Joshua 2
2
1Then Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two spies from Shittim.#2:1. The place where the Israelites were camped at the time. “Go and explore#2:1. Literally, “go about on foot.” the land, especially around Jericho,” he told them. So they went, and stayed at the house of woman named Rahab, a prostitute. There they spent the night.
2But the king of Jericho was told, “Look, some Israelites have come here this evening to spy out the land.” 3So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, telling her, “Hand over the men who came to visit you and stay in your house, for they've come to spy out our whole country.”
4The woman had taken the two men and had hidden them. She told the king's messengers,#2:4. “King's messengers”: implied. “Yes, it's true—the men did come to visit me, but I didn't know where they were from. 5They left at sundown, just as the city gate was closing. I've no idea where they went. If you're quick, you can chase after them and maybe catch up with them.” 6(She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under some bundles of flax that she had lying there.)
7The king's messengers went chasing after the men down the road that leads to the Jordan River fords. As soon as the pursuers had left, the city gate was shut behind them.
8Before the spies went to sleep, Rahab came up to the roof to talk to them. 9She told them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you. We're all terrified of you. Everyone who lives here is dying of fright since you people arrived. 10We've heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you completely destroyed. 11When we heard all this, our courage melted away. Nobody had any fighting spirit left because of you. For the Lord your God is God of heaven above and the earth below. 12So now promise me in the name of the Lord that because I have acted in good faith to you, then you will do the same for my family. Give me some sign that I can trust you, 13that you will spare my father and mother and brothers and sisters—and all who are part of their families—that you will save them from death.”
14“Our lives for yours!” the men told her. “If you don't tell anyone about this, we will treat you honestly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”
15Then she lowered them down by a rope through the window since the house where she lived was built into the outside of the city wall.
16“Run to the hills,” she told them. “That way those searching for you won't find you. Stay there three days until they've gone home, and then you can be on your way.”
17The men had told her, “We will be freed from the promise you made us swear, 18unless when we enter this land, you hang a scarlet cord in the window through which you lowered us. You must gather together in the house your father and mother and brothers—all the family. 19If anyone leaves your house and is killed, that's their fault—we're not responsible for their death. But if anyone lays a hand on someone who is inside your house, we take full responsibility for their death. 20But if you tell anyone about this then we will be freed from the promise you made us swear.”
21“I agree—may it be as you say,” she replied. She sent them off, and hung a scarlet cord in the window.
22They went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men searching for them looked all along the road, but couldn't find them, so they returned home. 23Then the two men started back. They came down from the hill country and crossed over the Jordan. They went to Joshua and explained to him all that had happened to them.
24“The Lord has placed this land in our hands,” they assured him. “All the people who live there are scared to death of us!”
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Joshua 2
2
Spies Sent to Jericho
1Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies#Gn 42:9; Nm 13:2,16–17; Jos 7:2; Jdg 18:2 from the Acacia Grove,#2:1 Or from Shittim saying, “Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.” So they left, and they came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab,#Heb 11:31; Jms 2:25 and stayed there.
2The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.” 3Then the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house,#Gn 19:5 for they came to investigate the entire land.”
4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.#2Sm 17:19 So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5At nightfall, when the city gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don’t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them!” 6But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them#Jms 2:25 among the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof. 7The men pursued them along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they left to pursue them, the city gate was shut.
The Promise to Rahab
8Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof 9and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land#Nm 20:24; Jos 9:24 and that the terror of you has fallen on us,#Ex 15:16; 23:27; Ezr 3:3; Jb 9:34; 13:21; Is 33:18; Jr 50:38 and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you.#2:9 Or land panics at your approach#Ex 15:15; Jos 2:24; 1Sm 14:16 10For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt,#Ex 14:21–30 and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed#Nm 21:23–30,33–35; Dt 2:32–34; 3:1–3; Jos 6:21 across the Jordan. 11When we heard this, we lost heart,#Dt 1:28; 20:8; Jos 5:1; 7:5; 2Sm 17:10; Is 13:7; 19:1; Ezk 21:7; Nah 2:10 and everyone’s courage failed#2:11 Lit and spirit no longer remained in anyone because of you,#Jos 5:1; 7:5; Ps 22:14; Is 13:7; 19:1 for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.#Dt 4:39; 1Kg 8:23 12Now please swear to me by the Lord that you will also show kindness to my father’s family, because I showed kindness to you.#Gn 21:23; Jdg 1:24; 2Sm 2:5; 10:2 Give me a sure sign#2:12 Or a sign of truth 13that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death.”
14The men answered her, “We will give our lives for yours. If you don’t report our mission, we will show kindness and faithfulness to you when the Lord gives us the land.”
15Then she let them down by a rope through the window, since she lived in a house that was built into the wall of the city. 16“Go to the hill country so that the men pursuing you won’t find you,” she said to them. “Hide there for three days until they return; afterward, go on your way.”
17The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath you made us swear, 18unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house. 19If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his death will be his own fault,#Mt 27:25 and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, his death will be our fault. 20And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear.”
21“Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.
22So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them. 23Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed the Jordan. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them. 24They told Joshua, “The Lord has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.”#2:24 Or land also panics at our approach
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