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Read the Bible

King James Version

Joshua 8:4

And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ai;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ambush;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ai;   Bethel;   Joshua, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ai;   Israel;   Joshua;   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®
He commanded them: “Pay attention. Lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it, and all of you be ready.
Hebrew Names Version
He commanded them, saying, Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; don't go very far from the city, but be all ready:
Lexham English Bible
And he commanded them, saying, "Look, you are to lay an ambush against the city from behind. Do not go very far from the city and be ready.
English Standard Version
And he commanded them, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready.
New Century Version
Joshua gave them these orders: "Listen carefully. You must set up an ambush behind the city. Don't go far from it, but continue to watch and be ready.
New English Translation
He told them, "Look, set an ambush behind the city. Don't go very far from the city; all of you be ready!
Amplified Bible
He commanded them, saying, "Listen closely, you are going to lie in wait and ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far away from the city, but all of you be ready.
New American Standard Bible
He commanded them, saying, "See, you are going to ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, yee shall lye in waite against the citie on the backeside of the citie: goe not very farre from the citie, but be ye all in a readinesse.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he commanded them, saying, "See, you are going to ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
Complete Jewish Bible
He instructed them, "You are to lie in wait to ambush the city from behind. Stay close to the city; and all of you, be ready.
Darby Translation
And he commanded them, saying, See, ye shall be in ambush against the city, behind the city: go not very far from the city, and be all of you ready.
Easy-to-Read Version
Joshua gave them this command: "Listen carefully to what I tell you. You must hide in the area behind the city. Wait for the time to attack. Don't go far from the city. Continue to watch and be ready.
George Lamsa Translation
And he commanded them, saying. Behold, when you shall lie in wait against the city, from behind it, do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready;
Good News Translation
with these orders: "Hide on the other side of the city, but not too far away from it; be ready to attack.
Literal Translation
And he commanded them, saying, See, you will be an ambush against the city, behind the city. You shall not go very far off from the city, and all of you shall be ready.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and commaunded them, and sayde: Take hede, ye shal be ye preuye watch behynde the cite, but go not to farre from the cite, and se that ye be redye alltogether.
American Standard Version
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
Bible in Basic English
And he gave them their orders, saying, Go and take up your position secretly at the back of the town: do not go very far away, and let all of you be ready:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he commaunded them, saying: Beholde, ye shall lye in wayte agaynst the towne on the backside thereof: Go not verie farre from the citie, but be all redie:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he commanded them, saying: 'Behold, ye shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready.
King James Version (1611)
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the citie, euen behind the citie: goe not very farre from the citie, but be ye all ready:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he charged them, saying, Do ye lie in ambush behind the city: do not go far from the city, and ye shall all be ready.
English Revised Version
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
Berean Standard Bible
with these orders: "Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and comaundide to hem, and seide, Sette ye buyschementis bihynde the citee, and go ye not ferthere; and alle ye schulen be redi;
Young's Literal Translation
and commandeth them, saying, `See, ye are liers in wait against the city, at the rear of the city, ye go not very far off from the city, and all of you have been prepared,
Update Bible Version
And he commanded them, saying, Look, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; don't go very far from the city, but all of you be ready:
Webster's Bible Translation
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, [even] behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
World English Bible
He commanded them, saying, Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; don't go very far from the city, but be all ready:
New King James Version
And he commanded them, saying: "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
New Living Translation
with these orders: "Hide in ambush close behind the town and be ready for action.
New Life Bible
He told them, "See, you are going to fight the city from behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
New Revised Standard
with the command, "You shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it; do not go very far from the city, but all of you stay alert.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he commanded them, saying - See! ye, shall be lying in ambush against the city, behind the city, do not go very far from the city, - so shall ye all be ready.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And commanded them, saying: Lay an ambush behind the city: and go not very far from it: and be ye all ready.
Revised Standard Version
And he commanded them, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it; do not go very far from the city, but hold yourselves all in readiness;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He commanded them, saying, "See, you are going to ambush the city from behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

Contextual Overview

3 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready: 5 And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, 6 (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them. 7 Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. 8 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do. See, I have commanded you. 9 Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

lie in wait: Joshua 8:16, Judges 9:25, Judges 20:29, Judges 20:33, Judges 20:36, 1 Samuel 15:2, 1 Samuel 15:5, Acts 23:21

go not: Ecclesiastes 7:19, Ecclesiastes 9:16

Reciprocal: Joshua 8:13 - liers in wait 2 Chronicles 13:13 - an ambushment

Cross-References

Genesis 8:17
Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
Genesis 8:19
Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
2 Kings 19:37
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
Isaiah 37:38
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
Jeremiah 51:27
Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he commanded them, saying,.... At the time he sent them away;

behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, [even] behind the city; that is, on the west side of it, Joshua 8:9;

go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready; to enter into it, as soon as the forces are drawn out eastward to meet the army of Israel.


 
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