CHAPTER II _Joshua sends out two spies to examine the state of the_ _inhabitants of the land, particularly those of Jericho, who_ _are entertained at the house of Rahab_, 1. _The king of Jericho is informed of their being in the town, and_ _sends to Rahab, commanding her to deliver them up_, 2,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:3. _THE KING OF JERICHO SENT UNTO RAHAB_] This appears to be a proof of the preceding opinion: had she been a _prostitute_ or a person of _ill fame_ he could at once have sent officers to have seized the persons lodged with her as vagabonds; but if she kept a house of entertainment, t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:4. _AND HID THEM_] Probably she secreted them for the time being in some private corner, till she had the opportunity of concealing them on the house-top in the manner mentioned Joshua 2:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:5. _WHEN IT WAS DARK_] So it appears that it was after night that the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, ordering her to produce the persons who lodged with her. The _season_ itself was friendly to the whole plot: had these transactions taken place in daylight, it is scarcely possible tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:6. _HID THEN WITH THE STALKS OF FLAX_] It is a matter of little consequence whether we translate פסתי העיץ _pistey haets_ _stalks of flax_, or stalks of hemp: the word עץ _ets_, which signifies _wood_, serves to show that whether it was _hemp_ or _flax_, it was in its rough, unmanufac... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:9. _I KNOW THAT THE LORD HATH GIVEN YOU THE LAND_] It is likely she had this only from _conjecture_, having heard of their successes against the Amorites, their prodigious numbers, and seeing the state of terror and dismay to which the inhabitants of her own land were reduced.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:11. _HE_ IS _GOD IN HEAVEN ABOVE, AND TO EARTH BENEATH._] This confession of the true God is amazingly full, and argues considerable light and information. As if she had said, "I know your God to be omnipotent and omnipresent:" and in consequence of this faith she hid the spies, and r... [ Continue Reading ]
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 character _Jehovah_; and knew that an _oath_ in his name was the deepest and most solemn obligation unde... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:13. _DELIVER OUR LIVES FROM DEATH._] She had learned, either from the spies or otherwise, that all the inhabitants of the land were doomed to destruction, and therefore she obliges them to enter into a _covenant_ with her for the preservation of herself and her household.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 his neighbour or friend.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:15. _THEN SHE LET THEM DOWN BY A CORD C._] The natural place of this verse is after the first clause of Joshua 2:21 for it is certain that she did not let them down in the basket till all those circumstances marked from Joshua 2:16-6 inclusive had taken place. _SHE DWELT UPON THE WA... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:16. _HIDE YOURSELVES THERE THREE DAYS_] They were to travel by _night_, and hide themselves in the _day-time_; otherwise they might have been discovered by the pursuers who were in search of them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:18. _THIS LINE OF SCARLET THREAD_] תקות חוט השני _tikvath_ _chut hashshani_. Probably this may mean, _this piece of scarlet_ _cloth_, or, _this cloth_ (made) _of scarlet thread_. When the Israelites took the city this piece of _red cloth_ seems to have been hung out of the window by w... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:20. _IF THOU UTTER THIS OUR BUSINESS_] It was prudent to make her _life_ depend on her _secresy_; had it been otherwise she might have been tempted to give information, not only concerning the spies, but concerning the designs of the Israelites. But her life being at stake, added to e... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:23. _SO THE TWO MEN RETURNED_] Having concealed themselves in the mountains that night, all the next day, and the night ensuing, on the third day they returned to Joshua.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Joshua 2:24. _TRULY THE LORD HATH DELIVERED INTO OUR HANDS ALL THE_ _LAND_] How different was this report from that brought by the spies on a former occasion! They found that all the inhabitants of the land were panic-struck. The people had heard of the great exploits of the Israelites on the... [ Continue Reading ]