(For they will come out after us) till 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.
(For they will chase after us) until we have led them away from the city. They will think, 'The Israelites are running away from us just like they did before.' So we will pretend to run away from them.
Joshua is explaining his battle strategy to draw the enemy soldiers away from their city by pretending to retreat, just like what happened in their previous defeat.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Joshua, the Israelites were in the midst of conquering the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership after their exodus from Egypt. Their initial attack on the city of Ai had failed due to sin in the camp, leading God to provide a new battle plan that involved deception and ambush. This verse describes the tactic of pretending to flee to draw the enemy out, allowing the Israelites to execute God's strategy effectively.
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