Joshua 8:15

15 Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.

Joshua 8:15 in Other Translations

15 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

15 And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness.

15 Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten.

15 Joshua and all Israel let themselves be chased; they ran toward the wilderness.

15 Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten back by them and fled toward the wilderness.

Joshua 8:15 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:15

And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before
them
Or smitten, as some of them might be in the pursuit:

and fled by the way of the wilderness;
not a barren desert, but, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, a place for the pasture of cattle; though perhaps it is the same with the wilderness of Bethaven, ( Joshua 18:12 ) . Epiphanius ^F23 makes mention of the wilderness of Bethel and Ephraim as near Jericho.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Contr. Haeres. l. 1. tom. 2.

Joshua 8:15 In-Context

13 So the soldiers took up their positions—with the main camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.

14 When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city.

15 Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.

16 All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city.

17 Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.

Cross References

• 1. Judges 20:36
• 2. Joshua 15:61; Joshua 16:1; Joshua 18:12