Bible Strands
Joshua 12:9
the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is near Bethel, one;
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The passage operates as a territorial catalog immediately following Joshua 12:8, enumerating defeated Canaanite rulers to document the scope of the conquered land.
The words — `יְרִיח֖וֹ (ye.ri.Cho)` denotes Jericho, while `אֲשֶׁר־ (a.Sher-)` literally means "which" or "that is," geographically anchoring Ai to Bethel.
The thread — The conquest of these cities is recorded in Joshua 6:2, where Jericho is delivered, and Joshua 8:1 and 8:29, which detail the military campaign against Ai and the execution of its ruler.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to acknowledge the specific political geography of the campaign, establishing a factual inventory of Israel's territorial acquisition rather than offering theological commentary.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Beth–el, one;
Cross-references
- Joshua 8:29 He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.
- Joshua 6:2 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.
- Joshua 8:1 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
- Joshua 8:17 Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.