Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And I and all the people that are with me will approach unto the city,.... That is, Joshua with the main body of the army would march up to the city the next morning, in order to draw out the inhabitants of it to fight them:

and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first; as they had done before, when the three thousand were sent against them, Joshua 7:4,

that we will flee before them; as the three thousand did, which would animate them to pursue them with the greater eagerness, and to a distance from their city.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

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,

That are — Or, that shall be: for at present he sent them away, verse9, but the next morning followed, and joined himself with them, verse10,11.

That we — I and the twenty five thousand with me.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 8:5 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,

Ver. 5. We will flee before them.] God also hath his stratagems; he seemeth sometimes to retire, that he may come upon his enemies with the greater advantage. The end of all the present troubles will be the ruin of the Antichristian faction, and we shall see the Church in her more perfect beauty, when the enemies shall be in that place that is fittest for them, the lowest, that is the footstool of Christ.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

That are, or, that shall be; for at present he sent them away, Joshua 8:9, but he next morning followed them, and joined himself with the prover. Joshua 8:10,11.

We will flee; I and the twenty-five thousand with me.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

5.All the people — The soldiers are often spoken of by Homer as “the people.”

We will flee — This was no uncommon stratagem for decoying the garrison of a walled town into the open fields. See Livy’s description of the capture of Fidenae by the Romans, book i, chap. 14. There is always danger of military disorganization on the part of the soldiers making this movement, unless they are let into the secret of the commander, as they were in the present instance.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

And turn, &c. Josue had not fled before. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "against us, as at the first, we will flee before them."

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

as at

7:5

that we will

Judges 20:31-33; Matthew 10:16