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Ambush
Ambushment • Await • Liers in Wait
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Dictionaries
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised
Ambush
Ambush [Heb. ’āraḇ—‘lie in wait,’ mā’arāḇ]; AV also AMBUSHMENT; [GK. enédra, enedreúō—‘lie in wait’]; AV “lie in wait”; NEB also “lie in wait.” A military stratagem in which a body of men are placed in concealment to surprise an enemy unawares, or to attack a point when temporarily undefended.
The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia
Ambush
AMBUSH. A military tactic involving the placing of armed men in a hidden or unexpected location for a surprise attack. Used effectively by Joshua against Ai (Josh 8), by the men of Shechem and Abimelech (Jdg 9:25, 35), in the battle against Gibeah (Jdg 20), and by King Jeroboam (2 Chr 13:13). Paul’s
Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible
Liers in Wait
LIERS IN WAIT מארביםI. In 2 Chr 22, Ammonites, Moabites and people of Mount Seir who have invaded Judah, are routed when the Lord sets ‘liers in wait’ (מארבים) against them. The ‘liers in wait’ are clearly not Judahites, and there is no reason to posit a third human party in the conflict. Most commentators
The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary
Ambush
AMBUSH (Heb. ˒ārab, to “lie in wait”). A lying in wait and concealment to attack by surprise. Joshua, at the capture of Ai, shows himself to have been skilled in this method of warfare (Josh. 8). The attempt on the part of Abimelech to surprise Shechem (Judg. 9:30–35) appears to have been unskillful.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Ambush
Ambush—Joshua at the capture of Ai lay in ambush, and so deceived the inhabitants that he gained an easy victory (Josh. 8:4–26). Shechem was taken in this manner (Judg. 9:30–45. Comp. Jer. 51:12).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
AMBUSH
AMBUSH<am’-boosh> ( אָרַב‎ [’arabh], “to set an ambush”; מָאֲרָב‎ [ma’arabh], “an ambush”): A military stratagem in which a body of men are placed in concealment to surprise an enemy unawares, or to attack a point when temporarily undefended. This stratagem was employed successfully by Joshua at
AMBUSHMENT
AMBUSHMENT<am’-boosh-ment> (as above) has now disappeared in 2 Chronicles 20:22, where the Revised Version (British and American) gives for “ambushment” “liers-in-wait.” It still remains in 2 Chronicles 13:13 where both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) render
AWAIT
AWAIT<a-wat’>: Only in Acts 9:24 the King James Version, in its now obsolete sense as a noun, “ambush”: “their laying await was known of Saul.” the Revised Version (British and American) “their plot.”
The Westminster Bible Dictionary
Ambush
Amʹbush, or Ambushment (Josh. 8:2; 2 Chron. 13:13), a military manœuvre by which a hostile party is exposed to capture or destruction by coming unawares upon their hidden and waiting foes. Joshua arranged such an ambush in the vicinity of Ai, and by it signally defeated the inhabitants of that city (Josh.
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Ambush
AMBUSH Military tactic of hiding a unit of troops for surprise attack while carrying on normal battle with the remainder of the troops. Joshua used the tactic against Ai (Josh. 8). The people of Shechem waited in hiding to attack and rob people who crossed the mountain (Judg. 9:25; cp. Hos. 6:9). Abimelech
The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 1, A–C
Ambush
ambush. A military stratagem in which an arrangement of soldiers or other persons in hiding make a surprise attack upon an enemy (Josh. 8:2–22; Jdg. 20:29–38; Acts 23:21; et al.). The concept also is used figuratively for the wiles of the wicked (Ps. 10:8; Prov. 1:11 [NIV, “let’s lie in wait”]; Jer.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Volumes 1–5
Ambush
AMBUSH, amʹbŏŏsh (אָרַב‎ ’ārabh, “to set an ambush”; מָאֲרָב‎, mā’ărābh, “an ambush”): A military stratagem in which a body of men are placed in concealment to surprise an enemy unawares, or to attack a point when temporarily undefended. This stratagem was employed successfully by Joshua at Ai (Josh
Ambushment
AMBUSHMENT, amʹbŏŏsh-ment (as above) has now disappeared ‘in 2 Ch 20:22, where RV gives for “ambushment” “liers-in-wait.” It still remains in 2 Ch 13:13 where both AV and RV render the Hebrew noun “ambushment.”
Await
AWAIT, a-wātʹ: Only in Acts 9:24 AV, in its now obsolete sense as a noun, “ambush”: “their laying await was known of Saul.” RV “their plot.”
The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Volumes 1–5
AMBUSH
AMBUSH [עֲרָב‎ ʾarav; ἐνέδρα enedra]. Ambush is the act of deceiving and surprising an enemy by flanking its army on both sides and inflicting serious casualties on its soldiers. It is used to great effect in Joshua’s assault on Ai (Josh 8) and in the Jewish forces’ assault on the armies of Cestius
Key passages
1 Mac 4:1–5

And Gorgias took five thousand men and one thousand select horses, and the army departed in the night so as to pounce upon the army of the Judeans and attack them suddenly. And the people from the citadel were guides for him. And Judas heard, and he and the warriors departed …

1 Mac 9:40

And they rose against them from the ambush and killed them, and many casualties fell, and those who remained fled into the mountains, and they took back all their weapons.

1 Mac 12:44–49

And he said to Jonathan, “Why did you smite all these people, with battle not having come to us? And now, send them to their homes, and choose for yourself a few men who will be with you. And come with me to Ptolemais, and I will give over it to you and the remaining strongholds and the many soldiers …

1 Mac 16:15–17

And the son of Abubus welcomed them with deceit into the small fortification called Dok, which he had built. And he made for them a great feast and hid men there. And when Simon and his sons had become drunk, Ptolemy and those with him stood and took their weapons and rushed to attack Simon …

2 Mac 1:14–16

For, pretending to enter into marriage with her, both Antiochus and those friends with him arrived in the place for the sake of taking the great wealth in the temple as a dowry. And the priests of Nanea set them forth, and that one went with a few others into the enclosure of the shrine; …

See also
Jdg 9:25; Jdg 9:32–38; Jdg 9:42–43; Jdg 16:1–2; Jdg 16:9; Jdg 20:29–48; 1 Sa 15:4–5; 2 Ch 13:13–14; Ps 10:8–9; Pr 1:11; Hab 3:14; 1 Mac 9:58–61; 1 Mac 10:79–81; 1 Mac 11:1–3; 1 Mac 11:67–70; 1 Mac 12:26; 2 Mac 5:24–26; 2 Mac 8:6–7; 2 Mac 12:3–4; 2 Mac 13:14–17; 3 Mac 1:2–3;