Study it in the app“The men of Ai turned back and looked, and look, the smoke of the city was going up to the heavens, and they had no strength to flee this way or that way; and the people who were fleeing to the wilderness turned back against the pursuer.”
The menאַנְשֵׁיof Aiהָעַיturned backוַיִּפְנוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶםand looked,וַיִּרְאוּand look,וְהִנֵּהthe smokeעֲשַׁןof the cityהָעִירwas going upעָלָהto the heavens,הַשָּׁמַיְמָהand they hadהָיָה בָהֶםnoוְלֹאstrengthיָדַיִםto fleeלָנוּסthis wayהֵנָּהor that way;וָהֵנָּהand the peopleוְהָעָםwho were fleeingהַנָּסto the wildernessהַמִּדְבָּרturned backנֶהְפַּךְagainstאֶלthe pursuer.הָרוֹדֵף
man
An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.
Where else “anshe” appearsAi
See it on the mapWhere else “ay” appearsturn
To turn toward something, someone or God.
Where else “yifnu” appearssee
To see with one's eyes.
Where else “yiru” appearssmoke
Smoke.
Where else “ashan” appearscity
A settled place protected by a wall, with a gate and houses.
Where else “ir” appearsgo up
To go from a low place to a higher one: up the mountain, to Jerusalem or to a city.
Where else “ala” appearssky
The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.
Where else “shamayma” appearsexist
To exist: "let there be light".
Where else “haya” appearspower
Literally "the hand": the strength and control someone has.
Where else “yadayim” appearsflee
To run off to get away from a danger or an enemy.
Where else “nus” appearscrowd
The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.
Where else “am” appearswilderness
Dry, unfarmed land where flocks graze.
Where else “midbar” appearsturn
To turn one's body or course the other way.
Where else “nehpach” appearspursue
To go after someone to catch them.
Where else “rodef” appears“They had no strength” is literally “there were no hands in them.”
Ai ?
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).
19And the ambush rose quickly from its place, and they ran as soon as he stretched out his hand, and entered the city and took it; and they hurried and set the city on fire.
20 · This verse (above)
21When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city was going up, they turned back and struck the men of Ai.
