Joshua 2
Two spies protected by a prostitute
Text
Explanation
.1 ¶ And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
 2  And 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.
 3  And 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.
  1 - Joshua ... sent Actually he had sent them earlier jos0110. They were probably sent by the command of God who knew about Rahab and wanted her to be dealt with fairly and us to be encouraged by her faith.
  1 - Shittim Rather, Abel-shittim. That means "meadow of acacia trees." This was the place of temptation from the women of Moab. Here Moses had given his final speech de0446, de3406.
  1 - Secretly The Israelite people were not told. You can probably guess why. nu1302, nu1326, de0122, nu1332, v23.
.4  And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
 5  And 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.
.6  But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
.7  And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
Passages linked to often have more than one verse.

  4 - I wist not whence they were In modern English, "I didn't know where they came from." This was the first of several lies. We know that faithfulness to God ex2016 is more important than life re0210 but Rahab did not ac1730. She was following what she knew about right and wrong and chose to protect the men.

 8 ¶ And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
.9  And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
.10  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
 11  And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
  9 - I know She knew and so did "all the inhabitants of the land." And they were afraid. This is what the spies needed to know.
  9 - Faint  from muwg. Literally "melted away"
  10 - Amorites These powerful people had overcome the aboriginal Rephaim de0220,21. God had promised this. See de1125.
  11 - He is God She understood and believed. May we express her faith.
.12  Now 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 house, and give me a true token:
 13  And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
.14  And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
  12 - Sware ... true token Or " ... token of truth." That is, a sign that would identify her home to the invading Israelites. See v18.
.15  Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
 16  And 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.
 17  And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
.18  Behold, 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.
 19  And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his 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  And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
 21  And 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.
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  15 - Let them down Joshua began with a summary statement then explained as at v4. Obviously Rahab spoke to the men as recorded in verses 16-21 before letting them down, likely with the help of her brothers. The color illustration is not accurate. From Corel.
  15 - Upon the town wall Rather, "against the city wall," Hebrew, betah be qir hahomah.
  16 - Mountain Hills were close to the east but a mountain would have been farther and would have had caves. The king's men went in the opposite direction v7.
 22 ¶ And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
.23  So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:
 24  And 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.
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