Joshua 2:9

9 and she said to the men, I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you is fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

Joshua 2:9 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 2:9

And she said unto the men
The two spies:

I know that the Lord hath given you the land;
the land of Canaan, of which she was an inhabitant, and in which they now were; this she knew either by some tradition that was among them; or by divine revelation, a supernatural impulse upon her mind: or by observing what the Lord had done already, in putting the land of the Amorites into their hands, which were one of the seven nations of Canaan; and by this it also appears, and more clearly by what follows, that she had knowledge of the Lord God, the God of Israel:

and that your terror is fallen upon us;
which was another token or sign by which she knew the land would be delivered to them; that they who were a formidable people, and struck terror into others, now were terrified themselves, at the rumour of Israel being come to invade them; this was what the Lord said should be the case, ( Deuteronomy 11:25 ) ;

and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you;
or "melt" ^F6, like wax before the fire, as Moses had predicted, ( Exodus 15:15 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 (wgmn) "liquefacti sunt", Montanus, Piscator.

Joshua 2:9 In-Context

7 The men pursued after them the way to the Yarden to the fords: and as soon as those who pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

8 Before they were laid down, she came up to them on the roof;

9 and she said to the men, I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you is fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Sea of Suf before you, when you came out of Mitzrayim; and what you did to the two kings of the Amori, who were beyond the Yarden, to Sichon and to `Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

11 As soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and on eretz beneath.