Joshua 8:15
New International Version
Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.

New Living Translation
Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten.

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

Berean Standard Bible
Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.

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

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

New American Standard Bible
Then Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

NASB 1995
Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

NASB 1977
And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled by the way of the wilderness.

Amplified Bible
So Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them, and ran toward the wilderness.

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten back by them and fled toward the wilderness.

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

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated. They ran away toward the desert.

Good News Translation
Joshua and his men pretended that they were retreating, and ran away toward the barren country.

International Standard Version
Because Joshua and the entire fighting force of Israel pretended to lose the battle by running away in front of them toward the wilderness,

Majority Standard Bible
Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.

NET Bible
Joshua and all Israel pretended to be defeated by them and they retreated along the way to the desert.

New Heart English Bible
Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

World English Bible
Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Joshua and all Israel [seem] struck before them, and flee the way of the wilderness,

Young's Literal Translation
And Joshua and all Israel seem stricken before them, and flee the way of the wilderness,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joshua and all Israel will be smitten before them, and will flee the way of the desert.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Josue, and all Israel gave back, making as if they were afraid, and fleeing by the way of the wilderness.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet truly, Joshua, and all of Israel, withdrew from the place, pretending to be afraid, and fleeing along the way of the wilderness.

New American Bible
Joshua and the main body of the Israelites fled toward the wilderness, pretending defeat,

New Revised Standard Version
And Joshua and all Israel made a pretense of being beaten before them, and fled in the direction of the wilderness.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Joshua and all Israel scattered before them to flee by way of the wilderness.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yeshua scattered and all Israel from before them to flee into the way of wilderness
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joshua and Israel saw, and retreated from before them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Conquest of Ai
14When 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. 15Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness. 16Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city.…

Cross References
Exodus 14:3-4
For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’ / And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.

Judges 20:36-39
Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah. / The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword. / The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, ...

2 Samuel 5:23-25
So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. / As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because this will mean that the LORD has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” / So David did as the LORD had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

2 Kings 3:10-24
“Alas,” said the king of Israel, “for the LORD has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab!” / But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him.” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” / Jehoshaphat affirmed, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. ...

2 Chronicles 20:22-23
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. / The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

Isaiah 37:36-37
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

Jeremiah 37:9-10
This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, ‘The Chaldeans will go away for good,’ for they will not! / Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.”

1 Samuel 7:10-12
As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was offering up the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel. / Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth-car. / Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

2 Kings 19:35-36
And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

2 Chronicles 13:13-18
Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush from the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them. / When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets, / and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. And when they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. ...

Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. / After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. / The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ...

Luke 4:1-13
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, / where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry. / The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” ...

John 18:4-8
Jesus, knowing all that was coming upon Him, stepped forward and asked them, “Whom are you seeking?” / “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. Jesus said, “I am He.” And Judas His betrayer was standing there with them. / When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ...

Acts 5:38-39
So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail. / But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?


Treasury of Scripture

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

by the way

Joshua 18:12
And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Bethaven.

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Acting Beaten Desert Direction Driven Israel Joshua Overcome Pretended Pretense Seem Stricken Themselves Waste Way Wilderness
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Acting Beaten Desert Direction Driven Israel Joshua Overcome Pretended Pretense Seem Stricken Themselves Waste Way Wilderness
Joshua 8
1. God encourages Joshua
3. The plan whereby Ai was taken
29. The king thereof is hanged
30. Joshua builds an altar
32. writes the law on stones
33. and pronounces the blessings and curses














Joshua and all Israel
This phrase emphasizes the unity and collective action of the Israelites under Joshua's leadership. Joshua, whose name means "The LORD is salvation," is a central figure in the conquest of Canaan. His leadership is divinely appointed, and he acts as a mediator of God's will to the people. The mention of "all Israel" signifies the entire nation acting in concert, highlighting the communal nature of their mission and the shared responsibility in following God's commands. Historically, this unity was crucial for the Israelites as they faced formidable enemies in the Promised Land.

let themselves be beaten back
The phrase suggests a strategic retreat rather than a genuine defeat. The Hebrew root here implies a deliberate action, indicating that Joshua and the Israelites were employing a tactical maneuver. This strategy was part of a divine plan to lure the men of Ai away from their city, as instructed by God. The concept of strategic retreat is not uncommon in military history, where feigned weakness is used to gain a tactical advantage. This reflects the wisdom and cunning that God imparts to His people, teaching them that victory often requires patience and strategy.

before them
This indicates the presence of the enemy, the men of Ai, who were confident in their previous victory over Israel. The phrase underscores the psychological aspect of warfare, where the appearance of retreat by Israel was meant to embolden the enemy, making them overconfident. In the broader biblical narrative, this serves as a reminder that God's plans often involve turning the expectations of the world upside down, using what seems like weakness to achieve ultimate victory.

and they fled
The act of fleeing is typically associated with fear and defeat, yet in this context, it is a calculated part of Joshua's strategy. The Hebrew verb used here can also imply a swift movement, which aligns with the tactical retreat designed to draw the enemy out. This action demonstrates the obedience of Joshua and the Israelites to God's unconventional battle plan, showcasing their faith in His guidance.

toward the wilderness
The wilderness in biblical terms often represents a place of testing and preparation. It is where the Israelites spent 40 years being shaped into a nation ready to enter the Promised Land. In this context, fleeing toward the wilderness could symbolize a return to a place of reliance on God, away from the perceived safety of human fortifications. Archaeologically, the wilderness areas around Ai would have been rugged and challenging, making it a plausible direction for a strategic retreat. This movement towards the wilderness serves as a metaphor for trusting in God's provision and protection, even when the path seems uncertain.

Verse 15. - Made as though they were beaten. "Joshua conquered by yielding. So our Lord Jesus Christ, when He bowed His head and gave up the ghost, seemed as if death had triumphed over Him; but in His resurrection He rallied again, and gave the powers of darkness a total defeat" (Matthew Henry). By the way of the wilderness. Northwestward, in the direction of the wilderness of Bethel (Joshua 16:1)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Joshua
יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

and all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

let themselves be beaten back
וַיִּנָּֽגְע֛וּ (way·yin·nā·ḡə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5060: To touch, lay the hand upon, to reach, violently, to strike

before them,
לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם (lip̄·nê·hem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

and they fled
וַיָּנֻ֖סוּ (way·yā·nu·sū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away

toward
דֶּ֥רֶךְ (de·reḵ)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

the wilderness.
הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (ham·miḏ·bār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech


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OT History: Joshua 8:15 Joshua and all Israel made as if (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 8:14
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