Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Ye shall set the city on fire - Probably this means no more than that they should kindle a fire in the city, the smoke of which should be an indication that they had taken it. For as the spoils of the city were to be divided among the people, had they at this time set fire to the city itself, all the property must have been consumed, for the five thousand men did not wait to save any thing, as they immediately issued out to attack the men of Ai in the rear.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And it shall be, when ye have taken the city,.... Entered it and become masters of it:

that ye shall set the city on fire; not the whole city, only some outlying houses of it, to make a smoke which might be seen both by Israel and the men of Ai, for different purposes; for the spoil of the city was first to be taken before it was utterly burnt with fire:

according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do; plunder the city, destroy the inhabitants of it, and then burn it:

see I have commanded you; delivered the command of the Lord unto them, and therefore were left without excuse, and could not plead ignorance; besides, he was their general, and he expected his orders to be obeyed, as they ought to have been.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 8:8 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.

Ver. 8. Ye shall set the city on fire.] Of this fire we may say, as Herodotus doth of Troy, set on fire by the Greeks, that the cinders and ashes thereof were set before the eyes of men, as an example of that sure rule. Great sins have great punishments from God; (a) like whereunto is that of Job, "Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?" [Job 31:3]

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Ye shall set the city on fire, to wit, part of it, as a sign to their brethren of their success; for the whole city was not burnt now, but afterwards, as is said Joshua 8:28.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

“And it shall be, when you have seized the city, you will set the city on fire. You will do according to the word of YHWH. See I have commanded you.”

Once the city was taken it was to be set on fire. This would both act as a signal and would begin the fulfilment of YHWH’s instruction to ‘devote’ the city and its citizens, but not the cattle (Joshua 8:2).

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

8.Ye shall set the city on fire — We are not to understand that the entire city is to be immediately destroyed by fire, for in that case there would be a loss of the promised spoil. A part of the city was set on fire as a signal, and the smoke was to signify to Joshua that it was time to stop the reigned retreat and return to the city. Afterwards the entire city was pillaged and destroyed.

According to the commandment of the Lord — This is found in the second verse, “as unto Jericho.”

See, I have commanded you — Be impressed with the fact that this is a momentous military order, and on your perfect obedience victory hinges.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Fire. They were to set some houses on fire for a signal, but the whole city was not to be destroyed (Calmet) till the Israelites had collected the plunder. (Haydock)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

See. Figure of speech Aeteriemos. App-6.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

set the city

28; 6:24

See, I have

1:9,16; Judges 4:6; 2 Samuel 13:28