Joshua-Chapter-8
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
After the
devastating defeat at Ai caused by Achan’s sin and the
subsequent purification of the camp, Chapter 8 marks a turning point of restoration.
No longer is Joshua acting on his own initiative; he is now moving under direct
Divine command from אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim (God). This chapter transitions from the
“shame of Ai” to a master class in military strategy and, ultimately, a
profound spiritual rededication. It serves as a reminder that failure is not
final when followed by ‘repentance’ and ‘obedience’.
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Let us read Joshua Chapter 8:1-35: (JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).
1. And יְהוָה - the LORD said unto Joshua: ‘Fear
not, neither be thou dismayed; take all the people of
war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into thy hand the king
of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land. 2. And
thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king; only
the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto
yourselves; set thee an ambush for the city behind it’. 3. So
Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai; and Joshua chose out
thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valour, and sent them forth by
night. 4. And he commanded them, saying: ‘Behold, ye
shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; go not very far from the
city, but be ye all ready. 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. 6. And they will come out after us, till we have drawn them
away from the city; for they will say: They flee before us, as at the first; so
we will flee before them. 7. And ye shall rise up from
the ambush, and take possession of the city; for אֱלֹהֵיכֶם- יְהוָה- the LORD your Eloheichem will deliver it into your
hand. 8. And it shall be, when ye have seized upon the
city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of יְהוָה - the LORD shall ye do; see, I have
commanded you’. 9. And Joshua sent them forth; and they
went to the ambushment, and abode between Beth-el and
Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the
people. 10. And Joshua rose up early in the morning,
and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of
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Explanations of Verses 1-35: (JPS-1917 based).
Verses
1-2: Reassurance and Instruction.
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim tells Joshua, “Fear
not, neither be thou dismayed”. This mirrors the opening of
the book. Crucially, אֱלֹהִים - Elohim allows the Israelites to keep the spoil
and cattle for themselves this time a stark contrast to
Verses
3-13: The Strategy of the Ambush.
Joshua proves himself a brilliant tactician. He sets an ambush of 30,000 men
(with a secondary group of 5,000) behind the city. The plan is a “feigned
retreat”: Joshua and the main army will lure the men of Ai out of their gates,
leaving the city defenceless for the hidden troops to seize.
Verses 14-23: The Trap is Sprung.
The King of Ai, blinded by his previous victory, falls for the trap. As Joshua
stretches out his javelin (a sign of Divine
authority similar to Moses’ staff), the ambush rises, enters the city, and sets
it on fire. The smoke becomes the signal for Joshua’s main force to turn and
strike.
Verses
24-29: Total Victory.
The victory is absolute. The King of Ai is hanged on a tree until evening, a
sign of a “curse” (Deut. 21:23) and then buried under a heap of stones. This
heap serves as a permanent memorial of the consequences of opposing the Divine
will.
Verses
30-35: The Altar at
The chapter ends not with a military parade, but with a religious
assembly. In the heart of the land, between ‘
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My Closing Message:
The
lesson of Joshua 8 is that a true victory is found in the
balance of effort and Law. Joshua used clever military
tactics (the ambush), but he knew the battle was won because of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s blessed promise.
However,
the most important “conquest” in this chapter is not the city of
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