Paragraph 8:3–8

8:3a

So Joshua and the whole army set out: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as set out shows that a new action is beginning. This verb does not mean that Joshua was lying down.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Joshua and all the fighting men set out to go up against Ai (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Joshua and all the fighting men started to go up to Ai

and the whole army: The phrase the whole army refers to all the soldiers of Israel.

to attack Ai: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to attack literally means “ascend.” Ai was at a higher elevation than the Israelite camp, and the Hebrew language keeps track of elevation. If your language does not keep track of elevation in this way you can translate it as:

to go to Ai
-or-
to go ⌊and attack⌋ Ai

8:3b

It is recommended that you begin a new sentence here.

Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor: In 4:13 it says that there were forty thousand Israelite soldiers in total. Thirty thousand of them went to hide behind the town, and ten thousand of them stayed with Joshua.

mighty men of valor: The phrase mighty men of valor indicates that the soldiers Joshua chose were strong and brave.

8:3c

and sent them out at night: The clause sent them out at night indicates that the soldiers whom Joshua chose went during the night. They went at night so that the people of Ai would not see them.

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