Joshua 8:12
New International Version
Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

New Living Translation
That night Joshua sent about 5,000 men to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the town.

English Standard Version
He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

Berean Standard Bible
Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

King James Bible
And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

New King James Version
So he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

New American Standard Bible
Then he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

NASB 1995
And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

NASB 1977
And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

Amplified Bible
And Joshua took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

Christian Standard Bible
Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now Joshua had taken about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

American Standard Version
And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city.

Contemporary English Version
Joshua had already sent 5,000 soldiers to the west side of the town to hide and wait to attack.

English Revised Version
And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joshua had taken about five thousand men and had them hide between Bethel and Ai, west of the city.

Good News Translation
He took about five thousand men and put them in hiding west of the city, between Ai and Bethel.

International Standard Version
Taking about 5,000 men, he set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai to the west of the city,

Majority Standard Bible
Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

NET Bible
He took five thousand men and set an ambush west of the city between Bethel and Ai.

New Heart English Bible
He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he took about five thousand men; and set them to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city.

World English Bible
He took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he takes about five thousand men, and sets them [for] an ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city;

Young's Literal Translation
And he taketh about five thousand men, and setteth them an ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will take about five thousand men and set them in ambush between the house of God and between Ai, from the sea, to the city.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he had chosen five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Hai, on the west side of the same city:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now he had chosen five thousand men, and he had positioned them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, at the western part of the same city.

New American Bible
He took about five thousand warriors and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, west of the city.

New Revised Standard Version
Taking about five thousand men, he set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Joshua took five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yeshua took five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bayth Eil and Ai from the west of the city
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the ambuscade was on the west side of the city.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Conquest of Ai
11Then all the troops who were with him marched up and approached the city. They arrived in front of Ai and camped to the north of it, with the valley between them and the city. 12Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.…

Cross References
Joshua 6:2-5
And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor. / March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. / Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. ...

Judges 20:29-30
So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah. / On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before.

2 Samuel 5:23-25
So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. / As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” / So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

2 Kings 7:12
So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’”

2 Chronicles 20:22-24
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. / The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. / When the men of Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the vast army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

Genesis 14:14-15
And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan. / During the night, Abram divided his forces and routed Chedorlaomer’s army, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

Exodus 17:9-13
So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.” / Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. / As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed. ...

Numbers 31:3-5
So Moses told the people, “Arm some of your men for war, that they may go against the Midianites and execute the LORD’s vengeance on them. / Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.” / So a thousand men were recruited from each tribe of Israel—twelve thousand armed for war.

Deuteronomy 7:2
and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.

1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

1 Kings 20:29-30
For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. / The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

Nehemiah 4:9
So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.

Psalm 18:37-42
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed. / I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet. / You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me. ...

Isaiah 8:9-10
Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered! / Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not happen. For God is with us.”

Jeremiah 21:8-10
Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. / Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who besiege you will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war. / For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’


Treasury of Scripture

And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

five thousand

Joshua 8:2,3
And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it…

of the city.

Jump to Previous
Ai Ambush Attack Bethel Beth-El City Joshua Lie Position Side Surprise Thousand West
Jump to Next
Ai Ambush Attack Bethel Beth-El City Joshua Lie Position Side Surprise Thousand West
Joshua 8
1. God encourages Joshua
3. The plan whereby Ai was taken
29. The king thereof is hanged
30. Joshua builds an altar
32. writes the law on stones
33. and pronounces the blessings and curses














Now Joshua
The name "Joshua" is derived from the Hebrew "Yehoshua," meaning "Yahweh is salvation." Joshua, as the leader of Israel, is a type of Christ, leading God's people into the Promised Land. His actions are divinely guided, reflecting obedience and faith in God's promises. Historically, Joshua's leadership is pivotal in the conquest narratives, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His covenant with Israel.

had taken about five thousand men
The strategic choice of "five thousand men" for the ambush reflects Joshua's military acumen and reliance on divine strategy rather than sheer numbers. The number five in biblical numerology often symbolizes grace, suggesting that this ambush is undergirded by God's grace and favor. This tactical decision underscores the importance of obedience to God's specific instructions, as seen throughout the conquest of Canaan.

and set them in ambush
The concept of an "ambush" in ancient warfare was a common tactic, but here it is divinely inspired. The Hebrew root for "ambush" is "ארב" (arab), which implies lying in wait. This reflects the wisdom and patience required in spiritual warfare, where believers must be vigilant and ready to act according to God's timing. The ambush signifies a turning point, where Israel's previous defeat at Ai is redeemed through obedience and strategic planning.

between Bethel and Ai
"Bethel," meaning "House of God," and "Ai," meaning "heap of ruins," are significant locations. Bethel is a place of divine encounters, while Ai represents human failure and sin. The positioning "between Bethel and Ai" symbolizes the tension between divine promise and human struggle. Archaeologically, these sites are well-documented, providing historical context to the biblical narrative. This geographical setting reminds believers of the constant choice between following God or succumbing to worldly ruin.

to the west of the city
The direction "west" in biblical symbolism often represents moving towards God, as the tabernacle faced east, and entering it meant moving westward. By setting the ambush "to the west of the city," Joshua aligns the military strategy with a spiritual journey towards God's presence and victory. This directional choice emphasizes the importance of aligning our actions with God's will, moving towards His promises and away from past failures.

(12) And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush . . .--Is this a fresh body, or only a portion of the thirty thousand mentioned in Joshua 8:3? It is, of course, possible that the body of thirty thousand, having closed the communications between Bethel and Ai on the first night, and finding that they were more numerous than was necessary, had rejoined Joshua when he came up, and that a small body of five thousand was told off for the service on the next day. But after carefully studying the natural features of the position by the Ordnance map (of which I have been able to enjoy the advantage at this point of my work), I am inclined to think that both forces were employed--the thirty thousand and the five thousand--and for distinct services. There are two ravines, which come to a head between Beitin (Bethel) and et-Tel (Ai). The body of men who were to fire the town of Ai were posted in the one nearer to Ai. The larger body, whose business was to prevent any interference from the side of Bethel, were posted in the ravine next to that city, where they had been from the first. If it be remembered, as was before observed, that Joshua was attacking a fortified town, which was protected in flank by another town, and that it was necessary to be prepared for all contingencies from the first, the meaning of his movements will be apparent.

Verse 12. - And he took about five thousand men (see above, ver. 3). We must translate had taken. The repetition is quite in the manner of the Hebrew writers. This passage is of course, according to the Jehovist and Elohist theory, "quite irreconeilable" with the rest of the narrative. So we are told that this is a Jehovistic interpolation (Knobel). Of the city. The Masorites and LXX. prefer the reading Ai (i.e., עַי for עִיר.), in the margin of our Bibles, to that in the text, which is followed by the Vulgate and Luther.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now Joshua had taken
וַיִּקַּ֕ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

about five
כַּחֲמֵ֥שֶׁת (ka·ḥă·mê·šeṯ)
Preposition-k, Article | Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2568: Five

thousand
אֲלָפִ֖ים (’ă·lā·p̄îm)
Number - masculine plural
Strong's 505: A thousand

men
אִ֑ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

and set
וַיָּ֨שֶׂם (way·yā·śem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

them
אוֹתָ֜ם (’ō·w·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

in ambush
אֹרֵ֗ב (’ō·rêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 693: To lie in wait

between
בֵּ֧ין (bên)
Preposition
Strong's 996: An interval, space between

Bethel
אֵ֛ל (’êl)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1008: Bethel -- 'house of God', a city in Ephraim, also a place in southern Judah

and Ai,
הָעַ֖י (hā·‘ay)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5857: Ai -- a Canaanite city

to the west
מִיָּ֥ם (mî·yām)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

of the city.
לָעִֽיר׃ (lā·‘îr)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement


Links
Joshua 8:12 NIV
Joshua 8:12 NLT
Joshua 8:12 ESV
Joshua 8:12 NASB
Joshua 8:12 KJV

Joshua 8:12 BibleApps.com
Joshua 8:12 Biblia Paralela
Joshua 8:12 Chinese Bible
Joshua 8:12 French Bible
Joshua 8:12 Catholic Bible

OT History: Joshua 8:12 He took about five thousand men (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 8:11
Top of Page
Top of Page