יהושע, פרק ח׳, פסוק ג׳

Preparations for the conquest of Ai reach a critical stage as a massive military force is organized to execute a carefully planned ambush. Fulfilling the command of God with exact precision, Joshua personally steps up to lead the charge. This time, he mobilizes the entire fighting force for the campaign [מלבי״ם].

From this vast army, thirty thousand elite warriors are selected specifically to form the ambush unit directed by God [מלבי״ם]. Gathering such an enormous number of troops to take a relatively small city is striking, particularly because earlier scouts had estimated that a mere three thousand soldiers would be enough for the task [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

To ensure total secrecy, these selected men are dispatched under the cover of darkness. This stealth deployment takes place two days before the actual assault on the city is scheduled to begin [מלבי״ם].