And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the city gate all the way to Shebarim, and struck them down as they fled downhill. Because of this, the people's hearts melted with fear and became like water.
This verse describes how Israel suffered an unexpected defeat at Ai, losing thirty-six men and causing the entire nation to become paralyzed with fear.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of the Book of Joshua, the Israelites had recently achieved a miraculous victory at Jericho, where God caused the walls to fall, allowing them to conquer the city. However, when they moved to attack the smaller city of Ai, they were unexpectedly defeated because of Achan's secret sin of taking forbidden items from Jericho, which violated God's command and led to His withdrawal of protection. This event underscores the theme of covenant faithfulness in the Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land, showing how individual disobedience affected the entire community.
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