And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city.

And he had chosen five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Hai, on the west side of the same city:

Now he had taken about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city.

And he taketh about five thousand men, and setteth them an ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city;

And taking about five thousand men, he put them in position for a surprise attack on the west side of Ai, between Beth-el and Ai.

And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai.

Now he had chosen five thousand men, and he had positioned them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, at the western part of the same city.

Tulitque praeterea circiter quinque millia virorum, quos locavit in insidiis inter Bethel et Hai ab occidente urbi.

He took - Rather "had taken;" the words refer to the ambuscade which Joshua had detached during the previous night.

And he took about five thousand men, (e) and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
(e) He sent these few, that the others who lay in ambush might not be discovered.

And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush,.... This was another ambush, as both Jarchi and Kimchi observe; and the latter adds, perhaps he set them nearer the city than the former; though some are of opinion that these are the same ambush spoken of, whose number is here given, being set on the same side of the city; and they suppose that Joshua had with him but thirty thousand men in all, five thousand of which he sent to lie in ambush, and the other twenty five thousand remained with him; but it seems clear that all the men of war were to be taken, and were taken by them, and that out of them thirty thousand were sent by him to lie in wait at first, and now five thousand more:
between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city; and though they were on the same side of the city with the first and larger ambush, yet, as Abarbinel observes, they might be set nearer the city and to the army; and he supposes the first ambush was to take the city, and the second little ambush, as he calls it, was placed, that when the men of the city came out, they might make a noise and a stir, and skirmish with them, that so they might not come upon the camp suddenly.

And he took - Or rather, but he had taken, namely, out of the said number of thirty thousand, for this is added by way of recapitulation and farther explication of what is said in general, Joshua 8:9.