instructed, examples of
Home » Children » Present at religious worship
Instruction » Of children encouraged » Examples of
Law » Bondage of » The public reading of
Law » Curses of, responsively read by levites and people at mount ebal and mount gerizim
Law » Engraved upon monuments
the Law of moses » Publicly read » By joshua
Strangers in israel » Laws respecting » To have the law read to them
The bible » The law part of » The public reading of
The word of God » To be read publicly
Woman » Were required to hear and obey the law
Women » Required to attend to the reading of the law of moses
Worship » The word of God read in public assemblies
Worship » Divinity of Christ » Children present at
Worship » On mount gerizim and mount ebal
Children » Present at religious worship
Children » Worship
Children » Indulgence of » Instructed, examples of
Home » Children » Present at religious worship
Instruction » Of children encouraged » Examples of
Law » Bondage of » The public reading of
Law » Curses of, responsively read by levites and people at mount ebal and mount gerizim
Law » Engraved upon monuments
the Law of moses » Publicly read » By joshua
Strangers in israel » Laws respecting » To have the law read to them
The bible » The law part of » The public reading of
The word of God » To be read publicly
Woman » Were required to hear and obey the law
Women » Required to attend to the reading of the law of moses
Worship » The word of God read in public assemblies
Worship » Divinity of Christ » Children present at
Worship » On mount gerizim and mount ebal