Joshua 8 · Verse 24

Joshua 8:24

And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
Joshua 8:24, King James Version

Joshua 8:24 in other translations

BSBWhen Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.
WEBWhen Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.
ASVAnd it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they pursued them, and they were all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
YLTAnd it cometh to pass, at Israel's finishing to slay all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them (and they fall all of them by the mouth of the sword till their consumption), that all Israel turn back to Ai, and smite it by the mouth of the sword;
DARBYAnd it came to pass when Israel had ended slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they had chased them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
BBEThen, after the destruction of all the people of Ai in the field and in the waste land where they went after them, and when all the people had been put to death without mercy, all Israel went back to Ai, and put to death all who were in it without mercy.
WebsterAnd it came to pass when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they chased them, and when they had all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

What does Joshua 8:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 8:18-25

18-25. Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city--The uplifted spear had probably a flag, or streamer on it, to render it the more conspicuous from the height where he stood. At the sight of this understood signal the ambush nearest the city, informed by their scouts, made a sudden rush and took possession of the city, telegraphing to their brethren by raising a smoke from the walls…

Read the full comment on Joshua 8:18-25 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 Returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. - This must refer to the women, children, and old persons, left behind; for it is likely that all the effective men had sallied out when they imagined the Israelites had fled. See Jos 8:16.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 8:23-29

God, the righteous Judge, had sentenced the Canaanites for their wickedness; the Israelites only executed his doom. None of their conduct can be drawn into an example for others. Especial reason no doubt there was for this severity to the king of Ai; it is likely he had been notoriously wicked and vile, and a blasphemer of the God of Israel.

Read the full comment on Joshua 8:23-29 →

Joshua 8:24 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִ֣יvay.Hiand it wasH1961
כְּכַלּ֣וֹתke.kha.Lotwhen had finishedH3615
יִשְׂרָאֵ֡לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לַהֲרֹג֩la.ha.Rogto killH2026
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
יֹשְׁבֵ֨יyo.she.Vei[the] inhabitants ofH3427
הָעַ֜יha.'Ai<the> AiH5857
בַּשָּׂדֶ֗הba.sa.Dehin the open countryH7704
בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ba.mid.Barin the wildernessH4057
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
רְדָפ֣וּםre.da.Fumthey had pursued themH7291
בּ֔וֹboin <the> it
וַֽיִּפְּל֥וּvai.yi.pe.Luand they had fallenH5307
כֻלָּ֛םkhu.Lamall of themH3605
לְפִי\־le.fi-to [the] mouth ofH6310
חֶ֖רֶבChe.rev[the] swordH2719
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
תֻּמָּ֑םtu.Mamwere finished theyH8552
וַיָּשֻׁ֤בוּvai.ya.Shu.vuand they returnedH7725
כָל\־khol-allH3605
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
הָעַ֔יha.'Ai<the> AiH5857
וַיַּכּ֥וּvai.ya.Kuand they attackedH5221
אֹתָ֖הּ'o.Tah<obj.> itH853
לְפִי\־le.fi-to [the] mouth ofH6310
חָֽרֶב\׃Cha.rev[the] swordH2719

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 8:24

  • Joshua 11:10-14

    And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn. …

  • Numbers 21:24

    And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.

  • Joshua 10:30-41

    And the Lord delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho. And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it: And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
returned unto Ai.This must refer to the women, children, and old persons left behind; for it seems that all the effective men had sallied out when they imagined the Israelites had fled. (ver. 16.)
10:30-41; 11:10-14; Nu 21:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 8:23

    And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

  • Joshua 8:24

    And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

  • Joshua 8:25

    And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

Read all of Joshua 8

Joshua 8:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y cuando los Israelitas acabaron de matar á todos los moradores de Hai en el campo, en el desierto, donde ellos los habían perseguido, y que todos habían caído á filo de espada hasta ser consumidos, todos los Israelitas se tornaron á Hai, y también la pusieron á cuchillo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il arriva que, lorsque Israël eut achevé de tuer tous les habitants d’Aï dans la campagne, dans le désert où ils les avaient poursuivis, et que tous furent tombés sous le tranchant de l’épée, jusqu’à être consumés, alors tout Israël revint vers Aï, et ils la frappèrent par le tranchant de l’épée.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es geschah, als Israel das Würgen aller Bewohner von Ai auf dem Felde, in der Wüste, wo sie ihnen nachgejagt waren, beendigt hatte, und sie alle durch die Schärfe des Schwertes gefallen, bis sie aufgerieben waren, da kehrte ganz Israel um nach Ai, und sie schlugen es mit der Schärfe des Schwertes.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Igitur omnibus interfectis, qui Israëlem ad deserta tendentem fuerant persecuti, et in eodem loco gladio corruentibus, reversi filii Israël percusserunt civitatem.