Joshua 2:1-6

Rahab and the Spies

1 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.)

Joshua 2:1-6 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.

Cross References 12

  • 1. S ver 4; S Genesis 42:9; James 2:25
  • 2. S Numbers 25:1; Joshua 3:1; Joel 3:18
  • 3. S Numbers 21:32; Judges 18:2
  • 4. S Numbers 33:48
  • 5. Joshua 6:17,25; S Hebrews 11:31
  • 6. Joshua 6:23
  • 7. ver 1; Joshua 6:22
  • 8. Joshua 6:17; 2 Samuel 17:19-20
  • 9. Judges 5:8; Judges 9:35; Judges 16:2
  • 10. S Hebrews 11:31
  • 11. Judges 15:14; Proverbs 31:13; Isaiah 19:9; James 2:25
  • 12. S Exodus 1:17,19; Joshua 6:25; 2 Samuel 17:19
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