o To'wit, accompanied with a ſmall part of the hoſt now menti- oned, z. e. Very early'in the morning, when it was yet dark, as is ſaid 3n'alike cafe, Joh. 20. 1. whence it is here called Night, though it
har all was done in one nights ſpace, and inthis manner; Joſhua Conde way chrataduſh by n-ebr, 4 3. and lodgeth that night with 25000 1tien, vg. /not'far from the city. But'nor able nor willing to Neep'all' night, he riſes very early, v. 20. and numbers his men, which by the help of the ſeveral Officers was quickly done, and fo Sminediately leads them towards 47; and while it was yer duskjſh -or night, heigoes into the midſt of the valley, wv. 13.and when the "day dawns he is diſcovered by'the King and people' of 4,who there- "this was the ſecond night, and ſo the ambuſh had lain hid a-nighr Ln day" togerber. But then there might be 'danger of their being -difcovered, 'although that danger may 1tceem to be thelefs,-becaufe. "Ai might be fhur up, that none might go out nor come in, 'but-by order, 'andupon' neceſſity, becauſe of the nearneſs of rheir enemies, "3s Fericho formerly was for the ſame reaſon, Joſb, 6. 1. -p Which-was iniear the City, thereby roallure them forth.
L4
Ta 'And'it came to paſs when the king of Aiſfaw it,
city went out againſt Iſrael to battel,: he, and all his people q, at a tirne appointed r, before the plain s, but *Fe wiſt not that there were liers in ainbulb againſt him rc, / q To wit, all his men of war, for the reſt were lefc in 4, v. 16. 'r At a certain hour agreed upon between the King and People of 4s, .*-nd of Bethel roo, who were their Confederates in this Enterprize, "as it'may fecmn "from verſe 16. Poſſibly they might appoint the! Fat 'of the day on which they had fought againſt Ire! with' ſuch good ſuccels, looking upon it as a lucky hour. .s (i. e.) To-
children wereunfit for the purſuit or fight ; and that they were yer lefr, may ſeem from verſes 24, 25.
17 And there was not a man zleftin Ai, or Bethel &, that went not out after Iſrael: and they left the city 0- pen, and purſued after Iſrael, |
z To wit, fit for war. @ Which, being a neighbouring City, and incouraged by the former ſucceis, had ſent ſcme Forces to aſ- lift them; and now, upon notice ſent to them of the flight of their common enemies, or upon ſome other ſignal given, which might
eaſily be done, having been appointed before-hand, as is uſual inſuch caſes, all their men of war join with thoſe of 4 in the purſuit.
18 And the LORD faid unto Jobua, Stretch out the ſpear b, thats in thy hand toward Ai, for I will give it into thine hands And Joſhua ſtretched out the ſpear that he had in his hand toward the city.
6 Or, thy bamer : Or there might be ſome banner in the end of his Spear. This was preſcribed and praQiſed, Either 1. For a ſign to his Hoſt preſent with him, to ſtop their flight, and make head againſt the purſuers. Or, 2. For a {1gnal to the liers in wait,as may ſcem from verſe 19. who, though they were at ſome diſtance, might know this from perions whom they had ſet in ſome high and conve- nient places ro obſerve Joſhua's motion, and to give notice from one ro anorher, and that ſpeedily, as is common in ſuch caſes, until it came to the whole ambuſh. Or 3. As a myſtical roken of God's pre- ſence and afliſtance with them, and of their ViQory ; .or as a mean by God's appointment contributing to their good ſucceſs, as the like poſture of Moſes lifting up his hand, was Exod. 17. 11, 12. which may be the reaſon why he continued this poſture till all the enemies were deſtroyed, verſe 26, whereas if it had been a ſignal only, it was ſuthcient to do it for a little while. I know no reaſon why all theſe ends might nor be joined together.
19 And the ambuſh arofe quickly out of their place, and they ran afloon as he had ſtretched our his hand: and they entred into the city, and took it, and haſted, and ſet the city c on fire. | |
c (1. e.) Not all of it, asappears both from verſe 28. and becauſe then they had loſt that prey which God had allowed them ; bur ſome part of it, enough to raiſe a ſmoke, and give notice to their brethren of their ſucceſs.
20 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they ſaw, and behold, the ſmoak of the city aſcended up to Heaven, and they had no * power 4 to flee this ; jx.4. way, or that way, and the people that fled to the wil- 4, derneſs, turned back uponthe purſuers. -
a Or, place, for ſo the Hebrew word is oft uſed, as Numb. 2. x74 Neh. 7.4. Job. 37.7. Bſal, 104. 25. 1a. 22. 18. and 56. 5.
21 And when Joſhua and all Iſrael eſaw that the am- buſh had taken the city,and that the ſmoak ofthe city aſe
ended, then they turned again, andſlew themen of A;
e (1.e.) All the [raelites there preſent, or all thoſe who ſeemed to flee away before. ;
22 And the'other f iſſuedout of the city againſt them, ſo 'they were in the midft of 1ſrae}, ſome on this fide, and ſome on that ſide, and they fmore them, ſo thar they ,
* ler none of them remain or eſcape g. De f They. whoyzlay in ambuſh, g So their late ſucceſs was a real 7' ®
muſchicf to them, as being the occaſion of their total wine.
23 Anditheking-ot Ai they took alive h, and brought
him to Joſhua.
h Referving him to a peculiar and more ignominious puniſh-
ment for the'terror of the other Kings, who were-the chief cauſes
of all that oppoſition and diſturbance which 1/rae! met with in gains
ing the Poſſcſſion of the'promiſet'Land.
24 And it came to paſs when Iſrael had made an end
of ſlaying all the Inhabitants of Ai, in the field, inthe,
wilderneſs wherein they -chaſed-them, and when they
were all fallen on'the edge of the ſword, until they were
conſumed, that all the Iſraelites returned unto Ai, and
{more it-; with the edge of the ſword.
7 (i. e.) The inhabitants of it, the men, who th
firmity-were unfit for war, and the women, verſe 25.
25 And ſoit was, hat all that fell that:day, both of
men and women, weretwelve thouſand,ever ul the men
of Ai k.
k Nor ftrily, but largely ſo called, who.were. mow in Ai, el-
cher as conſtant and ſettled Inhabitants, or as Sojourners and ſuch
14S came to them for their help, ſuch as being confederare with them,
are eſteemed as one with them ; for it is evident. that. the men of Be=
thelare included in this number, verſe r9..the Iaelites who took this
ut.
rough-age or, i=
and who to the other.
Chap. Vit. f
* Cha a6,
*Deur. x 29. and .27. 12,
aumber, being-unable to-diſtinguiſh who-belonged to the one City, |
26 . For Joſhua drew nothis hand back,wherewith he