Josué 8
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Josué 8:1-2
8:1 YHWH gives Joshua a series of commands and promises based on the restored holiness of Israel: "Do not fear," BDB 431, KB 432, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense. "Do not be dismayed," BDB 369, KB 365, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense. "Take all the people," BDB 542, KB 534, Qal IMPERATIVE "Arise," BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal IMPERATIVE "Go up to Ai," BDB 748, KB 828, Qal IMPERATIVE "See, I have given," BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal IMPERATIVE followed by BDB 678, KB 733, Qal PERFECT YHWH renews His encouragement and assurances from Jos. 1:9. ▣ "Take all the people of war with you" The phrase "all the people of war" (cf. Jos. 8:3; 10:7; 11:7,18,19,20), can refer to less than the total number. Compare 1:14-15 with 3:12-13; for the same type of example, also see Jos. 8:16 as compared to Jos. 8:19. 8:2 "you shall take only its spoils and its cattle as plunder for yourselves" Jericho was totally dedicated to God (under the ban), but Ai was only partially under the ban (humans must die, but other things of value can go to the soldiers and their families, cf. Jos. 8:27). ▣ "Set an ambush for the city behind it" YHWH gives the battle strategy (BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal IMPERATIVE). There seems to be some confusion as to how to relate the two ambushes mentioned in Jos. 8:4 and 12. There has been much speculation, but no consensus. To me it seems that possibly both cities, Ai and Bethel, were defeated and burned at the same time (cf. Jos. 8:17). ▣ "spoil. . .plunder" These two terms relate to the same thing. spoil (BDB 1021) can mean "prey," "spoil," "booty," or "plunder." It refers to things (sometimes people) taken in battle, then divided among the soldiers (cf. Gen. 49:27; Jdg. 5:30) and other covenant partners (cf. Num. 31:26-54; 1 Sam. 30:24) plunder (BDB 102, KB 117, Qal IMPERFECT). This term is basically synonymous with spoil. This was the wages of the soldiers (cf. Ezek. 29:19).
Josué 8:3-9
8:3 "30,000" This was only the part of the army that hid in ambush. For another group see Jos. 8:12. This number implies that the army was about 40,000 in total. Obviously Joshua approached the city with a small number of troops. The other option has to do with the meaning of "thousand." SPECIAL TOPIC: THOUSAND (eleph) ▣ NASB, JPSOA "valiant warriors" NKJV, Peshitta "mighty men of valor" NRSV, REB "warriors" "best troops" "bravest" "mighty in strength" This phrase is a CONSTRUCT relationship between "mighty" (BDB 150) and "strength" (BDB 298). It is often used of military persons (cf. Jos. 1:14; 6:2; 8:3; 10:7; Jdg. 6:12; 11:1; 1 Sam. 9:1; 16:18; 1 Kgs. 11:28; 2 Kgs. 5:1; 15:20; 24:14,16). It can be used of an army (cf. Exod. 14:4,9,17,28; 15:4; 1 Sam. 17:20; 2 Sam. 8:9; 2 Kgs. 6:4,15; 25:1,5,10). This was an elite fighting force! 8:4 Joshua repeats the instructions he received from YHWH. "See," BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal IMPERATIVE, repeated in Jos. 8:8 "Do not go very far from the city," BDB 934, KB 1221, Hiphil IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense 8:8 "you shall set the city on fire" The VERB (BDB 428, KB 429, Hiphil IMPERFECT) is an aspect of holy war (cf. Jos. 8:19; Jdg. 9:49), but usually another VERB (BDB 976, KB 1358) is used (cf. Num. 31:10; Jos. 6:24; 11:11; Jdg. 18:27; 1 Sam. 30:1,3) or BDB 1018, KB 1511 (cf. Jdg. 1:8; 20:48). Fire is both a judgment and a way of cleansing. SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE (OT) ▣ "according to the word of the Lord" This is the key theological phrase in the OT. Here it refers to Deut. 20:16-18. However, the concept is wider (cf. Isa. 45:23; 55:11). It is the human side of covenant! SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT (last paragraph) 8:9 "but Joshua spent that night among the people" This phrase is possibly to reassure the people of God's presence and power for the upcoming battle. A very similar Hebrew phrase is repeated in Jos. 8:13 with the change of one additional Hebrew consonant. It is obvious that there is some confusion in this chapter about how Ai was defeated.
Josué 8:10-17
8:10-17 This paragraph gives the details of the battle for both Ai and Bethel. 8:13 "Joshua spent that night There is a textual question about the VERB went ‒ וילך, BDB 229, KB 246, Qal IMPERFECT with waw, NKJV, NJB, Peshitta, NET spent ‒ וילן, JPSOA, TEV, NRSV Did Joshua stay with the troops or walk before the troops? The UBS Text Project, p. 15, gives option #1 a "B" rating (some doubt). LXX omits the verse. ▣ "in the midst of the valley" Again, there is a textual question. in the midst of the valley ‒ העמק, BDB 770, NRSV, JPSOA, NKJV, TEV, NET in the midst of the people (i.e., troops) ‒ העם, Peshitta in the midst of the plain ‒ NJB LXX omits the verse The UBS Text Project, p. 16, gives option #1 a "B" rating (some doubt).
Josué 8:18-23
8:18 "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai" Here again we see the similarity between God's dealing with Moses in the use of the shepherd's staff and His dealing with Joshua in the use of the javelin. Both the staff (BDB 641, cf. Exod. 4:20; 17:9; Num. 20:8) and javelin (BDB 475) show the power is of God and not in human leaders. The VERB (BDB 639, KB 692, Qal IMPERATIVE) is used several times of YHWH directing Moses (cf. Exod. 7:19; 8:5,6; 9:22; 10:12; 17:16,21; Isa. 10:26).
Josué 8:24-29
8:24 Notice the variety of terms used to describe the defeat of the inhabitants of Ai. "Israel had finished killing" finish, BDB 477, KB 476, Piel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT kill, BDB 246, KB 255, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT "All of them were fallen by the edge of the sword" fallen, BDB 656, KB 709, Qal IMPERFECT with waw edge of sword, BDB 804 CONSTRUCT BDB 352 (twice) "Until they were all destroyed" PREPOSITION, BDB 723 finished, BDB 1070, KB 1752, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT "Struck," BDB 645, KB 697, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw The first three of these describe the slaughter of their men of war; number 4 describes the death of the rest of the inhabitants of Ai. 8:28 "forever" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam). 8:29 This reflects the curse of Deut. 21:23. The king was killed by impaling. As Israel raised a memorial heap of stones over Achan, so too, the king of Ai.
Josué 8:30-35
8:30 "Mount Ebal" This was one of the two hills on each side of the city of Shechem. This was the site of the covenant renewal ceremony dictated by Moses. The Levitical singers climbed each hill and chanted the cursings and blessings antiphonally (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28). Mounts Ebal and Gerizim became known as the mountains of cursing and blessing. One wonders how Joshua could move so fast through enemy territory. The events of Jos. 8:30-35 might fit better historically at chapter 24. These kinds of historical questions cannot be answered. These ancient Hebrew texts do not conform to modern histography. Chronology is secondary to theology! I surely affirm the historicity and inspiration of the OT without fully comprehending how it is structured. 8:31 "as it is written in the book of the law of Moses" This refers to Exod. 20:20,24-26 and Deut. 27:5-7. The revelation of YHWH to and through Moses goes by several descriptions. "the law which Moses My servant commanded you," Jos. 1:7; 22:5 "this book of the law," Jos. 1:8 "the book of the law of Moses," Jos. 8:31; 23:6 "the words of the law," Jos. 8:34 "the book of the law of God," Jos. 24:26 SPECIAL TOPIC: MOSES' AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH ▣ "an altar of uncut stones" The Canaanite altars were made of cut stones, but YHWH's altars were always made of uncut stones (cf. Exod. 20:25; Deut. 27:5,6), therefore, they were immediately identifiable. ▣ "they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SACRIFICES IN MESOPOTAMIA AND ISRAEL AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE 8:32 This probably refers to the Ten Commandments (cf. Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). Stones were covered with plaster and written on (cf. Deut. 27:4). 8:33 Notice the list of leaders: elders, officers, judges, priests. ▣ "the stranger" This could refer to believing Egyptians who left Egypt with the Jews in the exodus people who had earlier joined Israel, like Caleb or Rahab others who joined during the wilderness wandering period The book of Deuteronomy is very conscious of these believing aliens within Israel. 8:34 "all the words of the law" This could refer to the five books of Moses (Jos. 8:35) or the summary book of Deuteronomy. 8:35 Every one heard the words of the covenant renewal service, even the women and children who were usually not included with the men in worship settings.