682 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the other issued out of the city against them,.... That is, the ambush, or at least a part of them: so that they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side; or, as we commonly say, they were between two fires, the ambush on one side, the army of Israel on the other: and they smote them, so that they let none of them...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the king of Ai they took alive,.... They spared him, and reserved him for a more shameful death: and brought him to Joshua; their general; delivering him into his hands as his prisoner, to do will, him as seemed good in his sight.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai,.... That came out against them: in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them; both in the arable lands that were sown with corn, and now clothed with it, the wheat especially, not being gathered in, as not yet ripe, and in the pasture ground,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And [so] it was, [that] all that fell that day,.... Partly in the city, and partly in the field, both by the ambush and the army: both of men and women; [were] twelve thousand, [even] all the men of Ai; so that the city was not a very large one, and the numbers of inhabitants were comparatively but few, as in Joshua 7:3.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For Joshua drew not his hand back wherewith he stretched out his spear,.... But continued it, and that stretched out: until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai; just as the hand of Moses was held up, and kept held up until Amalek was discomfited by Joshua, Exodus 17:12.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Only the cattle, and the spoil of the city, Israel took for a prey unto themselves,.... Even all their substance, as besides their cattle, also their gold, silver, household goods, merchandise, &c. according unto the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua, Joshua 8:2.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joshua burnt Ai,.... The whole city, fire being only set before to a few houses, to make a smoke as a signal; he did with it as he had done with Jericho, for so he was ordered, Joshua 8:2; and made it an heap for ever; that is, for a long time, for it appears to have been rebuilt, and to have been inhabited by the Jews, after their return from...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide,.... By way of terror to other kings in the land of Canaan, that should refuse to submit unto him: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree; according to the law in Deuteronomy 21:23; and that the land might not be defiled: and cast...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal. As was commanded, Deuteronomy 27:5. The Samaritan Chronicle says, it was built in Mount Gerizim; but there is a difficulty arises, when this was done by Joshua; it should seem by inserting the account here, that it was done immediately after the destruction of Ai; and Mercator...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses,.... Deuteronomy 27:5; an altar of whole stones, on which no man hath lift up [any] iron; [See comments on Exodus 20:25], [See comments on Deuteronomy 27:5], and, [See comments on Deuteronomy 27:6]: and they offered thereon burnt...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses,.... Not upon the stones of which the altar was made, though some have so thought; but upon other stones erected in the form of a pillar, and plastered over, Deuteronomy 27:4; which copy of the law was not the whole book of Deuteronomy, as some, at least only an abstract of the laws in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark, and on that side,.... Some on Ebal, and some on Gerizim: before the priests and the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord; it being brought out of the tabernacle on this occasion, and bottle by the priests and Levites: as well the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And afterwards he read all the words of the law,.... Not the whole Pentateuch, nor the whole book of Deuteronomy, but either some parts of it, the decalogue, or whatsoever he had written on the stones, and as follows: the blessings and cursings, according to all that was written in the book of the law; Deuteronomy 27:14; [See comments on...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not,.... So punctually, precisely, and exactly did he observe the instructions and commands that were given him by Moses; and this he did in the most public manner: before all the congregation of Israel; who were on this occasion called together, and not before the men only, but...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Joshua 9 This chapter gives an account of the combination of the several kings of Canaan against Israel, Joshua 9:1; and of the craftiness of the Gibeonites, pretending they were ambassadors from a far country, and desired to enter into a league with Israel, which they obtained, Joshua 9:3; but when it was discovered who they were,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, when all the kings which [were] on this side Jordan,.... On the side Israel now were, and was that in which the land of Canaan lay, and was now governed by many kings, and all that were now remaining, even all but the kings of Jericho and Ai, who were slain: both those in the hills, and in the valleys; that dwelt in the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
That they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua, and with Israel,.... Not at this time, but they met together to consult what was proper to be done in order to secure themselves, and their people, and put a stop to the successes of the arms of Israel; and for this purpose entered into alliances with each other to assist one another, or...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when the inhabitants of Gibeon,.... A large and royal city, a metropolitan one, which had three others belonging to it, and under it, mentioned Joshua 9:17; see Joshua 10:2; no mention is made of any king over them, perhaps they were governed by elders, Joshua 9:11. Though an Arabic writer (h) says, the king of Gibeon wrote to Joshua, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they did work wilily,.... Acted craftily, dealt in much cunning and subtlety; our version leaves out a very emphatic word, "also"; they also, as well as other nations, acted a cunning part, but in a different way; they did not enter into consultations and alliances with others, how to defend themselves, but made use of a stratagem to make...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And old shoes and clouted upon their feet,.... Which being worn out, were patched with various pieces of leather: and old garments upon them; full of holes and rents, ragged and patched: and the bread of their provision was dry [and] mouldy; having been kept a long time, and unfit for use; or like cakes over baked and burnt, as the Targum and...