Joshua 2:7

7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

Joshua 2:7 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
English Standard Version (ESV)
7 So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.
New Living Translation (NLT)
7 So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut.
The Message Bible (MSG)
7 So the men set chase down the Jordan road toward the fords. As soon as they were gone, the gate was shut.
American Standard Version (ASV)
7 And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they that pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
7 The king's men pursued them on the road leading to a shallow place to cross the Jordan River. As soon as the king's men had left, the gate was closed.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
7 The men pursued them along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they left to pursue them, the gate was shut.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
7 The king's men left to hunt down the spies. They took the road that leads to where the Jordan River can be crossed. As soon as they had gone out of the city, the gate was shut.

Joshua 2:7 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 2:7

And the men pursued after them
As they thought:

the way to Jordan;
on the other side of which the people of Israel lay encamped, to which they supposed, according to Rahab's account, these two men directed their course:

unto the fords;
the fords of Jordan, the passages through it; for in some places, and at some times, it was fordable; which accounts for the way in which these spies could get over Jordan, see ( Genesis 32:10 ) ; it was most reasonable to conclude they would return the same way; and so far the king's messengers went, but further they did not choose to go, because it would be to no purpose, and they might expose themselves to the camp of Israel, which lay on the other side:

and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut
the gate;
that is, either as soon as the king's messengers were gone out of Rahab's house, either the spies, or rather the men of the house, Rahab's servants, shut the door of it to prevent their return, or others coming in; or rather, when they were got out of the city, the watchmen of the city, the porters of the city gates, shut them, that if they were not got out of the city, to prevent their escape, or however to keep out others from entering, that might be on some such design, or worse.

Joshua 2:7 In-Context

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.)
7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof
9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Numbers 22:1; Judges 3:28; Judges 7:24; Judges 12:5,6; Isaiah 16:2
  • 2. ver 16,22
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