YuēShūyàjì 2

1 Dāngxià , nèn de érzi Yuēshūyà cóng shén tíng ànàn dǎfa liǎng gèrén zuò tànzǐ , fēnfu shuō , nǐmen qù kuītàn nà dì hé Yēlìgē . yúshì èr rén qù le , lái dào yī gè jìnǚ míng jiào Lǎhé de jia lǐ , jiù zaì nàli tǎng wò .

2 Yǒu rén gàosu Yēlìgē wáng shuō , jīnyè yǒu Yǐsèliè rén lái dào zhèlǐ kuītàn cǐ dì .

3 Yēlìgē wáng dǎfa rén qù jiàn Lǎhé shuō , nà lái dào nǐ zhèlǐ , jìn le nǐ jia de rén yào jiāo chūlai , yīnwei tāmen lái kuītàn quán dì .

4 Nǚrén jiāng èr rén yǐncáng , jiù huídá shuō , nà rén guǒrán dào wǒ zhèlǐ lái . tāmen shì nǎli lái de wǒ què bú zhīdào .

5 Tiān hēi , yào guān chéng mén de shíhou , tāmen chū qù le , wǎng nǎli qù wǒ què bú zhīdào . nǐmen kuaì kuaì de qù zhuīgǎn , jiù bì zhuī shàng .

6 ( xiān shì nǚrén lǐng èr rén shàng le fáng dǐng , jiāng tāmen cáng zaì nàli suǒ bǎi de má jiē zhōng . )

7 Nàxiē rén jiù wǎng Yuēdànhé de dùkǒu zhuīgǎn tāmen qù le . zhuīgǎn tāmende rén yī chū qù , chéng mén jiù guān le .

8 Èr rén hái méiyǒu tǎng wò , nǚrén jiù shàng fáng dǐng , dào tāmen nàli ,

9 Duì tāmen shuō , wǒ zhīdào Yēhéhuá yǐjing bǎ zhè dì cìgĕi nǐmen , bìngqiĕ yīn nǐmen de yuángù wǒmen dōu jīnghuāng le . zhè dì de yīqiè jūmín zaì nǐmen miànqián xīn dōu xiāohuà le .

10 Yīnwei wǒmen tīngjian nǐmen chū Āijí de shíhou , Yēhéhuá zĕnyàng zaì nǐmen qiánmian shǐ Hónghǎi de shuǐ gān le , bìngqiĕ nǐmen zĕnyàng daì Yuēdànhé dōng de liǎng gè yà Mólì wáng Xīhóng hé è , jiāng tāmen jìn xíng huǐmiè .

11 Wǒmen yī tīngjian zhèxie shì , xīn jiù xiāohuà le . yīn nǐmen de yuángù , bìng wú yī rén yǒu dǎn qì . Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén bĕn shì shàngtiān xià dì de shén .

12 Xiànzaì wǒ jì shì ēn daì nǐmen , qiú nǐmen zhǐ zhe Yēhéhuá xiàng wǒ qǐshì , yĕ yào ēn daì wǒ fǔ jia , bìng gĕi wǒ yī gè shízaì de zhèngjù ,

13 Yào jiùhuó wǒde fùmǔ , dìxiōng , zǐ meì , hé yīqiè shǔ tāmende , zhĕngjiù wǒmen xìngméng bú sǐ .

14 Èr rén duì tā shuō , nǐ ruò bú xiè lòu wǒmen zhè jiàn shì , wǒmen qíngyuàn tì nǐmen sǐ . Yēhéhuá jiāng zhè dì cìgĕi wǒmen de shíhou , wǒmen bì yǐ cíaì chéngshí daì nǐ .

15 Yúshì nǚrén yòng shéngzi jiāng èr rén cóng chuānghu lǐ zhuì xià qù . yīn tāde fángzi shì zaì chéngqiáng bian shàng , tā yĕ zhù zaì chéngqiáng shàng .

16 Tā duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen qiĕ wǎng shān shàng qù , kǒngpà zhuīgǎn de rén pèng jiàn nǐmen . yào zaì nàli yǐncáng sān tiān , dĕng zhuīgǎn de rén huí lái , ránhòu cái kĕyǐ zǒu nǐmen de lù .

17 Èr rén duì tā shuō , nǐ yào zhèyàng xíng . bú rán , nǐ jiào wǒmen suǒ qǐ de shì jiù yǔ wǒmen wúgān le .

18 Wǒmen lái dào zhè dì de shíhou , nǐ yào bǎ zhè tiaó zhūhóng xiàn shéng xì zaì zhuì wǒmen xià qù de chuānghu shàng , bìng yào shǐ nǐde fùmǔ , dìxiōng , hé nǐ fǔ de quán jia dōu jùjí zaì nǐ jia zhōng .

19 Fán chū le nǐ jia mén wǎng jiē shàng qù de , tāde zuì ( zuì yuánwén zuò xuè ) bì guī dào zìjǐ de tóu shàng , yǔ wǒmen wúgān le . fán zaì nǐ jia lǐ de , ruò yǒu rén xià shǒu haì tā , liú tā xuè de zuì jiù guī dào wǒmen de tóu shàng .

20 Nǐ ruò xiè lòu wǒmen zhè jiàn shì , nǐ jiào wǒmen suǒ qǐ de shì jiù yǔ wǒmen wúgān le .

21 Nǚrén shuō , zhào nǐmen de huà xíng ba . yúshì dǎfa tāmen qù le , yòu bǎ zhūhóng xiàn shéng xì zaì chuānghu shàng .

22 Èr rén dào shān shàng , zaì nàli zhù le sān tiān , dĕng zhe zhuīgǎn de rén huí qù le . zhuīgǎn de rén yīlù zhǎo tāmen , què zhǎo bú zhe .

23 Èr rén jiù xià shān huí lái , guō le hé , dào nèn de érzi Yuēshūyà nàli , xiàng tā shùshuō suǒ zāoyù de yīqiè shì .

24 Yòu duì Yuēshūyà shuō , Yēhéhuá guǒrán jiāng nà quán dì jiāo zaì wǒmen shǒu zhōng . nà dì de yīqiè jūmín zaì wǒmen miànqián xīn dōu xiāohuà le .

YuēShūyàjì 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

Rahab receives and hides two Israelites. (1-7) Rahab and the spies. (8-21) The return of the spies. (22-24)

Verses 1-7 Faith in God's promises ought not to do away, but to encourage our diligence in the use of proper means. The providence of God directed the spies to the house of Rahab. God knew where there was one that would be true to them, though they did not. Rahab appears to have been an innkeeper; and if she had formerly been one of bad life, which is doubtful, she had left her evil courses. That which seems to us most accidental, is often overruled by the Divine providence to serve great ends. It was by faith that Rahab received those with peace, against whom her king and country had war. We are sure this was a good work; it is so spoken of by the apostle, ( James 2:25 ) ; and she did it by faith, such a faith as set her above the fear of man. Those only are true believers, who find in their hearts to venture for God; they take his people for their people, and cast in their lot among them. The spies were led by the special providence of God, and Rahab entertained them out of regard to Israel and Israel's God, and not for lucre or for any evil purpose. Though excuses may be offered for the guilt of Rahab's falsehood, it seems best to admit nothing which tends to explain it away. Her views of the Divine law must have been very dim: a falsehood like this, told by those who enjoy the light of revelation, whatever the motive, would deserve heavy censure.

Verses 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 but by submitting to him, and joining with his people. The conduct of Rahab proved that she had the real principle of Divine faith. Observe the promises the spies made to her. The goodness of God is often expressed by his kindness and truth, ( Psalms 117:2 ) ; in both these we must be followers of him. Those who will be conscientious in keeping promises, are cautious in making them. The spies make needful conditions. The scarlet cord, like the blood upon the doorpost at the passover, recalls to remembrance the sinner's security under the atoning blood of Christ; and that we are to flee thereto for refuge from the wrath of a justly offended God. The same cord Rahab used for the saving of these Israelites, was to be used for her own safety. What we serve and honour God with, we may expect he will bless, and make useful to us.

Verses 22-24 The report the spies brought was encouraging. All the people of the country faint because of Israel; they have neither wisdom to yield, nor courage to fight. Those terrors of conscience, and that sense of Divine wrath, which dismay the ungodly, but bring not to repentance, are fearful forebodings of approaching destruction. But grace yet abounds to the chief of sinners. Let them, without delay, flee to Christ, and all shall be well.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 2

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, Jos 2:1-7; of the relation she gave them of the fear and dread of Israel, which were fallen upon the Canaanites, Jos 2:8-11; and of the request she made to them, to save her and her father's house, when the city should be taken, and to have a sure sign of it given her, Jos 2:12,13; which the spies solemnly promised, and gave her a sign of it, with a charge not to discover the matter to any, Jos 2:14-20; and being let down by a cord through the window of her house, they made their escape to a mountain, where they lay three days, and then returned to Joshua, and made their report, Jos 2:21-24.