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 ]