1Rahab receiveth and concealeth the two spies sent from Shittim. 8The covenant between her and them. 23Their return and report.
1AND Joshua the son of Nun sent out of 1Shittim two men to spy 2secretly, saying, Go view the land, even 3Jericho. And they went, and came into an 4harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
1 Situated in the land of the Moabites, where the Israelites did transgress in committing fornication and idolatry with Baal-Peor, Num. 25:1.
2 Hebr. silently. That is, he had not acquainted the people therewith, as Moses had done, when he sent out the twelve men, Num. 13:2; 32:8.
3Jericho was afterward allotted to the tribe of Benjamin; distant about 150 furlongs from Jerusalem, and about 60 from Jordan. This is the first city which the Israelites set upon by force. It was situated in a pleasant fruitful country, where many palm trees grew, whence it was called the city of palm trees, Deut. 34:3; Judges 1:16; 2 Chron. 28:15.
4 Other, of a woman, who was an harlot. The Hebrew word signifies also an hostess, but Heb. 11:31 and James 2:25 Rahab is expressly called an harlot.
2And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
3And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
4And the woman took the two men, and 5hid them, and 6said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
5 Hebr. had hid him, namely, each of them.
6 Other, and she said: It is right.
5And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
6But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them 7with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
7 Hebr. in the flax of the wood, thus raw flax, which is not cleared from its stalks, seems to be called. There be those who perceive, that by the flax of the wood is meant cotton, which is called by the Greeks ξύλινον and ξύλον, of which is found abundantly in Syria and Assyria.
7And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the 8fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the 9gate.
8 Understand here the ferry, or ferries, where they are wont to pass over Jordan; in order that they were not permitted to pass over.
9 Namely, the city gate, that those spies, if they were yet in the city, might not escape away.
8¶And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
9And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that 10your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10 That is, terror because of you, or for your sake.
10For we have heard how the LORD dried up thea water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and whatb ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly 11destroyed.
a Exod. 14:21; Joshua 4:23.
b Num. 21:24, 34.
11 See Deut. 2 on verse 34.
11And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts 12did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for thec LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
12 That is, we fainted and lost all our courage. See this manner of speaking likewise, Deut. 1:28; 20:8; Joshua 5:1; 7:5; Isa. 13:7; Ezek. 21:15. Nahum 2:10.
c Deut. 4:39.
12Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s 13house, and give me a true token:
13 That is, kindred. See Joshua 6:23, 25.
13And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver 14our lives from death.
14 Or, our souls; that is, our persons.
14And the men answered her, 15Our life for yours, if 16ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will 17deal kindly and truly with thee.
15 That is, we will spare and protect both you and yours, though it would cost us our life.
16 That is, you, or any of yours.
17 Hebr. do.
15Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
16And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
17And the men said unto her, We will be 18blameless 19of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
18 That is, free. So likewise verse 20.
19 That is, of the oath whereby you have engaged us.
18Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
19And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, 20hisd blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
20 That is, let him be guilty of it himself, if his blood be shed.
d Mat. 27:25.
20And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quite of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
e acquitted, free
21And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them 21throughout all the way, but found them not.
21 Namely, towards Jordan, but they sought them not upon the mountain, where the spies hid themselves.
23 ¶ 22So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and 23passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him 24all things that befell them:
22 That is, they came again into their right way, from which they were departed, that they might not fall into the hands of those that pursued after them.
23 Namely, over the Jordan.
24 Hebr. whatsoever had found them.
24And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.