Bible Strands
Joshua 8:23
But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator reports the immediate aftermath of the ambush at Ai, where Israelite forces have surrounded the city and eliminated its army. The captured ruler is physically presented to Joshua as the concluding act of the engagement.
The words — תָּ֣פְשׂוּ (tafsu) means "they captured" and חָ֑י (chai) means "alive," stressing the intact seizure of the ruler. וַ/יַּקְרִ֥בוּ (va-yakri-vu) translates to "and they brought near," describing the physical presentation of the captive to his commander.
The thread — Capturing a hostile king alive recurs in 1 Samuel 15:8 when Saul takes Agag, and Joshua 10:17 records five kings found hiding. The narrative sequence continues in Joshua 8:29, which records the same king being hung on a tree.
Why it lands — The text records the factual capture of a defeated ruler, establishing Joshua's command and the completeness of Israel's military victory. It demands recognition of divine judgment executed through coordinated action rather than abstract theology.
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
And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 15:8 He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword.
- 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 10:17 And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”
- Revelation 19:20 But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.