12
He tookוַיִּקַּחabout fiveכַּחֲמֵשֶׁתthousandאֲלָפִיםmenאִישׁand set themוַיָּשֶׂם אוֹתָםin ambushאֹרֵבbetweenבֵּיןBethelבֵּית אֵלandוּבֵיןAi,הָעַיto the westמִיָּםof the city.לָעִיר
Joshua 8:12
Study it in the app“He took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Joshua 8:12, word by word
- He tookיִּקַּחyikach
fetch
To take someone along, or go and fetch something.
Where else “yikach” appears- about fiveחֲמֵשֶׁתchameshet
five
Five.
Where else “chameshet” appears- thousandאֲלָפִיםalafim
thousand
One thousand: a large, round number.
Where else “alafim” appears- menאִישׁish
man
An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.
Where else “ish” appears- and set themיָּשֶׂםyasem
put
To put something somewhere.
Where else “yasem” appears- in ambushאֹרֵבorev
lie in wait
Lie in wait: wait in hiding to attack.
Where else “orev” appears- Bethelבֵּיתbet
Bethel
See it on the mapWhere else “bet” appears- to the westיָּםyam
west
Literally "the sea": the side where the sun sets.
Where else “yam” appears- of the cityעִירir
city
A settled place protected by a wall, with a gate and houses.
Where else “ir” appears
Places in this verse
1Bethel ?
Today: possibly Beitin, West Bank
A city in the hills about 11 miles (17 km) north of Jerusalem; the location is approximate.
There Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven and named the place Bethel, "house of God" (Gen 28:19). Jeroboam set up a golden calf there (1 Kgs 12:29).
2Ai ?
Today: possibly et-Tell or Khirbet el-Maqatir, West Bank
A city east of Bethel; its exact site is not certain.
Israel was defeated there because of Achan's sin (Josh 7:2-5), and later God gave them the victory (Josh 8:1).
The context
11And all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near and came in front of the city and camped on the north of Ai, with the valley between him and Ai.
12 · This verse (above)
13So the people positioned all the camp that was to the north of the city and its rear to the west of the city, and Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley.