And the other 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 smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
The other Israelite soldiers came out of the city to attack them from behind. So the enemy was trapped in the middle, with Israelites on both sides surrounding them. The Israelites struck them down completely, leaving no survivors or anyone who could escape.
The writer is describing how Israel's military strategy perfectly trapped their enemies, resulting in complete victory with no survivors.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes the culmination of Joshua's brilliant military strategy against the city of Ai, where he used a feigned retreat and ambush tactics. After Israel's initial defeat at Ai due to Achan's sin, God gave Joshua a new battle plan that involved dividing his forces and attacking from two directions. This was part of Israel's conquest of the Promised Land around 1400 BC, following their successful victory at Jericho.
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