Joshua 8:15
◄  Joshua 8:15  ►
New International Version (©2011)
Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.

New Living Translation (©2007)
Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten.

English Standard Version (©2001)
And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten back by them and fled toward the wilderness.

International Standard Version (©2012)
Because Joshua and the entire fighting force of Israel pretended to lose the battle by running away in front of them toward the wilderness,

NET Bible (©2006)
Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them and they retreated along the way to the desert.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated. They ran away toward the desert.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

American King James Version
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

American Standard Version
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Josue, and all Israel gave back, making as if they were afraid, and fleeing by the way of the wilderness.

Darby Bible Translation
And Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten before them; and they fled by the way of the wilderness.

English Revised Version
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

World English Bible
Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

Young's Literal Translation
And Joshua and all Israel seem stricken before them, and flee the way of the wilderness,

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:3-22 Observe Joshua's conduct and prudence. Those that would maintain their spiritual conflicts must not love their ease. Probably he went into the valley alone, to pray to God for a blessing, and he did not seek in vain. He never drew back till the work was done. Those that have stretched out their hands against their spiritual enemies, must never draw them back.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - Made as though they were beaten. "Joshua conquered by yielding. So our Lord Jesus Christ, when He bowed His head and gave up the ghost, seemed as if death had triumphed over Him; but in His resurrection He rallied again, and gave the powers of darkness a total defeat" (Matthew Henry). By the way of the wilderness. Northwestward, in the direction of the wilderness of Bethel (Joshua 16:1)

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them,.... Or smitten, as some of them might be in the pursuit:

and fled by the way of the wilderness; not a barren desert, but, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, a place for the pasture of cattle; though perhaps it is the same with the wilderness of Bethaven, Joshua 18:12. Epiphanius (w) makes mention of the wilderness of Bethel and Ephraim as near Jericho.

(w) Contr. Haeres. l. 1. tom. 2.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15-17. Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them—the pretended flight in the direction of the wilderness; that is, southeast, into the Ghor, the desert valley of the Jordan, decoyed all the inhabitants of Ai out of the city, while the people of Beth-el hastened to participate in the expected victory. It is supposed by some, from "the city," and not "cities," being spoken of, that the effective force of Beth-el had been concentrated in Ai, as the two places were closely contiguous, and Ai the larger of the two. (See Jos 12:9). It may be remarked, however, that the words, "or Beth-el," are not in the Septuagint, and are rejected by some eminent scholars, as an interpolation not found in the most ancient manuscripts.

Joshua 8:15 Parallel Commentaries

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Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


The Conquest of Ai
…14And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he knew not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city. 15And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. …

Joshua 8:14 When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city.
Joshua 15:61 In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Sekakah,
Joshua 16:1 The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel.
Joshua 18:12 On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the wilderness of Beth Aven.
Judges 20:36 Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten. Now the men of Israel had given way before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush they had set near Gibeah.
Judges 20:42 So they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the wilderness, but they could not escape the battle. And the Israelites who came out of the towns cut them down there.