Joshua 2 (NIV) Rahab and the Spies Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. Go, look over the land, he said, especially Jericho. So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 2 The king of Jericho was told, Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land. 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land. 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them. 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. 8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea [a] for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. [b] 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone s courage failed because of you, for thelord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them and that you will save us from death. 14 Our lives for your lives! the men assured her. If you don t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land. 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way. 17 Now the men had said to her, This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear. 21 Agreed, she replied. Let it be as you say. So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 1
22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, TheLord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us. Footnotes: a. Joshua 2:10 Or the Sea of Reeds b. Joshua 2:10 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them. 2
Joshua 2 (HCSB) Spies Sent to Jericho Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from the Acacia Grove, [a] saying, Go and scout the land, especially Jericho. So they left, and they came to the house of a woman, a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there. 2 The king of Jericho was told, Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land. 3 Then the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab and said, Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they came to investigate the entire land. 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn t know where they were from. 5 At nightfall, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them! 6 But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof. 7 The men pursued them along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they left to pursue them, the gate was shut. The Promise to Rahab 8 Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, I know that the Lord has given you this landand that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you. [b] 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed across the Jordan. 11 When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone s courage failed [c] because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. 12 Now please swear to me by the Lord that you will also show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. [d] Give me a sure sign [e] 13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death. 14 The men answered her, We will give our lives for yours. If you don t report our mission, we will show kindness and faithfulness to you when the Lord gives us the land. 15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, since she lived in a house that was built into the wall of the city. 16 Go to the hill country so that the men pursuing you won t find you, she said to them. Hide yourselves there for three days until they return; afterward, go on your way. 17 The men said to her, We will be free from this oath you made us swear, 18 unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father s family into your house. 19 If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, [f] his blood will be on our heads. 20 And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear. 21 Let it be as you say, she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window. 3
22 So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them. 23 Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed the Jordan. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them. 24 They told Joshua, The Lord has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us. [g] Footnotes: a. Joshua 2:1 Or from Shittim b. Joshua 2:9 Or land panics at your approach c. Joshua 2:11 Lit and spirit no longer remained in anyone d. Joshua 2:12 Lit to your father s house e. Joshua 2:12 Or a sign of truth f. Joshua 2:19 Lit if a hand should be on him g. Joshua 2:24 Or also panics at our approach 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible - Study Bible 1 Joshua 2 2:1 The term for spies comes from the same word as "foot." These "footers" did not always work as spies. In 2Sam 15:10 they announced Absalom as king. Thus they could disseminate information as well as gather it. Acacia Grove translates Hebrew Shittim, probably a site some miles east of the Jordan River opposite Jericho, and Israel's camp since Num 25:1. The Hebrew root for Joshua's command, Go, is identical to they left. Such a response indicates the spies' obedience. Nevertheless, they did not look over the land but went directly to Jericho. Rahab was an innkeeper and prostitute occupations that are recognized in ancient Near Eastern literature such as the Code of Hammurabi. The presence of an inn at Jericho (Lk 10:30-35) may be explained by its location on the north-south and east-west trade routes. Here the spies could learn about the land and also discover anyone who might be sympathetic. 2:2-3 The story is punctuated by repetitions that emphasize the key points. The first of these is the mission to investigate the land. This was told to the king of Jericho who sent his agents to Rahab's house where they repeated the charge. Known at the highest levels, her actions were high treason in the eyes of the rulers of Jericho. 2:4-5 Rahab's hiding of the spies is mentioned again in verse 6. Rahab denied knowledge about the origin and the destination of the spies. Thus she risked her life, but she also lied. Despite this, Heb 11:31 and Jms 2:25 admire her faith. The text does not condone her act, although there was no other way to save the spies from death. Forgiveness was available with God. The point here is that her words kept the king's men from looking in the house. Repeating information about the gate (v. 7) is important because it explains how Rahab's ruse could make sense (the gates were not yet shut when the spies left). Its second mention explains why the spies could no longer leave as they had entered. The shut gates represent the defiance of Jericho, resistant to the movement of God and His people. 2:6 Rahab's hiding of the spies is repeated here from verse 4, delaying explanation of what the spies would actually do, and so heightening the tension. 2:7 The phrase the road to the fords of the Jordan informs the reader of how Rahab's ruse worked. 2:9-11 Rahab's I know contrasts with her "I didn't know" in verses 4-5. There follows a true confession in place of the former deceit. The phrases terror of you has fallen on us and the land is panicking repeat the same expressions from Ex 15:15-16. Those predictions looked forward to reactions that Rahab describes having been fulfilled. Confessions of God's gift and sovereignty over heaven and earth begin and end the confession (Jos 2:9a,11b). Situated within these confessions are statements about the fear that has come upon the Canaanites (vv. 9b,11a). All these expressions provide an "envelope" for the central confession of Rahab in verse 10. This confession is based upon the historic acts of God's redemption of Israel at the Red Sea and against Sihon and Og. As with God's historic act of redemption in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, so Rahab's confession of His gracious work in redeeming Israel from Egypt and beyond forms the basis for the salvation faith that she speaks with her mouth and believes in her heart (Rm 10:9). 1 Jeremy Royal Howard, ed., HCSB Study Bible, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2010), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "Joshua 2". 5
2:12 Now please introduces Rahab's request with an identical form of words as in 1Sam 24:21 where Saul described God's will for David and then, as here, requested David to spare his family. Show kindness is a key expression that also appears when Abraham's servant requested from God direction to find a wife for Isaac (Gen 24:12). In the Decalogue God shows kindness to a thousand generations of those who are faithful to him (Ex 20:6). Here as well the concern is for the preservation of Rahab's family and her descendants. The sure sign is the spies' oath to protect Rahab's family. 2:13 Rahab did not ask for her own salvation, but for that of her family. 2:14 The spies acted to guarantee their own protection and thereby ensure the success of their mission. The spies were vulnerable and dependent on Rahab. 2:15 The actions described did not occur immediately. How secret would a mission be with the spies on the ground below shouting up to Rahab the negotiations of verses 17-20? That she let them down by a rope through the window is a summary that introduces a more detailed description in verses 16-21 a common technique in OT accounts. 2:16 The Jordan River was east of Jericho, but the steep hills that ascended from the Jordan Valley were to the west. The spies could hide there among the many caves and nooks. On the three days, see note at 1:11. 2:17-20 The scarlet cord at the opening of her house with the family gathered inside is clearly symbolic of the Passover and its placement of blood on the door frames of the house in which the family was preserved from death (Ex 12:3-13). At the same time that Israel celebrated the Passover in the new land (Jos 5:10-11), Rahab would be joining them in similar actions that would bring about her salvation from Jericho's destruction. 2:24 The spies' report is a summary of what Rahab said, using her words (v. 9). This reiterates the fulfillment of prophecy (Ex 15:15) and the power of God to bring success to Israel. Contrast the majority report of the earlier generation of spies who focused on the obstacles of the land's inhabitants (Num 13:26-33). The spies here emphasized what God had done. Rahab, though not a leader like Joshua, was able to contribute to the success of Israel. Christians can do the same wherever they are by confessing their faith and acting on it (Jms 2:25-26). 6
HCSB Apologetics Study Bible 2 Joshua 2 2:1 Joshua initiated a reconnaissance mission, secretly dispatching two spies to Jericho. The narrative gives few details about the mission itself; it focuses on how the spies spent the night in the house of a harlot named Rahab. Some commentators read sexual innuendo into the text. The narrative, however, is careful to avoid any suggestion of a sexual encounter between the spies and Rahab by using terminology applicable to lodging rather than sex. The phrase "came to the house" indicates that the spies entered her house, not that they "went to bed with her," the description of sexual relations (e.g. Jdg 16:1). Rahab, in addition to being a prostitute, was probably an innkeeper. 2:2-7 Rahab hid the spies and misled the representatives of the king of Jericho when they came in search of them. She admitted the spies had entered her house but then sent the king's search party on a false pursuit outside the city. In so doing, Rahab assumed great personal risk to herself and her family; if they had discovered her deception the consequences would have been severe. Scripture does not condone Rahab's lie; the Bible makes it clear that such deception is wrong. Nevertheless the NT celebrates Rahab's action (Heb 11:31) as a demonstration of her faith in the God of Israel and rejection of the Canaanites. Had she told the truth to the king's representatives, the spies would have been executed. The biblical narrator reports what actually happened, and does not speculate about what alternative Rahab might have had in her intent to protect the spies. On the question of lying for a good purpose, see also Ex 1:19. 2:8-14 The main point of this passage is Rahab's confession of faith in the Lord. She acknowledged (1) His divine providence in Israel's possession of Canaan, (2) His presence in Israel's exodus and migration through the wilderness, and (3) the Lord's sovereignty over the universe. 2:15-24 With Rahab's help the spies escaped Jericho and returned to Joshua with a positive report: the Lord had indeed given the land of Canaan to the Israelites. 2 Ken Fentress, Notes on Joshua, in The Apologetics Study Bible: Understanding Why You Believe, ed. Ted Cabal (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 324-325. 7
NLT Life Application Study Bible 3 Joshua 2 2:1 Why did Joshua send the spies secretly? As far as he knew, he would be attacking a heavily fortified city using conventional warfare tactics. He needed strategic information about the city for the upcoming battle. But he also knew that this might draw criticism from the other leaders. After all, the last time spies were sent, the report they brought back caused disastrous problems (see Numbers 13:1-14:4). While he did not want to move ahead without information, he also did not want to cause the people to stumble and question his wisdom and ability to lead the nation. 2:1 Why would the spies stop at the house of Rahab, a prostitute? (1) It was a good place to gather information and have no questions asked in return. (2) Rahab's house was in an ideal location for a quick escape because it was built into the city wall (2:15). (3) God directed the spies to Rahab's house because he knew her heart was open to him and that she would be instrumental in the Israelite victory over Jericho. God often uses people with simple faith to accomplish his great purposes, no matter what kind of past they have had or how insignificant they seem to be. Rahab didn't allow her past to keep her from the new role God had for her. 2:4, 5 Was Rahab justified in lying to save the lives of the spies? Although the Bible does not speak negatively about her lie, it is clear that lying is sin. In Hebrews 11:31, however, Rahab is commended for her faith in God. Her lie is not mentioned. Several explanations have been offered: (1) God forgave Rahab's lie because of her faith; (2) Rahab was simply deceiving the enemy, a normal and acceptable practice in wartime; (3) because Rahab was not a Jew, she could not be held responsible for keeping the moral standards set forth in God's law; (4) Rahab broke a lesser principle telling the truth to uphold a higher principle protecting God's people. There may have been another way to save the lives of the Israelite spies. But under the pressure of the moment, Rahab had to make a choice. Most of us will face dilemmas at one time or another. We may feel that there is no perfect solution to our problem. Fortunately, God does not demand that our judgment be perfect in all situations. He simply asks us to put our trust in him and to do the best we know how. Rahab did that and was commended for her faith. Two spies left the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove, crossed the Jordan River, and slipped into Jericho. The city was built around an oasis in the midst of a hot and desolate valley 840 feet below sea level. Jericho was the first major city the Israelites set out to conquer. Spy Mission to Jericho 3, Life Application Study Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1988), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 315-317. 8
2:6 Flax was harvested in the fields and piled high on the rooftops to dry. It was then made into yarn, which was used to make linen cloth. Flax grows to a height of three or four feet. Stacked on the roof, it made an excellent hiding place for the spies. 2:8-13 Many would assume that Rahab a pagan, a Canaanite, and a prostitute would never be interested in God. Yet Rahab was willing to risk everything she had for a God she barely knew. We must not gauge a person's interest in God by his or her background, lifestyle, or appearance. We should let nothing get in the way of our telling people the Good News. 2:11 Rahab recognized something that many of the Israelites did not the God of heaven is not an ordinary god! He is all powerful. The people of Jericho were afraid because they had heard the news of God's extraordinary power in defeating the armies across the Jordan River. Today we can worship this same powerful, miracle-working God. He is powerful enough to destroy mighty, wicked armies, as he did in Jericho. He is also powerful enough to save us from certain death, as he did with Rahab. 2:15 In Joshua's day it was common to build houses on city walls. Many cities had two walls about 12 to 15 feet apart. Houses were built on wooden logs laid across the tops of the two walls. Rahab may have lived in such a house with a window that looked out over the outside wall. 9
Joshua One of the greatest challenges facing leaders is to replace themselves, training others to become leaders. Many outstanding accomplishments have been started by someone with great ability whose life or career ended before the vision became reality. The fulfillment of that dream then became the responsibility of that person's successor. Death is the ultimate deadline for leadership. One of the best tests of our leadership is our willingness and ability to train another for our position. Moses made an excellent decision when he chose Joshua as his assistant. That choice was later confirmed by God himself when he instructed Moses to commission Joshua as his successor (Numbers 27:15-23). Joshua had played a key role in the exodus from Egypt. Introduced as the field general of Israel's army, he was the only person allowed to accompany Moses partway up the mountain when Moses received the law. Joshua and Caleb were the only 2 among the 12 scouts to bring back an encouraging report after being sent into the Promised Land the first time. Other references show him to have been Moses' constant shadow. His basic training was living with Moses experiencing firsthand what it meant to lead God's people. This was modeling at its best! Who is your Moses? Who is your Joshua? You are part of the chain of God's ongoing work in the world. You are modeling yourself after others, and others are patterning their lives after you. How important is God to those you want to be like? Do those who are watching you see God reflected in every area of your life? Ask God to lead you to a trustworthy Moses. Ask him to make you a good Joshua. Strengths and accomplishments Moses' assistant and successor One of only two adults who experienced Egyptian slavery and lived to enter the Promised Land Led the Israelites into their God-given homeland Brilliant military strategist Faithful to ask God's direction in the challenges he faced Lessons from his life Effective leadership is often the product of good preparation and encouragement The persons after whom we pattern ourselves will have a definite effect on us A person committed to God provides the best model for us Vital statistics Where: Egypt, the wilderness of Sinai, Canaan (the Promised Land) Occupations: Special assistant to Moses, warrior, leader Relative: Father: Nun Contemporaries: Moses, Caleb, Miriam, Aaronu Key verses"so Moses did as the LORD commanded. He presented Joshua to Eleazar the priest and the whole community. Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to lead the people, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses" (Numbers 27:22, 23). Joshua is also mentioned in Exodus 17:9-14; 24:13; 32:17; 33:11; Numbers 11:28; 13-14; 26:65; 27:18-23; 32:11, 12, 28; 34:17; Deuteronomy 1:38; 3:21, 28; 31:3, 7, 14, 23; 34:9; the book of Joshua; Judges 2:6-9; and 1 Kings 16:34. 10