Joshua 8 Study Notes: Ai Captured and the Law Renewed
With the sin removed, the LORD sends Joshua against Ai again, and hidden troops seize and burn the town while the main army lures its defenders away. Joshua then builds an altar on Ebal, copies Moses' law on stones, and reads all of it, with its blessings and curses, to the entire assembly.
General
Why did Joshua expect Ai’s soldiers to chase Israel away from their city (Joshua 8:5-6)?
Answer: They would think Israel was fleeing as before
Joshua’s plan built on Israel’s earlier defeat. Ai’s soldiers would assume the Israelites were running away just as they had the first time, and would chase them far from the city (8:5-6). That is what happened: Ai’s king hurried out early, unaware of the hidden troops at his back, and every man of Ai and Bethel joined the pursuit, leaving the city open (8:14, 17). Ai’s confidence came from its first victory (7:4-5), but the LORD turned that very confidence into the means of its defeat. The psalmist praises the LORD who overturns the schemes of nations while His own purposes stand forever (Psalm 33:10-11).
- Joshua 8:5-6 (BSB)“Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them. They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them,”Joshua predicts that Ai will chase what looks like a repeat of Israel’s earlier flight.
- Joshua 8:14-17 (BSB)“When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city. Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness. Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city. Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.”Ai’s king hurries out unaware of the ambush, and the whole city empties in pursuit.
- Joshua 7:4-5 (BSB)“So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.”Ai’s first victory was the basis of its confidence.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD overturns the plans of nations while His own purposes stand.
Theological
On what assumption by Ai’s forces did Joshua’s plan depend (Joshua 8:5-6)?
Answer: They would think Israel was fleeing as before
The stratagem exploits Ai’s memory of its earlier success: its men will read Israel’s retreat as a repeat of the first rout and pursue far from the city (8:5-6). Events unfold exactly so — the king hastens out unaware of the force concealed behind him, and Ai and Bethel empty in pursuit (8:14, 17). The confidence born of the first battle (7:4-5) becomes the instrument of Ai’s downfall, an instance of the LORD frustrating the designs of the nations while His own designs stand (Psalm 33:10-11).
- Joshua 8:5-6 (BSB)“Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them. They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them,”Joshua predicts that Ai will chase what looks like a repeat of Israel’s earlier flight.
- Joshua 8:14-17 (BSB)“When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city. Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness. Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city. Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.”Ai’s king hurries out unaware of the ambush, and the whole city empties in pursuit.
- Joshua 7:4-5 (BSB)“So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.”Ai’s first victory was the basis of its confidence.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD overturns the plans of nations while His own purposes stand.
General
True or False: When Ai’s soldiers looked back and saw smoke above their city, they were caught between two Israelite forces.
Answer: True
This is true. Ai’s men turned and saw their city burning, its smoke billowing upward, and they had nowhere to go (8:20). The Israelites who had pretended to flee turned to attack, while the troops from the ambush poured from the burning city behind them, so Ai’s army was caught in the middle (8:21-22). The LORD had promised that enemies who rose against an obedient Israel would be defeated before them (Deuteronomy 28:7). As the psalmist later sang, Israel took the land not by its own sword but by God’s power and favor (Psalm 44:3). Israel’s earlier rout had been reversed.
- Joshua 8:20-22 (BSB)“When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now turned against their pursuers. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai. Meanwhile, those in the ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces on both sides. So Israel struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained.”Ai’s men see their city burning and are caught between Israel’s two forces.
- Deuteronomy 28:7 (BSB)“The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you in one direction but flee from you in seven.”The LORD promised to defeat the enemies who rose against an obedient Israel.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel took the land by God’s power, not by its own sword.
Theological
True or False: In Joshua 8:20-22, Ai’s forces were trapped between Israel’s main army and the ambush.
Answer: True
This is true. Seeing their city in smoke, Ai’s men had no way of escape (8:20); the retreating Israelites wheeled to attack while the ambush emerged from the city behind them, enclosing Ai’s army on both fronts (8:21-22). Covenant obedience restored the blessing of Deuteronomy 28:7, and the psalmist attributes such conquests to God’s right hand rather than Israel’s sword (Psalm 44:3). The rout of chapter 7 is reversed.
- Joshua 8:20-22 (BSB)“When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now turned against their pursuers. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai. Meanwhile, those in the ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces on both sides. So Israel struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained.”Ai’s men see their city burning and are caught between Israel’s two forces.
- Deuteronomy 28:7 (BSB)“The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you in one direction but flee from you in seven.”The LORD promised to defeat the enemies who rose against an obedient Israel.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”Israel took the land by God’s power, not by its own sword.
General
How many people of Ai does the text say fell that day (Joshua 8:25)?
Answer: Twelve thousand
The text says twelve thousand of Ai’s men and women died that day, its entire population (8:25), and Joshua did not lower his lance until all its inhabitants had been devoted to destruction, that is, given over wholly to God’s judgment (8:26). This was the LORD’s command, carried out at a unique moment in Israel’s history. Scripture gives the reasons: God was judging the long-growing wickedness of the peoples of Canaan, which He had borne with for generations (Genesis 15:16), and He drove them out for their wickedness, not because Israel was righteous (Deuteronomy 9:4-5). It was also meant to keep Israel from learning their detestable worship (Deuteronomy 20:17-18). It is not a pattern for any later people or nation, and the same holiness had just struck Israel itself through Achan.
- Joshua 8:25-26 (BSB)“A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai. Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.”The text gives the number who fell and notes Joshua’s outstretched lance.
- Genesis 15:16 (BSB)“In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””God told Abraham that the Amorites’ iniquity was not yet complete, so judgment would wait.
- Deuteronomy 9:4-5 (BSB)“When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”The nations were driven out for their wickedness, not for Israel’s righteousness.
- Deuteronomy 20:17-18 (BSB)“For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.”The command aimed to keep Israel from learning the nations’ detestable worship.
Theological
What total does Joshua 8:25 give for those of Ai who fell that day?
Answer: Twelve thousand
Twelve thousand of Ai’s men and women died, the whole population (8:25), and Joshua’s lance stayed extended until the ban was complete (8:26). The text presents this as divine judgment executed at God’s explicit command at a unique point in redemptive history. Its stated grounds are the Amorites’ iniquity, long tolerated until it was full (Genesis 15:16), the nations’ wickedness rather than Israel’s righteousness (Deuteronomy 9:4-5), and the protection of Israel from Canaanite idolatry (Deuteronomy 20:17-18). It furnishes no license for any later people, and the same holiness had just fallen on Israel in Achan.
- Joshua 8:25-26 (BSB)“A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai. Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.”The text gives the number who fell and notes Joshua’s outstretched lance.
- Genesis 15:16 (BSB)“In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””God told Abraham that the Amorites’ iniquity was not yet complete, so judgment would wait.
- Deuteronomy 9:4-5 (BSB)“When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”The nations were driven out for their wickedness, not for Israel’s righteousness.
- Deuteronomy 20:17-18 (BSB)“For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.”The command aimed to keep Israel from learning the nations’ detestable worship.
General
What did Joshua make of the city of Ai after the battle (Joshua 8:28)?
Answer: A lasting heap of ruins
Joshua set Ai on fire and left it a permanent ruin, a desolation that the text says remained to this day (8:28). Ai’s king was hanged and left until evening, his body was taken down at sunset and thrown down at the gate, and stones were heaped over it, a mound that also remained (8:29). The law required that an executed man’s body not be left hanging overnight (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Like the heap over Achan (7:26), these mounds stood as lasting reminders of God’s judgment.
- Joshua 8:28-29 (BSB)“So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day. He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.”Ai is left in ruins, and its king’s body is taken down at sunset and covered with stones.
- Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (BSB)“If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.”The law required that a body hung on a tree not remain there overnight.
- Joshua 7:26 (BSB)“And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.”A similar heap of stones had been raised over Achan.
Theological
In what condition did Joshua leave Ai according to Joshua 8:28?
Answer: A lasting heap of ruins
Joshua put Ai to the torch and turned it into a perpetual ruin, still desolate in the narrator’s day (8:28). The king was hanged and left until sunset, then taken down in keeping with Deuteronomy 21:22-23 and covered with a stone heap at the gate (8:29). The cairn parallels the one over Achan (7:26): both monuments remained as witnesses to the LORD’s judgment, one on Israel’s sin and one on Canaan’s.
- Joshua 8:28-29 (BSB)“So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day. He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.”Ai is left in ruins, and its king’s body is taken down at sunset and covered with stones.
- Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (BSB)“If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.”The law required that a body hung on a tree not remain there overnight.
- Joshua 7:26 (BSB)“And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.”A similar heap of stones had been raised over Achan.
General
Where did Joshua build an altar for the LORD after the victory at Ai (Joshua 8:30)?
Answer: On Mount Ebal
On Mount Ebal Joshua raised an altar for the LORD, just as Moses had instructed (8:30). It was made of uncut stones that no iron tool had touched, following Moses’ written law, and there Israel offered burnt offerings and peace offerings (8:31). Moses had told Israel to do exactly this after crossing the Jordan (Deuteronomy 27:4-6), and the law given at Sinai forbade shaping altar stones with tools (Exodus 20:25). Right after the victory, Israel’s next act was worship and obedience to God’s word.
- Joshua 8:30-31 (BSB)“At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.”Joshua builds an altar of uncut stones, and Israel offers sacrifices.
- Deuteronomy 27:4-6 (BSB)“And when you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to coat them with plaster. Moreover, you are to build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them. You shall build the altar of the LORD your God with uncut stones and offer upon it burnt offerings to the LORD your God.”Moses commanded an altar of uncut stones on Mount Ebal after the crossing.
- Exodus 20:25 (BSB)“Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it.”The law forbade shaping altar stones with tools.
Theological
At what site did Joshua build the altar described in Joshua 8:30-31?
Answer: On Mount Ebal
Joshua built the altar on Ebal in direct fulfillment of Moses’ instruction (8:30; Deuteronomy 27:4-6). Its uncut, untooled stones conformed to the altar law of Exodus 20:25, and Israel offered burnt offerings and peace offerings there (8:31). The victory is followed immediately by worship and covenant obedience.
- Joshua 8:30-31 (BSB)“At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.”Joshua builds an altar of uncut stones, and Israel offers sacrifices.
- Deuteronomy 27:4-6 (BSB)“And when you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to coat them with plaster. Moreover, you are to build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them. You shall build the altar of the LORD your God with uncut stones and offer upon it burnt offerings to the LORD your God.”Moses commanded an altar of uncut stones on Mount Ebal after the crossing.
- Exodus 20:25 (BSB)“Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it.”The law forbade shaping altar stones with tools.
General
In Joshua’s plan, what were the men waiting in ambush to do (Joshua 8:4-8)?
Answer: Take the city once it emptied and burn it
Joshua sent an ambush force by night to hide behind Ai. He and the main army would approach openly; when Ai’s men came out to fight as before, Israel would pretend to run, drawing them away. Then the hidden troops were to rise, take the empty city, and burn it, because the LORD would give it into their hand (8:4-8). Careful planning and trust in God went together, and Joshua acted on the LORD’s own command (8:2, 8). Scripture teaches that people prepare for battle, but victory belongs to the LORD (Proverbs 21:31), and that God’s people rely on His name rather than on chariots and horses (Psalm 20:7).
- Joshua 8:5-8 (BSB)“Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them. They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them, you are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. And when you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do as the LORD has commanded! See, I have given you orders.””Joshua explains the feigned retreat and the ambush’s task.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Preparation for battle is right, but the outcome belongs to the LORD.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust in His name, not in military strength.
Theological
What role did Joshua assign to the ambush force in his battle plan (Joshua 8:4-8)?
Answer: Take the city once it emptied and burn it
The plan pairs a feigned retreat by the main army with a concealed force behind the city, which is to rise once Ai empties, seize it, and burn it, on the assurance that the LORD will give it into Israel’s hand (8:4-8). Strategy and dependence on God are not opposed: the ambush itself was the LORD’s instruction (8:2), and Joshua grounds the order in His command (8:8). Proverbs 21:31 and Psalm 20:7 frame the same balance — human preparation, divine victory.
- Joshua 8:5-8 (BSB)“Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them. They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them, you are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. And when you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do as the LORD has commanded! See, I have given you orders.””Joshua explains the feigned retreat and the ambush’s task.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Preparation for battle is right, but the outcome belongs to the LORD.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God’s people trust in His name, not in military strength.
General
What signal did the LORD tell Joshua to give at the turning point of the battle (Joshua 8:18)?
Answer: Point his battle lance at the city
At the decisive moment the LORD told Joshua to stretch out his lance toward Ai, promising to give the city into his hand (8:18). As soon as Joshua did, the hidden troops rose, rushed into the city, seized it, and set it ablaze (8:19). Joshua kept his lance stretched out until all of Ai had been devoted to destruction (8:26). The scene recalls Moses, whose raised hands marked Israel’s success against Amalek (Exodus 17:11), and whom God told to lift his staff over the sea (Exodus 14:16). The outstretched lance showed that the victory came at the LORD’s word.
- Joshua 8:18-19 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out your battle lance toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai, and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.”At the LORD’s word Joshua stretches out his lance, and the ambush rises.
- Joshua 8:26 (BSB)“Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.”Joshua keeps his lance extended until the judgment on Ai is complete.
- Exodus 17:11 (BSB)“As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed.”Moses’ raised hands marked Israel’s success against Amalek.
- Exodus 14:16 (BSB)“And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”God told Moses to lift his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea.
Theological
What action did the LORD command of Joshua at the climax of the battle in Joshua 8:18?
Answer: Point his battle lance at the city
The LORD commands Joshua to extend his lance toward Ai with the promise that the city is given into his hand (8:18); at that signal the ambush rises, takes the city, and fires it (8:19). Joshua holds the lance out until the ban on Ai is complete (8:26). The gesture echoes Moses’ raised hands at Rephidim (Exodus 17:11) and his staff over the sea (Exodus 14:16): the leader’s outstretched hand signals that the victory is the LORD’s doing at the LORD’s word.
- Joshua 8:18-19 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out your battle lance toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai, and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.”At the LORD’s word Joshua stretches out his lance, and the ambush rises.
- Joshua 8:26 (BSB)“Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.”Joshua keeps his lance extended until the judgment on Ai is complete.
- Exodus 17:11 (BSB)“As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed.”Moses’ raised hands marked Israel’s success against Amalek.
- Exodus 14:16 (BSB)“And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”God told Moses to lift his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea.
General
How was all Israel arranged for the ceremony at Mount Ebal (Joshua 8:33)?
Answer: Half before Mount Gerizim, half before Mount Ebal
All Israel, foreigners living among them as well as native Israelites, stood with their leaders and judges on either side of the covenant ark (the sacred chest holding the covenant law), with the priests from Levi’s tribe who carried it standing opposite them. Half the people stood before Gerizim and the other half before Ebal, following Moses’ earlier instruction for blessing Israel (8:33). Moses had said Gerizim was the mountain for announcing the blessing and Ebal for the curse (Deuteronomy 11:29), and he had assigned six tribes to each mountain (Deuteronomy 27:12-13). The whole nation, along with the foreigners joined to it, stood together under God’s covenant.
- Joshua 8:33 (BSB)“All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel.”All Israel, with the foreigners among them, stands on both sides of the ark, half before each mountain.
- Deuteronomy 11:29 (BSB)“When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.”Moses assigned the blessing to Gerizim and the curse to Ebal.
- Deuteronomy 27:12-13 (BSB)““When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.”Moses named six tribes to stand on each mountain.
Theological
How does Joshua 8:33 describe the arrangement of the people at the covenant ceremony?
Answer: Half before Mount Gerizim, half before Mount Ebal
The assembly — native Israelites and resident foreigners alike, with their leaders and judges — were ranged on either side of the covenant ark, opposite the Levitical priests carrying it, half toward Gerizim and the other half toward Ebal, following what Moses had prescribed for blessing the people (8:33). The arrangement follows Deuteronomy 11:29 and the tribal assignments of Deuteronomy 27:12-13, enacting the covenant’s blessings and curses with the whole people present.
- Joshua 8:33 (BSB)“All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel.”All Israel, with the foreigners among them, stands on both sides of the ark, half before each mountain.
- Deuteronomy 11:29 (BSB)“When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.”Moses assigned the blessing to Gerizim and the curse to Ebal.
- Deuteronomy 27:12-13 (BSB)““When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.”Moses named six tribes to stand on each mountain.
General
True or False: At Mount Ebal, Joshua wrote out Moses’ law on stones while the Israelites watched.
Answer: True
This is true. With the people watching, Joshua copied Moses’ law onto the stones (8:32). Moses had ordered large stones to be set up and coated with plaster once Israel crossed into the land, with the whole law written plainly on them (Deuteronomy 27:2-3, 8). Writing the law publicly in the land declared that Israel would live in Canaan under God’s word, just as Joshua had been charged to keep that law always on his lips and in his thoughts (1:8).
- Joshua 8:32 (BSB)“And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.”Joshua writes a copy of Moses’ law on the stones before Israel.
- Deuteronomy 27:2-3 (BSB)“And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, set up large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you.”Moses commanded that the law be written on plastered stones once Israel entered the land.
- Deuteronomy 27:8 (BSB)“And you shall write distinctly upon these stones all the words of this law.””Moses required the words to be written clearly.
- Joshua 1:8 (BSB)“This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.”Joshua had been charged to keep the law constantly before him.
Theological
True or False: Joshua 8:32 records Joshua writing a copy of Moses’ law on stones in Israel’s presence.
Answer: True
This is true. Before the assembled people Joshua transcribed Moses’ law onto the stones (8:32), fulfilling the command to inscribe the law plainly on plastered stones upon entering the land (Deuteronomy 27:2-3, 8). The public inscription marked the land as the sphere where Israel would live under God’s law, consistent with Joshua’s own charge to meditate on it continually (1:8).
- Joshua 8:32 (BSB)“And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.”Joshua writes a copy of Moses’ law on the stones before Israel.
- Deuteronomy 27:2-3 (BSB)“And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, set up large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you.”Moses commanded that the law be written on plastered stones once Israel entered the land.
- Deuteronomy 27:8 (BSB)“And you shall write distinctly upon these stones all the words of this law.””Moses required the words to be written clearly.
- Joshua 1:8 (BSB)“This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.”Joshua had been charged to keep the law constantly before him.
General
How was Ai to be treated differently from Jericho (Joshua 8:2)?
Answer: Israel could keep its plunder and livestock
The LORD told Joshua to treat Ai and its ruler as he had treated Jericho, with one difference: this time the people could keep the spoil and the animals (8:2). At Jericho everything had been set apart for the LORD, and its silver, gold, bronze, and iron went into His treasury (6:19). Achan had grabbed for himself what God had forbidden; now God freely gave Israel the spoil of Ai. After the battle, Israel kept the livestock and goods, just as commanded (8:27). God had promised that His people would enjoy good things in the land that they had not worked for (Deuteronomy 6:10-11).
- Joshua 8:2 (BSB)“And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.””The LORD commands that Ai be treated like Jericho, with one exception.
- Joshua 8:27 (BSB)“Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.”After the battle Israel keeps the spoil, as the LORD had directed.
- Joshua 6:19 (BSB)“For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.””At Jericho the silver, gold, bronze, and iron were holy to the LORD and went into His treasury.
- Deuteronomy 6:10-11 (BSB)“And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied,”God promised His people good things in the land that they had not labored for.
Theological
What exception to the Jericho pattern did the LORD grant for Ai in Joshua 8:2?
Answer: Israel could keep its plunder and livestock
Ai is to receive the same judgment as Jericho, except that Israel may now take the spoil and livestock for itself (8:2). At Jericho the whole city was under the ban and its silver, gold, bronze, and iron were consecrated to the LORD’s treasury (6:19). The contrast with Achan is pointed: what he seized in disobedience God now grants freely, and Israel takes the spoil in obedience to the command (8:27). It is an installment of the promise that Israel would enjoy goods it had not produced (Deuteronomy 6:10-11).
- Joshua 8:2 (BSB)“And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.””The LORD commands that Ai be treated like Jericho, with one exception.
- Joshua 8:27 (BSB)“Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.”After the battle Israel keeps the spoil, as the LORD had directed.
- Joshua 6:19 (BSB)“For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.””At Jericho the silver, gold, bronze, and iron were holy to the LORD and went into His treasury.
- Deuteronomy 6:10-11 (BSB)“And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied,”God promised His people good things in the land that they had not labored for.
General
True or False: For the second attack on Ai, the LORD told Joshua to take only a small part of the army.
Answer: False
This is false. The LORD told Joshua not to fear or lose heart, directed him to bring all his fighting men, and promised that He had already given Ai’s king, people, city, and land into his hand (8:1). This reversed the earlier plan of sending only a few thousand men (7:3). The words of encouragement echo what the LORD told Joshua at the start of his leadership (1:9) and what Moses had told him before that (Deuteronomy 31:8). With the sin removed, God’s presence and promise were again with Israel.
- Joshua 8:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.”The LORD encourages Joshua and promises Ai into his hand.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””The LORD gave Joshua the same encouragement when he first took command.
- Deuteronomy 31:8 (BSB)“The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””Moses had encouraged Joshua with the promise of the LORD’s presence.
- Joshua 7:3 (BSB)“On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.””The first attack had followed the scouts’ advice to send only part of the army.
Theological
True or False: In Joshua 8:1 the LORD directed Joshua to send only a detachment of the army against Ai.
Answer: False
This is false. The LORD renews His charge against fear and discouragement, commands Joshua to bring all the fighting men, and declares Ai’s king, people, city, and land already given into his hand (8:1). The command reverses the scouts’ earlier counsel (7:3) and repeats the commissioning language of 1:9 and Deuteronomy 31:8. With the ban removed, the promise of the LORD’s presence again governs Israel’s warfare.
- Joshua 8:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.”The LORD encourages Joshua and promises Ai into his hand.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””The LORD gave Joshua the same encouragement when he first took command.
- Deuteronomy 31:8 (BSB)“The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””Moses had encouraged Joshua with the promise of the LORD’s presence.
- Joshua 7:3 (BSB)“On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.””The first attack had followed the scouts’ advice to send only part of the army.
General
What does Joshua 8:34-35 say about Joshua’s reading of the law?
Answer: He read all of it, blessings and curses alike
Joshua read aloud the whole law, blessings as well as curses, exactly as it was written (8:34). He left out nothing Moses had commanded, and he read it before the entire assembly, including women, little ones, and foreigners living among Israel (8:35). Moses had ordered that the law be read to every man, woman, and child, along with foreigners, so that they would hear, learn reverence for the LORD, and obey Him (Deuteronomy 31:11-12). Centuries later Ezra read the law to the gathered men and women in the same way (Nehemiah 8:2-3). God’s word was for the whole community, not a select few.
- Joshua 8:34-35 (BSB)“Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.”Joshua reads the entire law before the whole assembly, including women, children, and foreigners.
- Deuteronomy 31:11-12 (BSB)“when all Israel comes before the LORD your God at the place He will choose, you are to read this law in the hearing of all Israel. Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law.”Moses commanded that the law be read to the whole people, including families and foreigners.
- Nehemiah 8:2-3 (BSB)“On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand. So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.”Ezra later read the law to the gathered men and women.
Theological
What does Joshua 8:34-35 emphasize about the scope of Joshua’s reading of the law?
Answer: He read all of it, blessings and curses alike
Joshua read the entire law, blessings as well as curses, omitting nothing Moses had commanded (8:34-35). The audience was the full covenant community — women, little children, and resident foreigners included — in obedience to Deuteronomy 31:11-12, which required the public reading so that all might hear, fear the LORD, and obey. Ezra’s later reading before all the people follows the same pattern (Nehemiah 8:2-3).
- Joshua 8:34-35 (BSB)“Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.”Joshua reads the entire law before the whole assembly, including women, children, and foreigners.
- Deuteronomy 31:11-12 (BSB)“when all Israel comes before the LORD your God at the place He will choose, you are to read this law in the hearing of all Israel. Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law.”Moses commanded that the law be read to the whole people, including families and foreigners.
- Nehemiah 8:2-3 (BSB)“On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand. So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.”Ezra later read the law to the gathered men and women.