Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Joshua 8:13

So Joshua had prepared his men for the fight. The main camp was north of the city. The other men were hiding to the west. That night Joshua went down into the valley.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ambush;   Armies;   Strategy;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Sieges;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ai;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ambush;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Shuthelah;   Vale;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ai;   Bethel;   Joshua, the Book of;   Valley;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ai;   Israel;   Joshua;   Vale, Valley;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ai, Hai ;   Ambush, Ambushment;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ai;   Journeyings of israel from egypt to canaan;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ai;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The troops were stationed in this way: the main camp to the north of the city and its rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
Hebrew Names Version
So they set the people, even all the host who was on the north of the city, and their liers-in-wait who were on the west of the city; and Yehoshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
King James Version
And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
Lexham English Bible
So they stationed the forces; all the army was north of the city while the rear guard was west. But Joshua went that night to the middle of the valley.
English Standard Version
So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley.
New Century Version
So the people took their positions; the main camp was north of the city, and the other men were hiding to the west. That night Joshua went down into the valley.
New English Translation
The army was in position—the main army north of the city and the rear guard west of the city. That night Joshua went into the middle of the valley.
Amplified Bible
So they stationed the people, all the army—the main encampment that was north of the city, and their rear guard on the west side of the city—and Joshua spent that night in the valley.
New American Standard Bible
So they stationed the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua spent that night in the midst of the valley.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the people set all the hoste that was on the Northside against the citie, and the liers in waite on the West, against the citie: and Ioshua went the same night into the mids of the valley.
Legacy Standard Bible
So they set the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
Contemporary English Version
Now all his troops were in place. Part of the army was in the camp to the north of Ai, and the others were hiding to the west, ready to make a surprise attack. That night, Joshua went into the valley.
Complete Jewish Bible
Thus the people arrayed themselves, with all the army to the north of the city, and their rearguard lying in wait to the west of the city. Y'hoshua spent that night in the valley.
Darby Translation
And when they had set the people, the whole camp on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
George Lamsa Translation
And when he had set his men and all his host on the north side of the city, and the rear guard on the west of the city, Joshua went that night among the people.
Good News Translation
The soldiers were arranged for battle with the main camp north of the city and the rest of the men to the west. Joshua spent the night in the valley.
Literal Translation
And they set the people, all the camp on the north of the city; and its rear on the west of the city. And Joshua went into the middle of the valley on that night.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and they ordred the people of the whole hoost that was on the north syde of the cite, so that the vttemost of the people reached vnto the west ende of the cite. So Iosua wente the same nighte in to the myddes of the valley.
American Standard Version
So they set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers-in-wait that were on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
Bible in Basic English
So all the people were in their places, the army on the north side of the town and the secret force on the west; and that night Joshua went down into the valley.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the people set all the hoast that was on the northsyde agaynst the citie, & the lyers in wayte on the west, against the citie: And Iosuah walked the same nyght in the myddes of the valley.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So the people set themselves in array, even all the host that was on the north of the city, their rear lying in wait on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the vale.
King James Version (1611)
And when they had set the people, euen all the hoste that was on the North of the city, and their liers in wait on the West of the citie: Ioshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
English Revised Version
So they set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait that were on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the vale.
Berean Standard Bible
So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli al the tothir oost dresside scheltroun to the north, so that the laste men of the multitude touchiden the west coost of the citee. Therfor Josue yede in that nyyt, and stood in the myddis of the valei;
Young's Literal Translation
and they set the people, all the camp which [is] on the north of the city, and its rear on the west of the city, and Joshua goeth on that night into the midst of the valley.
Update Bible Version
So they set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their ambushers that were on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when they had set the people, [even] all the host that [was] on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
World English Bible
So they set the people, even all the host who was on the north of the city, and their liers-in-wait who were on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
New King James Version
And when they had set the people, all the army that was on the north of the city, and its rear guard on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
New Living Translation
So they stationed the main army north of the town and the ambush west of the town. Joshua himself spent that night in the valley.
New Life Bible
So they put the men in their places. There was the army on the north side of the city, and the secret army on the west side of the city. But Joshua stayed that night in the center of the valley.
New Revised Standard
So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when the people had set all the host that was on the north of the city, with the rear thereof on the west of the city, then went Joshua, during the night, into the midst of the valley.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But all the rest of the army went in battle array on the north side, so that the last of that multitude reached to the west side of the city. So Josue went that night, and stood in the midst of the valley.
Revised Standard Version
So they stationed the forces, the main encampment which was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So they stationed the people, all the army that was on the north side of the city, and its rear guard on the west side of the city, and Joshua spent that night in the midst of the valley.

Contextual Overview

9 Then Joshua sent them to their hiding place and waited. They went to a place west of Ai, between Bethel and Ai. But Joshua stayed the night with his people. 10 Early the next morning Joshua gathered the men together. Then Joshua and the leaders of Israel led the men to Ai. 11 All the soldiers who were with Joshua marched to Ai. They stopped in front of the city. The army made its camp north of the city. There was a valley between the army and Ai. 12 Then Joshua chose about 5000 men. He sent these men to hide in the area west of the city, between Bethel and Ai. 13 So Joshua had prepared his men for the fight. The main camp was north of the city. The other men were hiding to the west. That night Joshua went down into the valley. 14 Later, the king of Ai saw the army of Israel. The king and his people hurried out to fight the army of Israel. The king of Ai went out the east side of the city toward the Jordan Valley, so he did not see the soldiers hiding behind the city. 15 Joshua and all the men of Israel let the army of Ai push them back. Joshua and his men began running east toward the desert. 16 The people in the city began to shout and started to chase them. All the people left the city. 17 All the men of Ai and Bethel chased the army of Israel. The city was left open—no one stayed to protect the city.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

liers in wait: Heb. lying in wait, Joshua 8:4

on the west: Joshua 8:8, Joshua 8:12

Reciprocal: Judges 9:25 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
On the 17th day of the second month, when Noah was 600 years old, the springs under the earth broke through the ground, and water flowed out everywhere. The sky also opened like windows and rain poured down. The rain fell on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. That same day Noah went into the boat with his wife, his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when they had set the people,.... In battle array, as in

1 Kings 20:12; that is, Joshua and the officers of the army:

[even] all the host that [was] on the north of the city; where Joshua and the main army were:

and the liers in wait on the west of the city: both the first and second ambush; when all, were prepared and got ready by their several officers, to act the part they were to do:

Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley; according to Ben Gersom, to see whether the guards or sentinels which were placed there were awake or asleep, lest the men of Ai should come suddenly upon them and smite them; but perhaps it might be to pray and meditate.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Joshua went down by night into the valley where He would be seen at daylight by the men of Ai, and was accompanied no doubt by a picked body of troops. The king of Ai, in the morning, would see neither the ambush in his rear, nor the whole of the great host of Israel among the hills away to the north on his left; but supposing, as it appears, that the Israelites before him were a body detached as on the former occasion to assail his city, he sallied out promptly to attack them.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile