8:20 When the men of Ai turned around, they saw36 the smoke from the city ascending into the sky and were so shocked they were unable to flee in any direction.37 In the meantime the men who were retreating to the desert turned against their pursuers.
tnHeb “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.
37
tnHeb “and there was not in them hands to flee here or there.” The Hebrew term יָדַיִם (yadayim, “hands”) is idiomatic for “strength.”