Joshua 8:21

21 The army on the run toward the wilderness did an about-face - Joshua and all Israel, seeing that the ambush had taken the city, saw it going up in smoke, turned and attacked the men of Ai.

Joshua 8:21 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:21

And when Joshua
Or "for Joshua" F26:

and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city;
which they knew by the smoke, as follows:

and that the smoke of the city ascended;
in large columns, which sufficiently indicated that the whole city was taken and fired by the ambush:

then,
or, "and",

they turned again and slew the men of Ai;
great numbers of them.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 (evwhyw) "et enim Josua", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Masius.

Joshua 8:21 In-Context

19 At the signal the men in ambush sprang to their feet, ran to the city, took it, and quickly had it up in flames.
20 The men of Ai looked back and, oh! saw the city going up in smoke. They found themselves trapped with nowhere to run.
21 The army on the run toward the wilderness did an about-face - Joshua and all Israel, seeing that the ambush had taken the city, saw it going up in smoke, turned and attacked the men of Ai.
22 Then the men in the ambush poured out of the city. The men of Ai were caught in the middle with Israelites on both sides - a real massacre. And not a single survivor.
23 Except for the king of Ai; they took him alive and brought him to Joshua.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.