Joshua 8 · Verse 3

Joshua 8:3

So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.
Joshua 8:3, King James Version

Joshua 8:3 in other translations

BSBSo Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out at night
WEBSo Joshua arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night.
ASVSo Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night.
YLTAnd Joshua riseth, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai, and Joshua chooseth thirty thousand men, mighty ones of valour, and sendeth them away by night,
DARBYAnd Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men, and sent them away by night.
BBESo Joshua and the fighting-men got ready to go up against Ai; and Joshua took thirty thousand men of war, and sent them out by night.
WebsterSo Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them away by night.

What does Joshua 8:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. So Joshua ... chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour--Joshua despatched thirty thousand men under cover of night, to station themselves at the place appointed for the ambuscade. Out of this number a detachment of five thousand was sent forward to conceal themselves in the immediate precincts of the town, in order to seize the first opportunity of throwing themselves into it [Jos 8:12].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 8:3-22
Observe Joshua's conduct and prudence. Those that would maintain their spiritual conflicts must not love their ease. Probably he went into the valley alone, to pray to God for a blessing, and he did not seek in vain. He never drew back till the work was done. Those that have stretched out their hands against their spiritual enemies, must never draw them back.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Joshua 8:3 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.

וַיָּ֧קָםvai.Ya.komand he aroseH6965
יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַye.ho.Shu.a'JoshuaH3091
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
עַ֥ם'am[the] people ofH5971
הַמִּלְחָמָ֖הha.mil.cha.Mah<the> warH4421
לַעֲל֣וֹתla.'a.Lotto go upH5927
הָעָ֑יha.'Ai<the> AiH5857
וַיִּבְחַ֣רvai.yiv.Charand he choseH977
יְ֠הוֹשֻׁעַYe.ho.shu.a'JoshuaH3091
שְׁלֹשִׁ֨יםshe.lo.ShimthirtyH7970
אֶ֤לֶף'E.lefthousandH505
אִישׁ֙'ishmanH376
גִּבּוֹרֵ֣יgi.bo.Rei[the] mighty [men] ofH1368
הַחַ֔יִלha.Cha.yil<the> strengthH2428
וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֖םvai.yish.la.Chemand he sent out themH7971
לָֽיְלָה\׃La.ye.lahnightH3915

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

Cross references for Joshua 8:3

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:2

    For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

  • Matthew 25:6

    And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

  • Matthew 24:50

    The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

  • Matthew 24:39

    And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

  • 2 Peter 3:10

    But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
by night.
Mt 24:39,50; 25:6; 1Th 5:2; 2Pe 3:10

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

Context

  • Joshua 8:2

    And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

  • Joshua 8:3

    So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night.

  • Joshua 8:4

    And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:

Read all of Joshua 8

Joshua 8:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y levantóse Josué, y toda la gente de guerra, para subir contra Hai: y escogió Josué treinta mil hombres fuertes, los cuales envió de noche.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Josué se leva avec tout le peuple de guerre pour monter vers Aï; et Josué choisit 30 000 vaillants hommes, et les envoya de nuit.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da machte sich Josua mit allem Kriegsvolk auf, um nach Ai hinaufzuziehen. Und Josua wählte 30000 Mann aus, streitbare Männer, und sandte sie ab bei der Nacht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Surrexitque Josue, et omnis exercitus bellatorum cum eo, ut ascenderent in Hai: et electa triginta millia virorum fortium misit nocte,