CHAPTER 2. THE SPIES IN JERICHO. This chapter gives an account of the spies sent by Joshua to Jericho, and of their entrance into the house of Rahab, who hid them from the king's messengers. It describes her account of the fear and dread of Israel that had fallen on the Canaanites, and of the reque... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, there came men in here tonight of the children of Israel, to search out the land.” Someone, possibly one of the ‘guests' made suspicious by their questions, or possibly a watchman at the gates who noticed where they went (Rahab's house was on... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, which have entered your house, for they are come to search out the whole land.” ' The king, a petty kinglet of a small city, immediately sent Rahab a message, no doubt for her ears alone, telling her to arrang... [ Continue Reading ]
Joshua 2:4 A ‘And the woman took the two men, and hid them.' We should probably read these as pluperfects, ‘had taken the two men and had hidden them'. (Hebrew is only interested in the fact that the thing happened, not when it happened. It has no way of indicating the different past tenses). The s... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And she brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.' Compare 2 Samuel 17:19. The word for ‘hid' is different from Joshua 2:4. It may be that in Joshua 2:4 she had just quickly hidden them out of sight, but now found a more secure hidin... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the men pursued after them by the way to Jordan, to the fords, and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.' Believing her words the pursuers left the city and made for the fords of the Jordan, using the regular road, ‘the Way to Jordan' (Judges 3:28; 2 Samu... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And before they were laid down (or ‘slept'), she came up to them on the roof.' This may mean after they had been first hidden, but before they laid down finally to sleep (compare Genesis 19:4), or be referring back to a conversation which took place before they were finally hidden under the stalk... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And she said to the men, “I know that YHWH has given you the land and that your terror is fallen on us and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.” ' Here is a clue to her behaviour. News and rumour had spread widely while Israel were capturing the land Beyond Jordan, brought p... [ Continue Reading ]
“ And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts melted, nor did there remain any more spirit in any man because of you, for YHWH your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.” The name of YHWH had become a terror in the ears of the Canaanites, as One God Who acted in both heaven... [ Continue Reading ]
“ Now therefore, I pray you, swear to me by YHWH, since I have dealt faithfully with you, that you also will deal faithfully with my father's house, and give me a true token, and that you will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deli... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the men answered her, “Our life for yours, if you do not tell about this our business, and it shall be, when YHWH has given us the land, that we will deal faithfully and truly with you.” ' Their pledge was a strong one, that their own lives might be forfeit if they failed (compare Ruth 1:17;... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.' The rope could have been fastened to some object in the room (they were no longer on the roof for there is a window) so that they could safely descend (compare 1 Samuel 19:12). S... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And she said to them, “You get to the mountain, lest the pursuers fall in with you, and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned, and afterwards you may go your way.” ' The pluperfect might be intended to be used, ‘she had said to them', in order to demonstrate that this... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made us swear.” ' In such a case as this constant reassurance was required, for it was a matter of life and death. Their assurance was that they would not let her down. They would fulfil their part in the oath. They w... [ Continue Reading ]
“ Behold, when we come into the land, you will bind this line of scarlet cord in the window which you let us down by, and you will gather into your house your father, and your mother, and your brothers, and all your father's household, and it shall be that whoever shall go out of the door of your ho... [ Continue Reading ]
“ And if you say anything about this our business, then we will be free from your oath which you have made us swear.” If they later discovered that she had betrayed them, or if there were more than one scarlet cord suggesting the same, then all amnesty would be cancelled and they would be free from... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And she said, “Let it be as you have said.” And she sent them away, and they departed, and she bound the scarlet line in the window.' She sent the spies away to safety and ensured her own safety by fastening the scarlet cord in the window. Not necessarily immediately, but in good time for it to d... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And they went, and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers were returned, and the pursuers sought them in every part of the way, but did not find them.' The mountain was Jebel Quruntul, a desolate ridge to the west of the city, full of caves and ravines, an ideal hidi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them.' When they felt it was safe the two men left the mountain, crossed the Jordan, probably by swimming, and reported everything back to Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And they said to Joshua, “Certainly YHWH has delivered all the land into our hands, and moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.” ' Their report was confident. It had been demonstrated quite clearly that the people were terrified of them so that it was clear that YHWH had de... [ Continue Reading ]