"And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness." — Joshua 8:15

Joshua 8:15 · KJV

“And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.”

— Joshua 8:15

And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw {it}, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that {there were} liers in ambush against him behind the city.

Verse 16

And all the people that {were} in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

Joshua 8 — Context

And when they had set the people, {even} all the host that {was} on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. {liers...: Heb. lying in wait}

And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

And all the people that {were} in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

Cross References

Joshua 18:12

And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Bethaven.

Judges 20:36

So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.

Joshua 16:1

And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel, {fell: Heb. went forth}

Joshua 15:61

In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,