Joshua 7:21

7:21 I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon, ¹  two hundred silver pieces, ²  and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent with the silver underneath.”

Joshua 8:14

8:14 When the king of Ai saw Israel, he and his whole army quickly got up the next day and went out to fight Israel at the meeting place near the Arabah. ³  But he did not realize ⁴  men were hiding behind the city. ⁵ 

Joshua 8:20

8:20 When the men of Ai turned around, they saw ⁶  the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction. ⁷  In the meantime the men who were retreating to the desert turned against their pursuers.

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¹ tn Heb “Shinar,” a reference to Babylon (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1). Many modern translations retain the Hebrew name “Shinar” (cf. NEB, NRSV) but some use the more familiar “Babylon” (cf. NIV, NLT).

² tn Heb “shekels.”

³ tn Heb “When the king of Ai saw, the men of Ai hurried and rose early and went out to meet Israel for battle, he and all his people at the meeting place before the Arabah.”

⁴ tn Or “know.”

⁵ tn Heb “that (there was) an ambush for him behind the city.”

⁶ tn Heb “and they saw, and look.” The Hebrew term הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to the scene and invites the audience to view the events from the perspective of the men of Ai.

⁷ tn Heb “and there was not in them hands to flee here or there.” The Hebrew term יָדַיִם (yadayim, “hands”) is idiomatic for “strength.”