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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Joshua 2:12-14

JOSHUA—NOTE ON Joshua 2:12 we will deal kindly and faithfully with you. The spies’ response reflects the gracious character of Israel’s God. The distinction between Israel and Canaan was not based on race but on loyalty to the Lord. The general instruction to destroy the Canaanites (see Deuteronomy 7:1; and note on Josh. 6:17–18) did not apply to people who came to genuine faith in Israel’s God.

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See also Joshua 2:12-14 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Joshua 2:12. _SWEAR UNTO ME BY THE LORD_] This is a farther proof that this woman had received considerable instruction in the Jewish faith; she acknowledged the _true God_ by his essential cha...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    A TRUE TOKEN - literally, “a sign” or “pledge of truth; “something to bind them to keep their promise faithfully. The “token” was the oath which the spies take Joshua 2:14....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    2. THE SPIES AND RAHAB'S FAITH CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The spies sent forth (Joshua 2:1)_ 2. Rahab's faith and works (Joshua 2:2) 3. The escape of the spies and assurance given (Joshua 2:15) 4. The return...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    II. TWO HEBREW SPIES VISIT JERICHO AND EVADE CAPTURE. The narrative is inconsistent with Joshua 1:11, Within three days ye are to pass over Jordan. The events in ch. 2 must have taken longer than thre...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    AND. Note the Figure of speech _Polysyndeton_ (App-6) here and Joshua 2:13, showing the earnestness of the appeal....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Reception of the Spies by Rahab 9. _the Lord_ The name is remarkable as used by Rahab. But the Israelites had long been encamped in the neighbourhood, and she might easily have become acquainted with...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _a true token_ "a verrey tokne," Wyclif; i.e. _a token of truth, a sign_; comp. Exodus 3:12, "And this shall be _a token unto thee_, that I have sent thee;" 1 Samuel 2:34; Isaiah 7:11;...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 244 RAHAB PROTECTS THE SPIES Joshua 2:8. And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof: and she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and th...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _VER._ 12. _NOW THEREFORE, I PRAY YOU, SWEAR UNTO ME BY THE LORD_— In acknowledgment of the signal service which Rahab had done the two spies, she requests of them a favour, which is, that, at the tak...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _The Covenant Made With Rahab Joshua 2:8-21_ 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...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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._ No JFB commentary on...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    2:12 sign, (g-33) Lit. 'sign of truth.' see ver. 14....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE TWO SPIES AT JERICHO Joshua himself had been one of twelve sent by Moses on a similar errand, some thirty-eight years before (Numbers 13). The incident, natural in itself, acquires a special inter...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    COME IN, AND RECEIVE GOD’S PROMISES! JOSHUA _BRIAN ROWLANDS_ Maps to help you to study this book are on the Internet at www.easyenglish.info. CHAPTER 2 JOSHUA SENDS TWO MEN TO LOOK OVER THE LAN...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ עַתָּ֗ה הִשָּֽׁבְעוּ ־נָ֥א לִי֙ בַּֽ יהוָ֔

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER VII. THE SPIES IN JERICHO. Joshua 2:1. IT was not long ere Joshua found an occasion not only for the exercise of that courage to which he had been so emphatically called both by God and the...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A HEATHEN WOMAN'S ACT OF FAITH Joshua 2:1 “To view the land” was a hazardous undertaking. The physiognomy of the Hebrews would certainly betray them, and it did. The sacred writer does not commend Ra...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Forty years before this time the spies had been sent out and had brought back to Moses their reports of the land. Of these, Joshua had been one of the two who had brought back a report revealing their...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    The third thing Joshua did was to secretly send two spies to Jericho to survey the surrounding land and especially the city. These two found a woman of faith in a heathen city. Rahab was a harlot livi...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    True token, such a one as, when I shew it to the Israelites, they may preserve me and mine. She is not content with a verbal promise, she requires something permanent and sensible, as a mark of their...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Observe what views she had of Jehovah, that the grand security she desired was an oath of appeal to him! Where should she have learned this? Was not God her teacher? Isaiah 48:17....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The book of Joshua naturally follows the five books of Moses, and indeed is connected more manifestly with those that go before it than might appear to an ordinary reader. It opens not with a mere par...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    12._Now, therefore, I pray you, swear, _etc. It is another manifestation of faith that she places the sons of Abraham in sure possession of the land of Canaan, founding on no other argument than her h...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The second chapter contains the interesting history of Rahab. How beautiful. it is to see the grace of God setting up its way-marks from the beginning, that the eye of faith may know where to rest, wh...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    NOW THEREFORE, I PRAY YOU, SWEAR UNTO ME BY THE LORD,.... Which being a religious action, and done by men that feared the Lord, she knew it would be binding upon them: the Targum is, "swear to me by...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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: Ver. 12. _And give me a true...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Swear unto me by the Lord_ Hebrew, by _Jehovah_, your God, who is the only true God: so she owns his worship, one eminent act whereof is, swearing by his name. _My father's house_ My near kindred, wh...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Rahab receiueth and concealeth the two spies sent from Shittim. 8 The couenant betweene her and them. 23 Their returne and relation. 1 AND Ioshua the sonne of Nun sent out of Shittim two men, to s...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Now, therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, in hiding them from the king's messengers, THAT YE WILL ALSO SHOW KINDNESS UNTO MY FATHER'S HOUSE AND GIVE ME A...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE SPIES SAVED BY RAHAB...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SPIES RECEIVED AND HIDDEN BY RAHAB (vv. 1-24) Joshua then sent two spies to "view the land, especially Jericho"(v. 1).Twelve men had been sent before at the request of the people (Deuteronomy 1:...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    8-21 Rahab had heard of the miracles the Lord wrought for Israel. She believed that his promises would certainly be fulfilled, and his threatenings take effect; and that there was no way of escape bu...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    BY THE LORD; by your God, who is the only true God: so she shows her conversion to God, and owns his worship, one eminent act whereof is swearing by his name. MY FATHER'S HOUSE; my near kindred, which...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Joshua 2:12 swear H7650 (H8734) LORD H3068 since H3588 shown H6213 (H8804) kindness H2617 show H6213 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    “ 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 al...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Joshua 2:1. Spies are a part of the unhappy machinery of war. They are counted as necessary as the general, or as the boy who blows the bugle. It is with an army and in a war that Joshua is now to dis...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Rahab and the Jericho spies. CHARACTERS: Joshua, two spies, Rahab, king of Jericho. CONCLUSION: Let not God's people be afraid of their most powerful enemies, for their God can, when He pl...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Joshua 2:1. _Sent out two spies._ Many read, “Joshua had sent out.” Being a wary general he would lose no time in gaining every kind of information. _A harlot's house, named Rahab._ The word is render...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Joshua _. .. _ sent out _. .. _ two men to spy._ THE SPIES DESPATCHED I. The position in which joshua and the Israelites were placed. It was a difficult task that had been performed by Moses; did no...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Joshua 2:9. Your terror is fallen upon us] As Moses had predicted forty years before; Exodus 15:15. JOSHUA 2:12. GIVE ME A TRUE TOKEN] Rahab asks them to enter into solemn covenant w...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE OATH OF THE SPIES.— JOSHUA 2:12 KINDNESS. The original is perhaps a little stronger, and involves usually the idea of mercy and pity. This, however, is not always the ease (see...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now chapter two, Joshua sent out two men to spy out the land, actually to spy out Jericho, because Jericho was the first city that they were going to come to. Jericho is one of the oldest cities in th...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 20:14; 1 Samuel 20:14; 1 Samuel 20:15; 1 Samuel 20:17;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    PREPARING TO POSSESS THE LAND Joshua 2:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS 1. The men who fell by the way. The closing verses of Joshua 1:1, give the story of Joshua's preparations to carry out God's instructions,...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    By the Lord — By your God who is the only true God: so she owns his worship, one eminent act whereof is swearing by his name. My father's house — My near kindred, which she particularly names, Joshua...

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