(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
This verse is part of Joshua's military strategy to conquer the city of Ai after an initial failed attempt. The Israelites had previously been defeated at Ai due to Achan's sin, but now they were implementing a tactical ambush plan involving a feigned retreat to lure the defenders out of their fortified city.
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