Joshua 8:20
BSB · Public Domain (CC0)“When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.”
A short, plain-language explanation of Joshua 8:20 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.
“When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.”
Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)“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.”
King James Version · Public Domain“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.”
American Standard Version · Public Domain“And the men of Ai look behind them, and see, and lo, the smoke of the city hath gone up unto the heavens, and there hath not been in them power to flee hither and thither--and the people who are fleeing to the wilderness have turned against the pursuer, --”
Young's Literal Translation · Public DomainOther passages that echo Joshua 8:20 — 11 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Genesis 19:28He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw the smoke rising from the land like smoke from a furnace.
- Judges 20:40But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.
- Judges 20:41Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them.
- Job 11:20But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”
- Psalms 48:5They saw and were astounded; they fled in terror.
- Psalms 76:5The valiant lie plundered; they sleep their last sleep. No men of might could lift a hand.
- Isaiah 34:10It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.
- Amos 2:14Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life.
- Revelation 6:15Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
- Revelation 18:9Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
- Revelation 19:3And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).