Joshua 2:7-17

7 So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate.

8 Now before they lay down, ^[a]she came up to them on the roof,

9 and said to the men, "¹I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the ²terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have ^[b]melted away before * you.

10 "³For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the ^[c]Red * Sea before * you when you came out of Egypt, and ⁴what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

11 "When we heard it, ⁵our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because * of you; for the ⁶LORD your God, He is God in heaven above * and on earth beneath *.

12 "Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a ⁷pledge of truth,

13 and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death."

14 So the men said to her, "Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the LORD gives us the land that we will ⁸deal kindly and faithfully with you."

The Promise to Rahab

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall.

16 She said to them, "⁹Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way."

17 The men said to her, "¹⁰We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear,

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Joshua 2:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 10

1. Numbers 20:24; Joshua 9:24
2. Exodus 23:27; Deuteronomy 2:25; Joshua 9:9, 10
3. Exodus 14:21; Numbers 23:22; Numbers 24:8
4. Numbers 21:21-35
5. Joshua 5:1; Joshua 7:5; Psalms 22:14; Isaiah 13:7; Isaiah 19:1
6. Deuteronomy 4:39
7. Joshua 2:18, 19
8. Genesis 24:49
9. James 2:25
10. Genesis 24:8

Footnotes 12

[a]. Lit "then she"
[b]. Or "become demoralized"
[c]. Lit "Sea of Reeds"
[d]. Or "put under the ban"
[e]. Lit "spirit arose"
[f]. Or "faithfulness"
[g]. Lit "let live"
[h]. Lit "souls"
[i]. Lit "soul"
[j]. Lit "instead of you to die"
[k]. Or "truly"
[l]. Lit "of yours"