1Tu řekl Hospodin Jozuovi: Neboj se ani se neděs. Vezmi s sebou všechen bojeschopný lid a povstaň, vytáhni proti Aji. Pohleď, vydal jsem do tvé ruky krále Aje, jeho lid, jeho město a jeho zemi. 2A naložíš s Ajem a s jeho králem tak, jak jsi naložil s Jerichem a s jeho králem; pouze kořist z něj a jeho dobytek zaberete pro sebe. Postav si k městu zezadu zálohu. 3Jozue tedy vstal a s ním i všechen bojeschopný lid, aby táhli na Aj. Jozue vybral třicet tisíc mužů, udatných hrdinů, a v noci je tam poslal. 4Přikázal jim: Hleďte vy, kdo číháte proti městu ze zadní strany města, příliš se od města nevzdalujte. Vy všichni budete připravení. 5A já i všechen lid, který je se mnou, se přiblížíme k městu. Bude to tak, že proti nám vytáhnou jako poprvé a my budeme před nimi utíkat. 6Potom vyjdou za námi, až je i odlákáme od města, protože řeknou: Utíkají před námi tak jako poprvé. A my před nimi budeme utíkat. 7Vy pak povstanete ze zálohy, obsadíte to město a Hospodin, váš Bůh, vám ho vydá do ruky. 8A tehdy, jakmile se města zmocníte, spálíte to město ohněm. Provedete to podle Hospodinova slova. Hleďte, to jsem vám přikázal. 9Jozue je tedy poslal a oni šli do zálohy a usadili se mezi Bét-elem a Ajem na západ od Aje. Jozue oné noci zůstal uprostřed lidu. 10Ráno si Jozue přivstal a vykonal přehlídku lidu. Potom k Aji v čele lidu stoupal on sám s izraelskými staršími. 11I všechen bojeschopný lid, který byl s ním, ti vytáhli a přiblížili se, až se dostali před město, a utábořili se na sever od Aje. Mezi ním a Ajem bylo údolí. 12Potom vzal asi pět tisíc mužů a postavil je do zálohy mezi Bét-elem a Ajem na západ od města. 13Lid se rozložil, celý tábor, který byl na sever od města, i jeho zadní voj na západ od města. Jozue oné noci vyšel doprostřed údolí. 14I stalo se, jakmile to uviděl král Aje, že si muži města pospíšili, časně vstali a vytáhli Izraeli vstříc do bitvy, on i všechen jeho lid, ke střetnutí před Arabou. On nevěděl, že je proti němu ze zadní strany města záloha. 15Když byli Jozue a celý Izrael od nich napadeni, utíkali cestou k pustině. 16Tu se shromáždili všichni z lidu, kteří byli v Aji, aby je pronásledovali. Pronásledovali tedy Jozua a byli odříznuti od města. 17V Aji a Bét-elu nezůstal jediný muž, který by nevytáhl za Izraelem. Zanechali město otevřené a pronásledovali Izrael. 18Tehdy Hospodin Jozuovi řekl: Vztáhni srpáč, který máš ve své ruce, proti Aji, neboť jej vydám do tvé ruky. Jozue tedy vztáhl srpáč, který měl ve své ruce, proti městu. 19Nato záloha rychle povstala ze svého místa. Vyběhli, jakmile vztáhl svou ruku, přišli do města a obsadili ho, pospíšili si a město zapálili ohněm. 20Muži z Aje se ohlédli za sebe a hle, uviděli, jak kouř vystoupil z města k nebesům, ale nebylo v jejich silách, aby utíkali tam ani tam. Lid utíkající do pustiny se obrátil proti pronásledovateli. 21Jozue a všechen Izrael viděli, že záloha obsadila město a že z města vystoupil kouř. Vraceli se tedy zpět a pobíjeli muže z Aje. 22A ti z města jim vyšli naproti, takže byli v sevření Izraele z jedné i z druhé strany. Pobíjeli je, aniž by z nich nechali někoho přežít nebo uniknout. 23Krále Aje však chytili živého a přivedli jej k Jozuovi. 24I stalo se, jakmile Izrael přestal zabíjet veškeré obyvatele Aje na poli v pustině, v níž je pronásledovali (všichni padli ostřím meče, do svého úplného vyhlazení), že se všichni z Izraele vrátili do Aje a vybili ho ostřím meče. 25V onen den bylo všech padlých mužů i žen dvanáct tisíc, všichni lidé z Aje. 26Jozue nespustil ruku, ve které vztáhl srpáč, dokud nezasvětil zkáze všechny obyvatele Aje. 27Pouze dobytek a kořist z onoho města zabrali Izraelci pro sebe, podle Hospodinova slova, které Jozuovi přikázal. 28Jozue Aj spálil a proměnil ho ve věčnou hromadu sutě, spoušť až do tohoto dne. 29A krále Aje pověsil na dřevo až do večerního času. Když slunce zapadalo, dal Jozue příkaz, aby jeho mrtvolu sundali z toho stromu, pohodili ji ke vchodu městské brány a postavili na něj velkou haldu kamení až do tohoto dne. 30Tehdy postavil Jozue oltář pro Hospodina, Boha Izraele, na hoře Ébalu, 31jak to přikázal Mojžíš, otrok Hospodinův, synům Izraele, jak je napsáno v knize Mojžíšova zákona: Oltář z neporušených kamenů, které neopracovávalo železo. I přinesli na něm zápalné oběti pro Hospodina a obětovali pohostinné oběti. 32A sepsal tam na těch kamenech opis Mojžíšova zákona, který jej zapsal před syny Izraele. 33A všechen Izrael i jeho starší, správcové a jeho soudcové při tom stáli z jedné i z druhé strany truhly před lévijskými kněžími nesoucími truhlu Hospodinovy smlouvy, stejně příchozí jako domorodec, polovina z nich směrem k hoře Gerizím a polovina z nich směrem k hoře Ébal, jak to přikázal Mojžíš, otrok Hospodinův, aby nejprve žehnali izraelskému lidu. 34Potom vyhlásil veškerá slova zákona, požehnání i kletbu, tak, jak je to zapsáno v knize zákona. 35Nebylo slova ze všech, jež přikázal Mojžíš, které by Jozue nevyhlásil před celým shromážděním Izraele, i ženám, malým dětem a příchozím poutníkům uprostřed nich.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 GOD ENCOURAGES JOSHUA. (Jos. 8:1-28)
The Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not--By the execution of justice on Achan, the divine wrath was averted, the Israelites were reassured, defeat was succeeded by victory; and thus the case of Ai affords a striking example of God's disciplinary government, in which chastisements for sin are often made to pave the way for the bestowment of those temporal benefits, which, on account of sin, have been withdrawn, or withheld for a time. Joshua, who had been greatly dispirited, was encouraged by a special communication promising him (see
Josh 1:6;
Deut 31:6-
Deut 31:8) success in the next attempt, which, however, was to be conducted on different principles.
take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai--The number of fighting men amounted to six hundred thousand, and the whole force was ordered on this occasion, partly because the spies, in their self-confidence, had said that a few were sufficient to attack the place (
Josh 7:3), partly to dispel any misgivings which the memory of the late disaster might have created, and partly that the circumstance of the first spoil obtained in Canaan being shared among all, might operate both as a reward for obedience in refraining from the booty of Jericho, and as an incentive to future exertions (
Deut 6:10). The rest of the people, including the women and children, remained in the camp at Gilgal. Being in the plains of Jericho, it was an ascent to Ai, which was on a hill.
I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land . . . lay thee an ambush for the city--God assured Joshua of Ai's capture, but allowed him to follow his own tactics in obtaining the possession.
3 So Joshua . . . chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour--Joshua despatched thirty thousand men under cover of night, to station themselves at the place appointed for the ambuscade. Out of this number a detachment of five thousand was sent forward to conceal themselves in the immediate precincts of the town, in order to seize the first opportunity of throwing themselves into it [
Josh 8:12].
4 behind the city--is rendered (
Josh 8:9), "on the west side of Ai."
9 between Beth-el and Ai--Beth-el, though lying quite near in the direction of west by north, cannot be seen from Tell-el-hajar; two rocky heights rise between both places, in the wady El-Murogede, just as the laying of an ambush to the west of Ai would require [VAN DE VELDE; ROBINSON].
10 Joshua . . . numbered the people--that is, the detachment of liers-in-wait; he did this, to be furnished with clear evidence afterwards, that the work had been done without any loss of men, whereby the people's confidence in God would be strengthened and encouragement given them to prosecute the war of invasion with vigor.
he and the elders of Israel--the chief magistrates and rulers, whose presence and official authority were necessary to ensure that the cattle and spoil of the city might be equally divided between the combatants and the rest of the people (
Num 31:27) --a military rule in Israel, that would have been very liable to be infringed, if an excited soldiery, eager for booty, had been left to their own will.
11 there was a valley between them and Ai--literally, "the valley."
13 Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley--The deep and steep-sided glen to the north of Tell-el-hajar, into which one looks down from the tell, fully agrees with this account [VAN DE VELDE]. Joshua himself took up his position on the north side of "the ravine"--the deep chasm of the wady El-Murogede; "that night"--means, while it was dark, probably after midnight, or very early in the morning (
John 20:1). The king of Ai, in the early dawn, rouses his slumbering subjects and makes a hasty sally with all his people who were capable of bearing arms, once more to surprise and annihilate them.
14 at a time appointed--either an hour concocted between the king and people of Ai and those of Beth-el, who were confederates in this enterprise, or perhaps they had fixed on the same time of day, as they had fought successfully against Israel on the former occasion, deeming it a lucky hour (
Judg 20:38).
but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city--It is evident that this king and his subjects were little experienced in war; otherwise they would have sent out scouts to reconnoitre the neighborhood; at all events, they would not have left their town wholly unprotected and open. Perhaps an ambuscade may have been a war stratagem hitherto unknown in that country, and among that people.
15 Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them--the pretended flight in the direction of the wilderness; that is, southeast, into the Ghor, the desert valley of the Jordan, decoyed all the inhabitants of Ai out of the city, while the people of Beth-el hastened to participate in the expected victory. It is supposed by some, from "the city," and not "cities," being spoken of, that the effective force of Beth-el had been concentrated in Ai, as the two places were closely contiguous, and Ai the larger of the two. (See
Josh 12:9). It may be remarked, however, that the words, "or Beth-el," are not in the Septuagint, and are rejected by some eminent scholars, as an interpolation not found in the most ancient manuscripts.
18 Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city--The uplifted spear had probably a flag, or streamer on it, to render it the more conspicuous from the height where he stood. At the sight of this understood signal the ambush nearest the city, informed by their scouts, made a sudden rush and took possession of the city, telegraphing to their brethren by raising a smoke from the walls. Upon seeing this, the main body, who had been reigning a flight, turned round at the head of the pass upon their pursuers, while the twenty-five thousand issuing from their ambuscade, fell back upon their rear. The Ai-ites surprised, looked back, and found their situation now desperate.
23 the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua--to be reserved for a more ignominious death, as a greater criminal in God's sight than his subjects. In the mingled attack from before and behind, all the men were massacred.
24 all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword--the women, children, and old persons left behind, amounting, in all, to twelve thousand people [
Josh 8:25].
26 Joshua drew not his hand back--Perhaps, from the long continuance of the posture, it might have been a means appointed by God, to animate the people, and kept up in the same devout spirit as Moses had shown, in lifting up his hands, until the work of slaughter had been completed--the ban executed. (See on
Exod 17:10).
28 Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever--"For ever" often signifies "a long time" (
Gen 6:3). One of the remarkable things with regard to the tell we have identified with Ai is its name--the tell of the heap of stones--a name which to this day remains [VAN DE VELDE].
29 THE KING HANGED. (
Josh 8:29)
The king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide--that is, gibbeted. In ancient, and particularly Oriental wars, the chiefs, when taken prisoners, were usually executed. The Israelites were obliged, by the divine law, to put them to death. The execution of the king of Ai would tend to facilitate the conquest of the land, by striking terror into the other chiefs, and making it appear a judicial process, in which they were inflicting the vengeance of God upon His enemies.
take his carcass down . . . and raise thereon a great heap of stones--It was taken down at sunset, according to the divine command (
Deut 21:23), and cast into a pit dug "at the entering of the gate," because that was the most public place. An immense cairn was raised over his grave--an ancient usage, still existing in the East, whereby is marked the sepulchre of persons whose memory is infamous.
30 JOSHUA BUILDS AN ALTAR. (
Josh 8:30-
Josh 8:31)
Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal--(See on
Deut 27:11). This spot was little short of twenty miles from Ai. The march through a hostile country and the unmolested performance of the religious ceremonial observed at this mountain, would be greatly facilitated, through the blessing of God, by the disastrous fall of Ai. The solemn duty was to be attended to at the first convenient opportunity after the entrance into Canaan (
Deut 27:2); and with this in view Joshua seems to have conducted the people through the mountainous region that intervened though no details of the journey have been recorded. Ebal was on the north, opposite to Gerizim, which was on the south side of the town Sichem (Nablous).
31 an altar of whole stones--according to the instructions given to Moses (
Exod 20:25;
Deut 27:5).
over which no man hath lifted up any iron--that is, iron tool. The reason for this was that every altar of the true God ought properly to have been built of earth (
Exod 20:24); and if it was constructed of stone, rough, unhewn stones were to be employed that it might retain both the appearance and nature of earth, since every bloody sacrifice was connected with sin and death, by which man, the creature of earth, is brought to earth again [KEIL].
they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings--This had been done when the covenant was established (
Exod 24:5); and by the observance of these rites (
Deut 27:6), the covenant was solemnly renewed--the people were reconciled to God by the burnt offering, and this feast accompanying the peace or thank offering, a happy communion with God was enjoyed by all the families in Israel.
32 he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses--(See on
Deut 27:2-
Deut 27:3,
Deut 27:5); that is, the blessings and curses of the law. Some think that the stones which contained this inscription were the stones of the altar: but this verse seems rather to indicate that a number of stone pillars were erected alongside of the altar, and on which, after they were plastered, this duplicate of the law was inscribed.
33 all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side--One half of Israel was arranged on Gerizim, and the other half on Ebal--along the sides and base of each.
before the priests the Levites--in full view of them.
34 afterward he read all the words of the law--caused the priests or Levites to read it (
Deut 27:14). Persons are often said in Scripture to do that which they only command to be done.
35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not--It appears that a much larger portion of the law was read on this occasion than the brief summary inscribed on the stones; and this must have been the essence of the law as contained in Deuteronomy (
Deut 4:44;
Deut 6:9;
Deut 27:8). It was not written on the stones, but on the plaster. The immediate design of this rehearsal was attained by the performance of the act itself. It only related to posterity, in so far as the record of the event would be handed down in the Book of Joshua, or the documents which form the groundwork of it [HENGSTENBERG]. Thus faithfully did Joshua execute the instructions given by Moses. How awfully solemn must have been the assemblage and the occasion! The eye and the ear of the people being both addressed, it was calculated to leave an indelible impression; and with spirits elevated by their brilliant victories in the land of promise, memory would often revert to the striking scene on mounts Ebal and Gerizim, and in the vale of Sychar.
