Joshua 8:29 Meaning and Explanation
“And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The king of Ai is hanged on a tree until evening, then taken down at sunset and buried under a great heap of stones at the city gate.
What Does Joshua 8:29 Mean?
The defeated king is hung on a tree as a public display of judgment, but only until sunset. In careful obedience to the law of Moses, which forbade leaving a body on a tree overnight, Joshua has it taken down at evening and buried beneath a cairn of stones at the gate, another lasting marker "unto this day."
Even in the severity of war, Joshua keeps the law's command to remove the body by nightfall. The law held that anyone hanged on a tree was under a curse. The New Testament later takes up this very image: Christ became a curse for us, hanged upon a tree, and taken down before evening, that He might bear the judgment we deserved and we might be redeemed. The hard scenes of the Old Testament quietly prepare the way for the cross.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joshua 8:29
What does Joshua 8:29 mean?
The king of Ai is hanged on a tree until evening, then taken down at sunset and buried under a great heap of stones at the city gate.