And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.
The soldiers hiding in ambush quickly jumped up from their hiding place and ran forward as soon as Joshua stretched out his hand. They rushed into the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
This verse describes the moment when Joshua's hidden soldiers received his signal and successfully carried out their surprise attack on the city of Ai.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes the conquest of Ai, Joshua's second major military campaign in the Promised Land after the victory at Jericho. After an initial defeat due to Achan's disobedience, Joshua employed a clever military strategy using an ambush to capture the city. The stretching out of Joshua's hand with a spear served as the coordinated signal for the hidden troops to attack.
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