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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

Joshua 2:14

Our life for yours - See the margin. This is (see Joshua 2:17) a form of oath, in which God is in effect invoked to punish them with death if they did not perform their promise to save Rahab’s life. Compare the more common form of oath, 1 Samuel 1:26, etc.

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See also Joshua 2:14 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Joshua 2:14. _OUR LIFE FOR YOURS_] "May our life be destroyed if we suffer yours to be injured!" This is what was anciently called in our country _pledging _- staking, a man's life for that of h...

  • 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

    YE. Some codices, with one early printed edition, and Vulgate, read "thou". KINDLY AND TRULY. in lovingkindness and faithfulness. Perhaps Figure of speech _Hendiadys_ (App-6), "in true loving-kindnes...

  • 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

    _Our life for yours_ Literally, OUR SOUL INSTEAD OF YOURS FOR DEATH, or INSTEAD OF YOURS TO DIE, as in the margin. "Oure soule be for you into deth," Wyclif....

  • 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._ 14. _AND THE MEN ASSURED HER, OUR LIFE FOR YOURS_— i.e. We will perish rather than suffer you to receive the least injury; or, May we perish, if your demand be not complied with! They engaged t...

  • 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 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._ The men answere...

  • 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

    וַ יֹּ֧אמְרוּ לָ֣הּ הָ אֲנָשִׁ֗ים נַפְשֵׁ֤נוּ...

  • 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...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And the men answered her, (f) 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. (f) We warran...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Death. We are willing to die instead of you, if we do not fulfil our promises. --- Truth, a real and effectual mercy._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I pass over all the several particulars of the agreement between Rahab and the spies, to call the Reader's attention to the interesting circumstances to which Rahab was enjoined by the spies, as signa...

  • 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

    14._Our life for yours, _etc. They imprecate death upon themselves, if they do not faithfully make it their business to save Rahab. For the interpretation adopted by some, We will pledge our lives, se...

  • 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

    AND THE MEN ANSWERED HER,.... The two spies: OUR LIFE FOR YOURS; or "our souls in your stead to die" i; that is, we engage for the security of your lives, should they be in danger; we promise to die...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 14. _If ye u...

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

    _Our life for yours_ We will venture our lives for the security of yours. _Our business_ That is, this agreement of ours, and the condition of it, lest others, under this pretence, should secure thems...

  • 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

    And the men answered her, Our life for yours, literally, "our souls instead of yours to die" (they pledged their very souls for the truth of their promise to spare Rahab and her relatives), IF YE UTTE...

  • 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:...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    OUR LIFE FOR YOURS: _ Heb._ instead of you to die...

  • 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

    OUR LIFE FOR YOURS; we pawn and will venture our lives for the security of yours. Or, may we perish, if you be not preserved. THIS OUR BUSINESS, i.e. this agreement of ours, and the way and condition...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Joshua 2:14 men H582 answered H559 (H8799) lives H5315 yours H4191 (H8800) tell H5046 (H8686) business...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘ 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...

  • 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 ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    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...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Joshua 2:14. Our life for yours] The sentiment is, “If we fail to regard your lives as sacred, may God so fail to think of ours.” It became afterwards a common form of oath in Israel....

  • 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 Kings 20:39; 1 Samuel 20:8; 2 Samuel 9:1; Genesis 24:49; Joshua 6:17

  • 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

    For yours — We will venture our lives for the security of yours. Our business — That is, this agreement of ours, and the condition of it, lest others under this pretence, should secure themselves. By...

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