And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
They came back to Joshua and told him, 'Don't send all our people up there. Just send about two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Don't make everyone work hard by going there, because there aren't very many enemies.'
The spies are telling Joshua that conquering the city of Ai will be easy and they only need a small army because the enemy is weak.
📚 Historical Context
After the Israelites successfully conquered Jericho under Joshua's leadership, they sent spies to scout the nearby city of Ai, which appeared to be a smaller and less fortified target. The spies returned with a report advising that only a small force of about two or three thousand men was needed to attack Ai, as it seemed to have few defenders, reflecting the Israelites' growing overconfidence after their recent victory. This decision was made without fully considering God's commands, which later exposed hidden sin in the camp that led to their defeat.
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