Verse 24a again reports the complete slaughter of the men of Ai by the Israelite forces; the Israelites then advance on the city and kill all its inhabitants (verse 24b).

As a comparison of Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version indicates, Good News Translation is considerably shorter than the Hebrew. Moreover, there is some ambiguity about the clause rendered where they had chased them. According to Good News Translation, they would seem to refer to the Israelites, while them points back to the men of Ai. However, it is possible to understand the men of Ai as subject of the clause: “when the Israelites had slaughtered all the men of Ai who had pursued them….” The ambiguity of the Hebrew text allows either interpretation, though according to verse 20 it was the men of Ai who had pursued the Israelites in the direction of the barren country.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .