Paragraph 8:9

In verses 8:4–8 Joshua gave instructions to the thirty thousand soldiers who will carry out the ambush. In 8:9 those soldiers started to go to their hiding place west of Ai.

8:9a

So Joshua sent them out: The clause Joshua sent them out indicates that Joshua ordered the soldiers who were to hide behind Ai to begin to move towards the town.

8:9b

and they went to the place of ambush: The soldiers walked to the place where they hid until the time came to attack the town.

8:9c

and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai: The soldiers found a place to hide between the towns of Bethel and Ai. They hid and waited there until the rest of the Israelite soldiers came to Ai the next day.

lay in wait: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lay is more literally “stayed” or “remained.” The soldiers stayed there overnight and probably many of them lay down to sleep.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

they stayed between Bethel and Ai
-or-
they hid between Bethel and Ai

to the west of Ai: The place where the soldiers hid was west of Ai. The town of Bethel was further west of their hiding place.

8:9d

But Joshua spent that night among the people: The clause Joshua spent that night among the people indicates that Joshua stayed with the rest of the Israelite soldiers in the camp. For example:

Joshua spent the night with the rest of the troops (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

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