Original Word: עַי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: `Ay
Pronunciation: ah'ee
Phonetic Spelling: (ah'ee)
KJV: Ai, Aija, Aijath, Hai
NASB: Ai, Aiath, Aija, Ayyah
Word Origin: [for H5856 (עִי - heap of ruins)]

1. Ai, Aja or Ajath, a place in Israel

Ai, Aija, Aijath,

Or (feminine) uaya((Neh. 11:31) {ah-yaw'}; or eayath (Isaiah 10:28) {ah-yawth'}; for iy; Ai, Aja or Ajath, a place in Palestine -- Ai, Aija, Aijath, Hai.

see HEBREW iy

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a Canaanite city
NASB Translation
Ai (37), Aiath (1), Aija (1), Ayyah (1).

עַי, עַיָּ֑ת, עַיָּה₄₀

proper name, of a location Αγγαι (Genesis), Γαι:

1 old Canaanite city, עַי always with article הָעַי (הָעָ֑י Genesis 13:3 +), near Bethel to the southeast (exact site unknown, compare Di^{Joshua 7:2} Buhl^{Geogr. 177}), Genesis 12:8 (J), Genesis 13:3 (J), Joshua 7:2 (twice in verse); Joshua 7:3,4,5; Joshua 8:1 (twice in verse); Joshua 8:2,318t. Joshua 8 (+ Qr Joshua 8:12; Joshua 8:16, but improbable, Kt עיר, compare Di), Joshua 9:3; Joshua 10:1 (twice in verse); Joshua 10:2 (all J E), Joshua 12:9 (D), Ezra 2:28 = Nehemiah 7:32; = עַיָּת Isaiah 10:28; עַיָּה (so Baer Ginsb, > עַיָּא van d. H.) Nehemiah 11:31, so read also (for עַזָּה q. v. near the end) 1 Chronicles 7:28.

2 east Jordan city Jeremiah 49:3 (+ חֶשְׁבוֺן), but read עָר city (?) Gf Rothst^Kau Co (הָעִיר ?).

עִי see I. עוה. עַיָּא see עַי. עיב see עוב.

עֵיבָל see עוֺבָל below עבל. עַיָּה see עַי. p. 716, above

Overview

עַי (Ai) designates a small Canaanite town whose name, “ruin,” fittingly foreshadows both its ancient desolation and the judgment that repeatedly falls there in Scripture. Situated just east of Bethel and north of Jericho, Ai is woven into some of the most formative moments of Old Testament history—from the journeys of Abraham to the conquest under Joshua, and later prophetic oracles. About thirty-nine verses mention the site, clustered chiefly in Genesis, Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

Geographical Setting

Ai lay on a rocky ridge overlooking the eastern approach to Bethel. Joshua 7:2 locates it “near Beth Aven, to the east of Bethel.” The strategic pass funneled traffic between the Jordan Valley and the central hill country, making the town militarily significant despite its modest size. The ruins identified with et-Tell, and more recently Khirbet el-Maqatir, preserve extensive evidence of Late Bronze destruction layers that align with the biblical record of fire (Joshua 8:28).

Patriarchal Associations

The first mention of Ai occurs when Abram enters the land:

“From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 12:8)

After the Egyptian sojourn Abram retraced the same route (Genesis 13:3). These verses frame Ai as a landmark on the pilgrim-path where the patriarch worshiped, anchoring the promised land between Bethel’s fellowship with God and Ai’s looming desolation—a contrast that foreshadows later covenant blessings and curses.

Ai in the Conquest under Joshua

1. Reconnaissance (Joshua 7:2–3)
2. Defeat through Sin in the Camp (Joshua 7:4–5)

“About three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai.” (7:4) The unexpected rout exposes Achan’s hidden transgression and teaches Israel the necessity of corporate holiness.
3. Divine Strategy for Victory (Joshua 8:1–29)

The renewed assault employs an ambush, culminating in total destruction: “So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.” (8:28)
4. Covenant Renewal (Joshua 8:30–35)

Immediately after victory, Israel gathers at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim to rehearse the Law, underscoring that triumph follows obedience, not military prowess.

After the Conquest: Allotment and Settlement

Ai falls within Benjamin’s tribal inheritance (Joshua 18:23). Following the exile, Benjaminite families resettled the area: “The Benjaminites lived from Geba to Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages” (Nehemiah 11:31). The continuity of occupation by covenant people testifies to God’s faithfulness in restoring the land after judgment.

Prophetic Usage

Isaiah 10:28 pictures the Assyrian advance: “He has entered Aiath; he has passed through Migron.” Here Aiath (a form of Ai) marks the northernmost point of the invader’s approach toward Jerusalem, a reminder that even familiar landmarks can become staging grounds for discipline when the nation strays.

Jeremiah 49:3 extends the name beyond Benjamin into the territory of Ammon: “Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed!” The oracle turns Ai into a symbol of divine wrath against prideful nations, reinforcing the principle that no fortress stands when the LORD decrees its fall.

Post-Exilic Lists

Ezra 2:28 and Nehemiah 7:32 enumerate “the men of Bethel and Ai” among those returning with Zerubbabel. Covenant restoration requires repopulating even once-ruined towns, demonstrating that God’s redemptive plan includes places as well as people.

Theological and Ministerial Insights

1. Holiness and Corporate Responsibility: The defeat at Ai shows that hidden sin within one believer can cripple the mission of the entire community (Joshua 7; Acts 5:1-11 parallels this principle in the New Testament church).
2. Second Chances: God’s call, “Do not be afraid or discouraged… I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai” (Joshua 8:1), illustrates divine willingness to restore and recommission those who repent.
3. Ruin and Restoration: Ai’s very name highlights the contrast between human collapse and God’s rebuilding grace (Nehemiah 11:31).
4. Strategic Obedience: The ambush tactics at Ai underscore that faith does not preclude careful planning; rather, obedience aligns strategy with divine direction.

Archaeological Notes

Excavations at et-Tell reveal a fortified settlement destroyed and left uninhabited for centuries, matching Joshua’s statement that the site “is a desolation to this day.” Debate over exact location continues, but both principal candidates present destruction horizons compatible with a Late Bronze conquest. Pottery and architectural strata illustrate the suddenness of the fall, lending historical credence to Scripture’s account.

Key References

Genesis 12:8; 13:3

Joshua 7:2–8:29; 18:23

Ezra 2:28

Nehemiah 7:32; 11:31

Isaiah 10:28

Jeremiah 49:3

Ai thus stands as an enduring testimony to the seriousness of sin, the certainty of judgment, and the promise of restoration for a repentant people walking in covenant faithfulness.

בָּעַי֙ בעי הָעַ֔י הָעַ֖י הָעַ֗י הָעַ֛י הָעַ֜י הָעַ֞י הָעַ֨י הָעַי֙ הָעַי֮ הָעָ֑י הָעָֽי׃ העי העי׃ וְהָעַ֣י וְהָעָ֔י וְלָעָֽי׃ וְעַיָּ֔ה והעי ולעי׃ ועיה לָעַ֔י לָעַ֖י לָעַ֜י לָעָ֑י לעי עַ֗י עַיַּ֖ת עי עית ‘ay ‘ay·yaṯ ‘ayyaṯ Ai aiYat bā‘ay bā·‘ay baAi hā‘ay hā‘āy hā·‘ay hā·‘āy haAi lā‘ay lā‘āy lā·‘ay lā·‘āy laAi veaiYah vehaAi velaAi wə‘ayyāh wə·‘ay·yāh wə·hā·‘ay wə·hā·‘āy wə·lā·‘āy wəhā‘ay wəhā‘āy wəlā‘āyInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts