John Calvin on Joshua 7:25-26

25. And Joshua said, etc The invective seems excessively harsh; as if it had been his intention to drive the wretched man to frantic madness, when he ought rather to have exhorted him to patience. I have no doubt that he spoke thus for the sake of the people, in order to furnish a useful example to all, and my conclusion, therefore, is, that he did not wish to overwhelm Achan with despair, but only to show in his person how grievous a crime it is to disturb the Church of God. It may be, however, that the haughty Achan complained that his satisfaction, by which he thought that he had sufficiently discharged himself, was not accepted, French, “Combien qu’il se peut faire, qu’Achan estant fier se soit plaint de ce qu’on ne se contentoit pas de la reparation, et payement qu’il avoit fait, par lequel il pensoit s’estre bien acquitte, et avoir grand devoir;” “Although it may be that Achan complained of their not being contented with the reparation and payment which he had made, and by which he thought that he had acquitted himself well, and performed a great duty.” — Ed. and that Joshua inveighed thus bitterly against him with the view of correcting or breaking his contumacy. The question seems to imply that he was expostulating, and when he appeals to God as judge, he seems to be silencing an obstinate man. The throwing of stones by the whole people was a general sign of detestation, by which they declared that they had no share in the crime which they thus avenged, and that they held it in abhorrence. The heap of stones was intended partly as a memorial to posterity, and partly to prevent any one from imprudently gathering particles of gold or silver on the spot, if it had remained unoccupied. For although the Lord had previously ordered that the gold of Jericho should be offered to him, he would not allow his sanctuary to be polluted by the proceeds of theft.

CHAPTER 8

Joshua 8:1-29

1. And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:

1. Dixitque Jehova ad Josuam, Netimeas, nec formides, sume tecum omnem populum bellicosum, et surge, ascende in Hai. Vide, dedi in manu tua regem Hai, ac populum ejus, urbem ejus, et terram ejus.

2. And thou shall do to Ai and her king as thou did unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall you take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

2. Faciesque Hai, et regi ejus, quemadmodum fecisti Jericho, et regi ejus; tamen spolia ejus, et animalia ejus praedabimini vobis. Colloca autem insidias urbi a tergo ejus.

3. So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them away by night.

3. Surrexit itaque Josue, et omnis populus bellicosus, ut ascenderunt in Hai, et elegit Josue trigintamillia virorum fortium robore, misitque eos nocte.

4. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, you shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be you all ready:

4. Ac praecepit eis, dicendo, Attendite vos, Insidiabimini urbi a tergo ejus, nec removeatis vos ab ea procul, sed estote omnes vos parati.

5. And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,

5. Et ego et omnis populus, qui mecum est, accedemus ad urbem: quum autem egredientur in occursum nostrum, sicut prius, fugiemus ante eos:

6. (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.

6. Tunc egredientur post nos donec avellamus eos ab urbe: dicent enim, Fugiunt ante nos, ut prius: et fugiemus ante eos.

7. Then you shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

7. Vos autem surgetis ex insidiis, et expelletis habitotores urbis, tradetque eam Jehova Deus vester in manu vestra.

8. And it shall be, when you have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall you do. See, I have commanded you.

8. Quum ceperitis urbem, succendetis eam igni, secundum sermonem Jehovae facietis. Videte, praecepi vobis.

9. Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

9. Misitque itaque eos Josue, et perrexerunt ad insidias, manseruntque inter Bethel et Hai, ab occidente Hai. Mansit autem Josue nocte illa in medio populi.

10. And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

10. Postea surrexit Josue summo mane, recensuitque populum, atque ascendit ipse et seniores Israel ante populum versus Hai.

11. And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai.

11. Omnisque populus bellicosus, qui erat cum eo ascenderunt et appropinquarunt, veneruntque e regione urbis, et castrametati sunt ab aquilone Hai. Vallis autem erat inter ipsum et Hai.

12. And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

12. Tulitque praeterea circiter quinque millia virorum, quos locavit in insidiis inter Bethel et Hai ab occidente urbi.

13. And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

13. Et propius accessit populus tota castra quae erant ab aquilone urbi, et insidiae ejus ab occidente ipsi urbi, perrexitque Josue nocte illa in medium vallis.

14. And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.

14. Porro quum videret rex Hai, festinaverunt et mane surrexerunt, atque egressi sunt homines urbis in occursum Israel ad praelium, ipse et universus populus ejus ad tempus constitutum ante campestria: nesciebat autem quod insidiae sibi essent a tergo urbis.

15. And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

15. Et profligati sunt Josue, et universus Israel ante eos, et fugerunt per viam deserti.

16. And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

16. Et congregati sunt totus populus qui in urbe erat, ut persequeretur eos. Et persequuti sunt Josuam, abstractique sunt ab urbe.

17. And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

17. Neque remansit quisquam ex Hai et Bethel, qui non egressus sit post Israel, et reliquerunt urbem apertam, et persequuti sunt Israelem.

18. And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

18. Dixit autem Jehova ad Josuam, Eleva hastam quae est in manu tua contra Hai, quia in manu tua dabo eam. Et elevavit Josue hastem quae erat in manu sua contra urbem.

19. 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.

19. Tum insidiae surrexerunt repente e loco suo, et cucurrerunt quum elevasset manum suam, veneruntque ad urbem, et ceperunt eam, et festinarunt urbem succendere igni.

20. And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

20. Vertentes autem sese viri Hai viderunt, et ecce ascendebat fumus urbis in coelum, neque erant eis spatia ad fugiendum huc et illuc. Populus autem qui fugerat in desertum versus est contra persequentes.

21. And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.

21. Josue itaque et universus Israel ubi viderunt quod insidiae cepissent urbem, ascendissetque fumus urbis, reversi sunt, et percusserunt viros Hai.

22. And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

22. Illi praeterea egressi sunt ex urbe in occursum eorum, fueruntque Israel in medio, isti hinc, et illi inde, et percusserunt eos, donec nemo remaneret eis superstes et evasor.

23. And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

23. Regem quoque Hai ceperunt vivum, et stiterunt eum coram Josue.

24. And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.

24. Quum autem finem fecisset Israel caedendi omnes habitatores Hai in deserto quo persequuti fuerant eos, et cecidissent omnes ipsi acie gladii donec consumerentur, reversus est universus Israel ad Hai, et percusserunt eam acie gladii.

25. And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

25. Fuitque numerus omnium qui ceciderunt die illa a viro usque ad mulierem circiter duodecim millia, omnes viri Hai.

26. For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

26. Porro Josue non reduxit manum suam quam elevaverat ad laceam, donec interficeret omnes habitatores Hai.

27. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.

27. Tantum animalia et spolia urbis ejus sibi praedati sunt filii Israel secundum sermonem Jehovae, quem praeceperat ipsi Josue.

28. And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.

28. Succendit igitur Josue Hai et posuit eam acervum sempiternum vastitatum usque ad hunc diem.

29. And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.

29. Regem vero Hai suspendit in ligno usque ad tempus vespertinum: cumque occubuisset sol, praecepit Josue, et deposuerunt cadaver ejus e ligno, et projecerunt illud ad introitum portae urbis, et statuerunt super illud acervum lapidum grandem usque ad hunc diem.