Josua 7:3

Svenska Bibel

Och när de kommo tillbaka till Josua, sade de till honom: »Allt folket behöver icke draga ditupp; om vid pass två eller tre tusen man draga upp, skola de nog intaga Ai. Du behöver icke låta allt folket göra sig mödan att tåga dit, ty dess invånare äro få.»

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

about two: Heb. about 2,000 men, or about 3,000 men, labour. Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 21:25, Luke 13:24, Hebrews 4:11, Hebrews 6:11, Hebrews 6:12, 2 Peter 1:5, 2 Peter 1:10

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they returned unto Joshua, and said unto him, let not all the people go up,.... After they had reconnoitred the place, they came back to their general, and gave it as their opinion, that there was no need for the whole army to go up against the city:

but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; such a number they judged were sufficient to take it:

[and] make not all the people to labour thither; carrying their tents, bearing their armour, and going up hill:

for they [are but] few; the inhabitants of Ai, men and women making but twelve thousand; Joshua 8:25.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The total population of Ai was about twelve thousand Joshua 8:25. It could therefore hardly muster three thousand warriors.