The Meaning of Joshua 8:21 Explained

Joshua 8:21

KJV: And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

YLT: and Joshua and all Israel have seen that the ambush hath captured the city, and that the smoke of the city hath gone up, and they turn back and smite the men of Ai;

Darby: When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

ASV: And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when Joshua  and all Israel  saw  that the ambush  had taken  the city,  and that the smoke  of the city  ascended,  then they turned again,  and slew  the men  of Ai. 

What does Joshua 8:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 8:18-29 - The Enemy Completely Destroyed
Joshua's preparations were skillfully made, and in that very place where Israel had been so disastrously defeated they scored a great victory and took large spoil, especially cattle, which they drove in triumph to the camp at Gilgal.
Taught by Christ's gentle spirit, we turn our eyes away from the doom that befell the entire population. In those days notions of God's justice were not tempered by knowledge of His mercy. But the Bible records the slow growth of even the religious leaders of the race in the true knowledge of God, Acts 26:9.
Be of good cheer, you that have been repeatedly overwhelmed by your strong enemies! Your failure arises from some hidden evil lurking in your soul! Put that away! Cast it out as a cancer! Where you were defeated you shall be more than conqueror, through the grace of Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 8

1  God encourages Joshua
3  The plan whereby Ai was taken
29  The king thereof is hanged
30  Joshua builds an altar
32  writes the law on stones
33  and pronounces the blessings and curses

What do the individual words in Joshua 8:21 mean?

And when Joshua and all Israel saw that had taken the ambush - the city that ascended the smoke of the city and they turned back and struck down the men of Ai
וִיהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ וְכָֽל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל רָא֗וּ כִּֽי־ לָכַ֤ד הָֽאֹרֵב֙ אֶת־ הָעִ֔יר וְכִ֥י עָלָ֖ה עֲשַׁ֣ן הָעִ֑יר וַיָּשֻׁ֕בוּ וַיַּכּ֖וּ אַנְשֵׁ֥י הָעָֽי

וִיהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ  And  when  Joshua 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
וְכָֽל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
רָא֗וּ  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
לָכַ֤ד  had  taken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
הָֽאֹרֵב֙  the  ambush 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָרַב  
Sense: to lie in wait, ambush, lurk.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָעִ֔יר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וְכִ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עָלָ֖ה  ascended 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עֲשַׁ֣ן  the  smoke 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עָשָׁן  
Sense: smoke.
הָעִ֑יר  of  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וַיָּשֻׁ֕בוּ  and  they  turned  back 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וַיַּכּ֖וּ  and  struck  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אַנְשֵׁ֥י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
הָעָֽי  of  Ai 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַי 
Sense: a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the 2nd city taken on the invasion of Canaan.

What are the major concepts related to Joshua 8:21?

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