Joshua 2
2
Spies Saved by Rahab. 1Then Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, reconnoiter the land and Jericho.” When the two reached Jericho, they went into the house of a prostitute named Rahab,#Dt 1:22; Mt 1:5; Jas 2:25. where they lodged. 2But a report was brought to the king of Jericho: “Some men came here last night, Israelites, to spy out the land.” 3So the king of Jericho sent Rahab the order, “Bring out the men who have come to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the entire land.” 4The woman#Jos 6:17; Heb 11:31. had taken the two men and hidden them, so she said, “True, the men you speak of came to me, but I did not know where they came from. 5At dark, when it was time to close the gate, they left, and I do not know where they went. You will have to pursue them quickly to overtake them.” 6Now, she had led them to the roof, and hidden them among her stalks of flax spread out#Stalks of flax spread out: to dry in the sun, after they had been soaked in water, according to the ancient process of preparing flax for linen-making. In the Near East the flax harvest occurs near the time of the feast of the Passover (4:19; 5:10); cf. Ex 9:31. there. 7But the pursuers set out along the way to the fords of the Jordan. As soon as they had left to pursue them, the gate was shut.
8Before the spies lay down, Rahab went up to them on the roof 9and said:#Rahab’s speech is Deuteronomic in content and style. Through her, the author expresses a theological conviction: the Lord, the God of Israel, is God above all gods; the formation of the people Israel and its success is the Lord’s doing; and all the rulers of the neighboring nations do well to panic at what the Lord is doing (cf. 5:1). Rahab the prostitute is pointedly mentioned in the Matthean genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:5) and in Jas 2:25. “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that a dread of you has come upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land tremble with fear because of you.#Ex 15:15–16; 23:27. 10For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt,#Jos 4:23; Ex 14:21; Nm 21:23–26, 33–35. and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, whom you destroyed under the ban. 11We heard, and our hearts melted within us; everyone is utterly dispirited because of you, since the Lord, your God, is God in heaven above and on earth below.#Jos 5:1; Dt 4:39; Rom 10:9. 12#Jgs 1:22–26. Now then, swear to me by the Lord that, since I am showing kindness to you, you in turn will show kindness to my family.#Jos 2:18; 6:23, 25. Give me a reliable sign 13that you will allow my father and mother, brothers and sisters, and my whole family to live, and that you will deliver us from death.” 14“We pledge our lives for yours,” they answered her. “If you do not betray our mission, we will be faithful in showing kindness to you when the Lord gives us the land.”
15Then she let them down through the window with a rope; for she lived in a house built into the city wall.#A house built into the city wall: the city wall formed the back wall of the house; remains of such houses have been found at ancient sites. The upper story of Rahab’s house was evidently higher than the city wall. It was through the window of such a house that St. Paul escaped from Damascus; cf. Acts 9:25; 2 Cor 11:33. 16“Go up into the hill country,” she said, “that your pursuers may not come upon you. Hide there for three days, until they return; then you may go on your way.” 17They answered her, “We are free of this oath that you made us take, unless, 18when we come into the land, you tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you are letting us down. Gather your father and mother, your brothers, and all your family into your house. 19Should any of them pass outside the doors of your house, their blood will be on their own heads, and we will be guiltless. But if anyone in your house is harmed, their blood will be on our heads. 20If, however, you betray our mission, we will be free of the oath you have made us take.” 21“Let it be as you say,” she replied, and sent them away. When they were gone, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
22They went up into the hill country, where they stayed three days until their pursuers, who had sought them all along the road without finding them, returned. 23Then the two came back down from the hills, crossed the Jordan to Joshua, son of Nun, and told him all that had happened to them. 24They assured Joshua, “The Lord has given all this land into our power; indeed, all the inhabitants of the land tremble with fear because of us.”
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
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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