Joshua 8:4
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, you shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city; do not go very far from the city, but be all ready.
Additional Resources
Other Translations
Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts
He commanded them, saying, "Behold, you are to lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go far from the city, but all of you stay ready."
King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)
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:
American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers
And he commanded{H6680} them, saying,{H559} Behold,{H7200} ye shall lie in ambush{H693} against the city,{H5892} behind{H310} the city;{H5892} go{H7368} not very{H3966} far{H7368} from the city,{H5892} but be ye all ready:{H3559}
King James Version with Strong's Numbers
And he commanded{H6680}{(H8762)} them, saying{H559}{(H8800)}, Behold{H7200}{(H8798)}, ye shall lie in wait{H693}{(H8802)} against the city{H5892}, even behind{H310} the city{H5892}: go{H7368} not very{H3966} far{H7368}{(H8686)} from the city{H5892}, but be ye all ready{H3559}{(H8737)}:
Coverdale Bible (1535)
and commaunded them, and sayde: Take hede, ye shal be ye preuye watch behynde the cite, but go not to farre from the cite, and se that ye be redye alltogether.
Geneva Bible (1560)
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, yee shall lye in waite against the citie on the backeside of the citie: goe not very farre from the citie, but be ye all in a readinesse.
Bishops' Bible (1568)
And he commaunded them, saying: Beholde, ye shall lye in wayte agaynst the towne on the backside thereof: Go not verie farre from the citie, but be all redie:
Authorized King James Version (1611)
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:
Webster's Bible (1833)
He commanded them, saying, Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; don't go very far from the city, but be all ready:
Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)
and commandeth them, saying, `See, ye are liers in wait against the city, at the rear of the city, ye go not very far off from the city, and all of you have been prepared,
American Standard Version (1901)
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
American Standard Version (1901)
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city; go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
Bible in Basic English (1941)
And he gave them their orders, saying, Go and take up your position secretly at the back of the town: do not go very far away, and let all of you be ready:
World English Bible (2000)
He commanded them, saying, "Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don't go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
NET Bible® (New English Translation)
He ordered them,“Look, set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from the city; all of you be ready!
Referenced Verses
- Judg 20:29 : 29 And Israel set ambushers round about Gibeah.
- Judg 20:33 : 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar; and the ambushers of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
- Judg 20:36 : 36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were struck; for the men of Israel gave way to the Benjamites, because they trusted to the ambushers which they had set beside Gibeah.
- 1 Sam 15:2 : 2 Thus says the LORD of hosts, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him on the way, when he came up from Egypt.
- 1 Sam 15:5 : 5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.
- Eccl 7:19 : 19 Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men in the city.
- Eccl 9:16 : 16 Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless, the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
- Acts 23:21 : 21 But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for a promise from you.
- Josh 8:16 : 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.
- Judg 9:25 : 25 And the men of Shechem set ambushes against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told to Abimelech.
Similar Verses (AI)
These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.
- Josh 8:5-2420 verses85%
5 And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach the city, and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.
6 (For they will come out after us) until we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first; therefore we will flee before them.
7 Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
8 And it shall be, when you have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire; according to the commandment of the LORD you shall do. See, I have commanded you.
9 Joshua therefore sent them forth, and they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
10 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and numbered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
11 And all the people, even the people of war who were with him, went up and drew near, and came before the city and camped on the north side of Ai; now there was a valley between them and Ai.
12 And he took about five thousand men and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
13 And when they had set the people, even all the army 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.
14 And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hurried 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 did not know that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.
15 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
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.
17 And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel; and they left the city open and pursued after Israel.
18 And the LORD said to Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.
19 And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city and took it and hastened and set the city on fire.
20 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
21 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.
22 And the others issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side; and they struck them so that none of them remained or escaped.
23 And the king of Ai they took alive and brought him to Joshua.
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 where they chased them, and when they were all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.
- Josh 8:1-33 verses84%
1 And the LORD said to Joshua, Do not fear or be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.
2 And you shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, only the spoil and the cattle shall you take for a prey for yourselves; lay an ambush for the city behind it.
3 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night.
- Josh 7:2-43 verses77%
2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, Do not let all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai; and do not make all the people labor there; for they are but few.
4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people: and they fled before the men of Ai.
- 75%
7 And he said to the people, Proceed, and surround the city, and let him who is armed go on before the ark of the LORD.
- Josh 8:26-283 verses73%
26 For Joshua did not draw his hand back, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
27 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.
28 And Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, even a desolation to this day.
- Josh 6:2-32 verses73%
2 And the LORD said to Joshua, See, I have given into your hand Jericho, and its king, and the mighty men of valor.
3 And you shall surround the city, all you men of war, and go around the city once. You shall do this for six days.
- Josh 10:18-192 verses72%
18 So Joshua said, Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them.
19 And do not stay there, but pursue your enemies, and attack their rear guard. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.
- Josh 1:10-112 verses72%
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11 Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you shall cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
- 71%
32 Now therefore arise by night, you and the people with you, and lie in wait in the field.
- Josh 10:8-92 verses71%
8 And the LORD said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.
9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.
- 71%
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
- 70%
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand; and Joshua went to him and said to him, Are you for us or for our adversaries?
- 70%
7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they attacked them.
- 69%
22 And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have you deceived us, saying, We are very far from you; when you dwell among us?
- 69%
8 And the men arose and went away; and Joshua charged those who went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, describe it, and return to me that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh.
- 69%
11 So the ark of the LORD went around the city, circling it once: and they came into the camp, and stayed in the camp.