King James Version

Joshua 8:20

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.

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Hebrew

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וַיִּפְנ֣וּvayifnvand appearפָּנָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and appear”, the next action in the storyH6437to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. appear, look, etc.appear, at (even-) tide, behold, cast out, come on, [idiom] corner, dawning, empty, go away, lie, look, mark, pass away, prepare, regard, (have) respect (to), (re-) turn (aside, away, back, face, self), [idiom] right (early).אַנְשֵׁי֩anshea certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “a certain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH376a 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)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…הָעַ֨יhaaythe Aiעַיdefinite article, noun, proper name — “the Ai”H5857Ai, Aja or Ajath, a place in PalestineAi, Aija, Aijath, Hai.אַחֲרֵיהֶ֜םachareyhemafterאַחַרpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “after”H310properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, the…וַיִּרְא֗וּvayirvand seeרָאָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and see”, the next action in the storyH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…וְהִנֵּ֨הvehinehand loהִנֵּהconjunction, particle, demonstrative — “and lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.עָלָ֜הalahascend upעָלָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “ascend up”, a completed actionH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…עֲשַׁ֤ןashansmokeעָשָׁןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “smoke”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6227smoke, literally or figuratively (vapor, dust, anger)smoke(-ing).הָעִיר֙hairthe cityעִירdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָהhashamaymahthe heavenשָׁמַיִםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute, directional ending — “the heaven”, the ordinary formH8064the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).וְלֹאveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…הָיָ֨הhayahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בָהֶ֥םvaheminבָהֶ֥םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “in”inיָדַ֛יִםyadayimhandיָדnoun, common, both genders, dual, absolute — “hand”, the ordinary formH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […לָנ֖וּסlanusto awayנוּסpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to away”, the to-form of the verbH5127to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)[idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard.הֵ֣נָּהhenahhitherהֵנָּהadverb — “hither”H2008hither or thither (but used both of place and time)here, hither(-to), now, on this (that) side, [phrase] since, this (that) way, thitherward, [phrase] thus far, to...fro, [phrase] yet.וָהֵ֑נָּהvahenahand hitherהֵנָּהconjunction, adverb — “and hither”H2008hither or thither (but used both of place and time)here, hither(-to), now, on this (that) side, [phrase] since, this (that) way, thitherward, [phrase] thus far, to...fro, [phrase] yet.וְהָעָם֙vehaamand the peopleעַםconjunction, definite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and the people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.הַנָּ֣סhanasthe awayנוּסdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the away”, a verb used as a describing wordH5127to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)[idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard.הַמִּדְבָּ֔רhamidbarthe desertמִדְבָּרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the desert”, the ordinary formH4057a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)desert, south, speech, wilderness.נֶהְפַּ֖ךְnehpakhchangeהָפַךְverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “change”, a completed actionH2015to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert[idiom] become, change, come, be converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow (-turn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way).אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הָרוֹדֵֽףharodefthe chaseרָדַףdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the chase”, a verb used as a describing wordH7291to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

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, —

World English Bible

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. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.

Darby Translation

And the men of Ai turned and saw, and behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people that fled to the wilderness turned upon the pursuers.

Douay-Rheims

And the men of the city, that pursued after Josue, looking back and seeing the smoke of the city rise up to heaven, had no more power to flee this way or that way: especially as they that had counterfeited flight, and were going toward the wilderness, turned back most valiantly against them that pursued.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And when the inhabitants of Gai looked round behind them, then they saw the smoke going up out of the city to heaven, and they were no longer able to flee this way or that way.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ περιβλέψαντες οἱ κάτοικοι Γαὶ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐθεώρουν καπνὸν ἀναβαίνοντα ἐκ τῆς πόλεως εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν· καὶ οὐκ ἔτι εἶχον ποῦ φύγωσιν ὧδε ἢ ὧδε.