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Thursday, July 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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New Living Translation

Joshua 7:4

So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Defeats;   Israel;   Israel-The Jews;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies;   Armies of Israel, the;   Sieges;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Achan;   Ai;   Anathema;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Devote, Devoted;   Ezekiel, Theology of;   Punishment;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ai;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Joshua, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ai;   Jericho;   Joshua;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ai, Hai ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Achan;   Ai;   Anathema;   Journeyings of israel from egypt to canaan;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'i;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Joshua, Book of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ai;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Repentance;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So about three thousand men went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Hebrew Names Version
So there went up there of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of `Ai.
King James Version
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
Lexham English Bible
So about three thousand from the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai.
English Standard Version
So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai,
New Century Version
So about three thousand men went up to Ai, but the people of Ai beat them badly.
New English Translation
So about three thousand men went up, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Amplified Bible
So about three thousand men from the sons of Israel went up there, but they fled [in retreat] from the men of Ai.
New American Standard Bible
So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So there went vp thither of the people about three thousande men, and they fledde before the men of Ai.
Legacy Standard Bible
So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
Contemporary English Version
Joshua sent about three thousand soldiers to attack Ai. But the men of Ai fought back and chased the Israelite soldiers away from the town gate and down the hill to the stone quarries. Thirty-six Israelite soldiers were killed, and the Israelite army felt discouraged.
Complete Jewish Bible
So from the people about three thousand men went up there, but they were routed by the men of ‘Ai.
Darby Translation
And there went up thither of the people about three thousand men, but they fled before the men of Ai.
Easy-to-Read Version
So about 3000 men went to Ai, but the people of Ai killed about 36 men of Israel. And the Israelites ran away. The people of Ai chased them from the city gates all the way to the quarries. The people of Ai beat them badly. When the people from Israel saw this, they became very frightened and lost their courage.
George Lamsa Translation
So there went up about three thousand men; and they fled before the men of Ai.
Good News Translation
So about three thousand Israelites made the attack, but they were forced to retreat.
Literal Translation
And about three thousand men of the people went up there. And they fled before the men of Ai.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So there wente vp, of the people vpon a thre thousande men, and they fled before the men of Hai,
American Standard Version
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
Bible in Basic English
So about three thousand of the people went up, and were sent in flight by the men of Ai.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so there went vp thyther of the people about a three thousande men, and they fled before the men of Ai.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men; and they fled before the men of Ai.
King James Version (1611)
So there went vp thither of the people about three thousand men, and they fled before the men of Ai.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there went up about three thousand men, and they fled from before the men of Gai.
English Revised Version
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
Berean Standard Bible
So about three thousand men went up, but they were put to flight before the men of Ai.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor thre thousynde of fiyteris stieden, whiche turneden the backis anoon,
Young's Literal Translation
And there go up of the people thither about three thousand men, and they flee before the men of Ai,
Update Bible Version
So there went up there of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
Webster's Bible Translation
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
World English Bible
So there went up there of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
New King James Version
So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.
New Life Bible
So about 3,000 men of Israel went, but they ran away from the men of Ai.
New Revised Standard
So about three thousand of the people went up there; and they fled before the men of Ai.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
There went up thither of the people therefore, about three thousand men, - but they fled before the men of Ai.
Douay-Rheims Bible
There went up therefore three thousand fighting men: who immediately turned their backs,
Revised Standard Version
So about three thousand went up there from the people; and they fled before the men of Ai,
THE MESSAGE
So three thousand men went up—and then fled in defeat before the men of Ai! The men of Ai killed thirty-six—chased them from the city gate as far as The Quarries, killing them at the descent. The heart of the people sank, all spirit knocked out of them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.

Contextual Overview

1 But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord . A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah. 2 Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven. 3 When they returned, they told Joshua, "There's no need for all of us to go up there; it won't take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don't make all our people struggle to go up there." 4 So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai 5 chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

fled: Leviticus 26:17, Deuteronomy 28:25, Deuteronomy 32:30, Isaiah 30:17, Isaiah 59:2

Reciprocal: Psalms 89:43 - not made

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil.
Genesis 6:3
Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years."
Genesis 6:7
And the Lord said, "I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them."
Genesis 6:13
So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!
Genesis 6:17
"Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die.
Genesis 7:10
After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth.
Genesis 7:11
When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky.
Genesis 7:12
The rain continued to fall for forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 7:17
For forty days the floodwaters grew deeper, covering the ground and lifting the boat high above the earth.
Genesis 7:21
All the living things on earth died—birds, domestic animals, wild animals, small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men,.... Joshua detached from the army the largest number proposed, that there might be strength enough to take the place; and those he sent under proper officers to Ai, who went up to the very gate of the city, as appears from Joshua 7:5:

and they fled before the men of Ai; for upon their appearing at the gate of their city, they came out with all their forces against them, and as soon as they did, the children of Israel durst not face them, but without engaging with them fled at once: God having forsaken them, their courage failed, the dread of their enemies falling on them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 7:4. About three thousand men — The spies sent to reconnoitre the place (Joshua 7:3) reported that the town was meanly garrisoned, and that two or three thousand men would be sufficient to take it. These were accordingly sent up, and were repulsed by the Amorites.


 
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