56 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

by those who adhere to the explanation I have given
you. Some have explained it differently; they think
that the thirty thousand first sent away were to lie in
ambush, and to seize the city after the inhabitants had
vacated it. The five thousand sent afterwards were to
guard the passes, and prevent the people escaping by
any bye-path ; and that the open attack on the city was
to be made by the whole army of the Israelites, exclu-
sive of those thirty-five thousand. There is still another
way of explaining it, which is, that the five thousand
was a party detached from the thirty thousand. The
twenty-five thousand were to keep themselves concealed
among the mountains till the five thousand had taken
the city, and the main army had repulsed their enemies.
Then, on a signal given, the twenty-five thousand were
to come forth from their ambush, and intercept the men
of Ai as they were endeavouring to escape. Which of
these opinions we may entertain does not seem to me to
be of much consequence.

Marianne. Grandfather, there are a great many things
in the Bible that are very difficult to be understood.

Grandfather. There are many things that we shall
never fully understand while we are in this world, but
we must thankfully acknowledge that all that is neces-
sary for our salvation is so plain that he that runneth
may read. After having prepared everything for the
next day’s undertaking, the brave leader of the Israelites
went into a valley by night to pray for success upon
Israel’s arms. We are taught by his example that how-