Behold, [when] we come into the land
The land of Canaan, and into this city, into that part of it, as
the Septuagint, where her house was, meaning not themselves only,
but the people of Israel they belonged to:
thou shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window
which thou
didst let us down by;
the word by refers either to the scarlet thread they were let
down by, said to be a cord, ( Joshua 2:15 ) ; and
therefore must be a line twisted with various scarlet threads, as
Kimchi; who observes, that according to the Targum, it was the
border of a red garment; or to the window through which they were
let down, as the Septuagint version; it may refer to both, and
the sense be, that the same twisted cord of scarlet thread they
were let down by should be bound to the same window they were let
down through; only this objection there is to the same window,
that it was not towards the city, and so not to be seen when they
came into it, but looked over the wall without the city: now as
Rahab was an instance of the salvation of sinners by the grace of
God, for she was a sinner by birth, by practice, and a notorious
one; she was an instance of distinguishing grace, of free and
efficacious grace, a singular instance of it; and became a true
penitent, a real believer, was a justified person, and saved: so
the scarlet thread was an emblem of the blood of Christ, by which
salvation is; redemption and all the blessings of grace are
through it; justification, remission of sin, reconciliation, and
atonement, and safety, and protection from avenging justice, and
wrath to come, are only by it: likewise the spies, who are also
called "messengers", ( James 2:25 ) ; may
represent the ministers of the Gospel, who are the messengers of
Christ, and the churches, are sent out by him the antitypical
Joshua, men of wisdom, courage, and valour, and are sent as spies
to bring to light men and things, who direct to the way of
salvation and give the same token of it, ( Mark 16:16 ) ;
and thou shall bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy
brethren, and
all thy father's household home unto thee;
into her house, where the scarlet thread was bound, and where
only they would be safe, as the Israelites were in the houses
where the blood of the paschal lamb was sprinkled, ( Exodus 12:23
) ; and so they are safe, and they only, who are under the blood
of sprinkling, and partake of the virtue of it.