This verse depicts the confusion of the men of Ai; seeing the city in flames, they know that the enemy is there, so that retreat to the city is impossible; and now the main Israelite force turns around and attacks them: there was no way for them to escape.

When the men of Ai looked back, they saw the smoke rising avoids the problem of Revised Standard Version: “So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up….” That is, Revised Standard Version assumes the sequence: (1) the men looked back; (2) the smoke went up. However, the sequence is more naturally assumed to be: (1) the smoke went up; (2) the men looked back.

There was no way for them to escape may be translated “There was no place for them to run” or “… where they could run for safety.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .