Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
(OT:871a). There is an analogous passage in Ps 76:6, "None of the men of might
have found their hands." For the people that fled to the wilderness (the Israelitish
army) turned against the pursuers (the warriors of Ai), or, as is added by way of
explanation in v. 21, when Joshua and all Israel saw the town in the hands of the
ambuscade, and the smoke ascending, they turned round and smote the people of Ai;
and (v. 22) these (i.e., the Israelites who had formed the ambuscade) came out of the
town to meet them. "These" ( Eng. the other), as contrasted with "the people that fled"
in v. 20, refers back to "the ambush" in v. 19. In this way the Aites were in the midst
of the people of Israel, who came from this side and that side, and smote them to the
last man. "So that they let none of them remain:" as in Num 21:35 and Deut 3:3,
except that in this case it is strengthened still further by uwpaaliyT (OT:6412), "or
escape."
Verse 23. The king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua.
Verse 24-26. When all the men of Ai, who had come out to pursue the Israelites, had
been slain upon the field (namely) in the desert, all Israel returned to Ai and smote it
(the town, i.e., the inhabitants), so that on that day there fell of men and women,
12,000, all the people of Ai: for Joshua did not draw back his hand, which had been
stretched out with the javelin, till all the inhabitants of Ai were smitten with the ban,
i.e., put to death; according to the common custom of war, that the general did not
lower the war-signal till the conflict was to cease (see Suidas in Seemei'a (NT:4592),
and Lipsius de militia, Rom. iv. dial. 12).
Verse 27. Only the cattle and the rest of the booty the conquerors retained for
themselves, according to the word of the Lord (v. 2).
Verse 28. Joshua had the town burnt down and made into a heap of rubbish for ever.
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