Joshua 8

The capture of Ai (vs. 1-29)—Once the sin had been removed the camp, the children of Israel were ready to take Ai. The Lord gave Joshua encouragement in verses 1 and 2, and a brief tactical plan: “Lay an ambush for the city behind it" (v. 2).

Joshua chose 30,000 “mighty men of valor” to be the main force for the capture of Ai (v. 3). 5,000 of them would be placed on the west side, between Ai and Bethel (v. 12), and the rest would take their position on the north side of the city (v. 11). Joshua would take a small contingent and approach the city; when the men of Ai came out after them, Joshua and his troops would “flee before them” (v. 5), drawing their attackers farther away from their town (v. 6). Then the Israeli ambushers would seize the city (v. 7). The town was to be burned (v. 8), though the Lord did allow them to take booty this time (v. 2).

The plan worked to perfection. The king of Ai took his troops and attacked Joshua (v. 14), who “fled” before him (v. 15). This drew all the Ai men of war out of the city (v. 16); apparently, the troops of Bethel came to Ai’s assistance (v. 17). Joshua, at the Lord’s command, then gave the signal for the ambushers to attack (v. 18). They did, and easily entered the city—there was no one left to protect it (v. 19). The army of Ai knew it had been had (v. 20), and became easy prey for Joshua’s contingent of troops (v. 22). They took the king alive, however, (v. 23), but Joshua hanged him (v. 29).

12,000 people of Ai, “both men and women” (v. 25), were put to death. As the Lord allowed, the livestock and “spoil of that city” were taken (v. 27). Ai was completely obliterated, “a heap forever, a desolation to this day” (v. 28). The king of Ai was buried under a pile of stones at where the entrance of the gate had been (v. 29). A glorious victory for the children of Israel, the first time, in the land of Canaan, they had won an actual battle. They took Jericho, of course, without a fight.

The altar and the reading of the law (vs. 30-35)—Even though there was much to be done, time was taken to give glory to God. Joshua “built an altar to the Lord God of Israel” (v. 30), “of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool” (v. 31). Burnt offerings and peace offerings were sacrificed on this altar (v. 31). Joshua then wrote a copy of the law on the stones, the “blessings and cursings” (v. 34), not the whole law. Half the people were in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal when Joshua read the law (v. 33). All of Israel, men, women, children, and “strangers” were there for the reading (v. 35). It was their law; they needed to hear it as often as possible.