Joshua 2: Rahab hides the two spies in Jericho
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What happens?
Joshua secretly sends two men from Shittim to spy out the land and Jericho, and they stay at the house of a prostitute named Rahab. When the king of Jericho sends for them, she hides them on her roof and tells his men the spies have already gone. She tells the spies she knows Yahweh has given them the land, and asks them to swear to spare her family; they agree, and tell her to tie a scarlet cord in her window. They return to Joshua and report that the people of the land melt away in fear.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. Joshua speaks in verse 1. The king is told about the spies in verse 2, and he sends word to Rahab in verse 3. Rahab speaks to the king's men in verses 4 and 5, and to the spies in verses 9 to 13, 16 and 21. The spies speak to her in verses 14 and 17 to 20, and to Joshua in verse 24. No verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, including Jericho.” They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.
In plain English: Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men from Shittim as spies. He said, "Go, look over the land, and Jericho." They went and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there (literally: lay down there).
Good to know: Shittim is where Israel was camped, east of the Jordan (; "Abel Shittim" in the plains of Moab in ).
The Hebrew word: "Prostitute" is zonah, from a word the dictionary gives as "to commit adultery" or "fornication". The text says no more about her life. The New Testament also calls her "Rahab the prostitute" (see the note on ).
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2The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”
In plain English: The king of Jericho was told, "Look, men of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land."
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3Jericho’s king sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all the land.”
In plain English: The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and went into your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land."
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4The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I didn’t know where they came from.
In plain English: The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
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5About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with them.”
In plain English: When it was dark, about the time the gate was to be shut, the men went out. I do not know where they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch them."
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6But she had brought them up to the roof, and hidden them under the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.
In plain English: But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.
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7The men pursued them along the way to the fords of the Jordan River. As soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
In plain English: The men chased after them on the road to the Jordan, as far as the fords (the places where it can be crossed). As soon as the men chasing them had gone out, the gate was shut.
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8Before they had lain down, she came up to them on the roof.
In plain English: Before the spies lay down, she went up to them on the roof.
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9She said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
In plain English: She said to the men, "I know that Yahweh has given you the land. Fear of you has fallen on us, and all the people who live in the land melt away because of you.
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10For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
In plain English: For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea (literally: the Sea of Reeds) before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you completely destroyed (this Bible: utterly destroyed).
The Hebrew word: "Utterly destroyed" is charam, which the dictionary gives as "to devote to religious uses (especially destruction)". It is the word Moses used for what Israel did to the cities of Sihon and Og in and ; see the note on 2:34 there. What was under this ban was given over to Yahweh; at Jericho that meant what is told in to (see the note on 6:17).
How it is translated: In Joshua this Bible says "destroy" or a longer form in 13 of the 14 verses that use charam.
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11As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, and there wasn’t any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.
In plain English: As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and no one had any courage (literally: spirit) left because of you. For Yahweh your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.
Good to know: Rahab's words are close to what Moses told Israel in : "Yahweh himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath." The song of Moses in had said, "All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away."
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12Now therefore, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true sign;
In plain English: Now then, please swear to me by Yahweh that, since I have shown you kindness, you also will show kindness to my father's family. Give me a sure sign (literally: a sign of truth)
The Hebrew word: "Dealt kindly" here and "kindly" in verse 14 are chesed, which the dictionary gives as "kindness".
How it is translated: This Bible says "kindness" in 200 of the 241 verses that use chesed, and in 165 of them "loving kindness".
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13and that you will save alive my father, my mother, my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.”
In plain English: that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death."
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14The men said to her, “Our life for yours, if you don’t talk about this business of ours; and it shall be, when Yahweh gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”
In plain English: The men said to her, "Our lives for yours (literally: our life in your place, to die), if you do not tell about this business of ours. When Yahweh gives us the land, we will deal with you kindly and faithfully."
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15Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was on the side of the wall, and she lived on the wall.
In plain English: Then she let them down by a rope through the window, because her house was built into the city wall, and she lived in the wall.
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16She said to them, “Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers find you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way.”
In plain English: She said to them, "Go to the hill country (this Bible: the mountain), so the men chasing you will not find you. Hide there three days, until they have come back. After that you may go on your way."
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17The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you’ve made us to swear.
In plain English: The men said to her, "We will be free of this oath you have made us swear.
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18Behold, when we come into the land, tie this line of scarlet thread in the window which you used to let us down. Gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.
In plain English: Look, when we come into the land, tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window you let us down through. Bring your father, your mother, your brothers and all your father's family into your house with you.
The Hebrew word: "Line" is tiqvah, which the dictionary gives as "literally a cord (as an attachment); figuratively, expectancy". The "cord" she let them down by in verse 15 is a different word, chebel, "a rope".
How it is translated: This Bible says "hope" in 28 of the 33 verses that use tiqvah. It says "line" only here and in .
What changes: Read as a cord, it is the scarlet line she ties in her window as the sign. Because the same word most often means hope, it can also be heard that way: the cord as her hope of being spared. The text uses it as a cord and does not point to the second sense.
Church tradition: Some Christian readers have seen the scarlet cord as a sign like the blood on the doors at the first Passover (), where the marked houses were passed over. The text of Joshua does not make that link.
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19It shall be that whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is on him.
In plain English: Anyone who goes out the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be free of blame. But anyone who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him.
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20But if you talk about this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you’ve made us to swear.”
In plain English: But if you tell about this business of ours, then we will be free of the oath you have made us swear."
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21She said, “Let it be as you have said.” She sent them away, and they departed. Then she tied the scarlet line in the window.
In plain English: She said, "Let it be as you say." She sent them away, and they left. Then she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
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22They went and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but didn’t find them.
In plain English: They went to the hill country and stayed there three days, until the men chasing them had gone back. The men searched all along the road, but did not find them.
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23Then the two men returned, descended from the mountain, crossed the river, and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They told him all that had happened to them.
In plain English: Then the two men came back down from the hill country, crossed the river, and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They told him everything that had happened to them.
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24They said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has delivered all the land into our hands. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.”
In plain English: They said to Joshua, "Truly Yahweh has given the whole land into our hands. And all the people who live in the land melt away because of us."
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