Joshua 8:25
And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.
Original Language Analysis
וַיְהִי֩
H1961
וַיְהִי֩
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 14
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
כָל
H3605
כָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
2 of 14
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הַנֹּ֨פְלִ֜ים
And so it was that all that fell
H5307
הַנֹּ֨פְלִ֜ים
And so it was that all that fell
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
3 of 14
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
בַּיּ֤וֹם
that day
H3117
בַּיּ֤וֹם
that day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
4 of 14
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
הַהוּא֙
H1931
הַהוּא֙
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
5 of 14
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
אַנְשֵׁ֥י
both of men
H376
אַנְשֵׁ֥י
both of men
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
6 of 14
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
וְעַד
H5704
וְעַד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
7 of 14
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
עָשָׂ֖ר
H6240
עָשָׂ֖ר
Strong's:
H6240
Word #:
10 of 14
ten (only in combination), i.e., -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth
אָ֑לֶף
thousand
H505
אָ֑לֶף
thousand
Strong's:
H505
Word #:
11 of 14
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
כֹּ֖ל
H3605
כֹּ֖ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
12 of 14
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Historical Context
A population of 12,000 fits a small Canaanite city-state of the Late Bronze Age (15th-13th centuries BC). Ai was smaller than Jericho but strategically located near Bethel. The battle occurred circa 1406 BC. Ancient Near Eastern texts commonly record casualty figures, and Joshua's precision here suggests military records kept during the conquest.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the specificity of biblical numbers challenge claims that Scripture is merely symbolic or mythological?
- What does complete judgment on Ai teach about the finality of God's wrath for those who die unrepentant?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
All that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand—This total population figure for Ai is remarkably specific, suggesting official records or eyewitness counting. The Hebrew eleph (אֶלֶף) can mean 'thousand' or 'military unit,' though the narrative context favors literal thousands. Even all the men of Ai clarifies this was complete destruction.
The number's precision demonstrates Scripture's historical reliability. Including women in the count acknowledges that God's judgment fell on the entire corrupt society—children grow into culture-bearers who perpetuate evil (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). While troubling to modern sensibilities, these judgments illustrate sin's devastating consequences and God's intolerance of systematic wickedness. The number also showed Israel that divine vengeance completely avenged their earlier defeat (Joshua 7:5).