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 8:20

8:20 When the men of Ai turned around, they saw ⁵  the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction. ⁶  In the meantime the men who were retreating to the desert turned against their pursuers.

[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.”

[8:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “and they saw, and look.” The Hebrew term הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to the scene and invites the audience to view the events from the perspective of the men of Ai.

[8:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “and there was not in them hands to flee here or there.” The Hebrew term יָדַיִם (yadayim, “hands”) is idiomatic for “strength.”