Yosua 7:3

7:3 They returned and reported to Joshua, ¹  “Don’t send the whole army. ²  About two or three thousand men are adequate to defeat Ai. ³  Don’t tire out the whole army, for Ai is small.” ⁴ 

Yosua 7:5

7:5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures ⁵  and defeated them on the steep slope. ⁶  The people’s ⁷  courage melted away like water. ⁸ 

[7:3]  ¹ tn Heb “and they returned to Joshua and said to him.”

[7:3]  ² tn Heb “Don’t let all the people go up.”

[7:3]  ³ tn Heb “Let about two thousand men or about three thousand men go up to defeat Ai.”

[7:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “all the people for they are small.”

[7:5]  ⁵ tn The meaning and correct translation of the Hebrew word שְׁבָרִים (shÿvarim) is uncertain. The translation “fissures” is based on usage of the plural form of the noun in Ps 60:4 HT (60:2 ET), where it appears to refer to cracks in the earth caused by an earthquake. Perhaps deep ravines or gorges are in view, or the word is a proper noun (“all the way to Shebarim”).

[7:5]  ⁶ sn The precise geographical location of the Israelite defeat at this “steep slope” is uncertain.

[7:5]  ⁷ tn Or “army’s.”

[7:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “and the heart of the people melted and became water.”