Joshua 2:4

4 And the woman had taken the two men and hidden them and said thus, It is true that some men came unto me, but I did not know where they came from.

Joshua 2:4 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 2:4

And the woman took the two men
Or "she had taken" them

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 before the messengers came, upon a rumour she understood was gone abroad, that she had got Israelitish spies in her house, and so might expect to be visited and searched by the king's officers, and therefore took this precaution:

and hid them;
the Hebrew word is singular, "him" ^F1: hence the Jews, who take these two spies to be Caleb and Phinehas, say, that only Caleb was hid, and Phinehas, though he was before them, was not seen, being an angel, ( Malachi 2:7 ) ; but the sense is, that she hid each of them, and very probably singly and apart, that if one was found, the other might escape, as Ben Gersom observes; and Abarbinel is of opinion that she hid them twice, now in the middle of her house, one in one place, and the other in another, for the reason before given, and after this hid them in the roof of her house, as afterwards related:

and said thus, there came men unto me;
that is, into her house, this she owned:

but I wist not whence they [were];
of what country they were, whether Israelites or not; which whether she knew or not is not certain; it is probable she did, and told an untruth, as she also did in ( Joshua 2:5 ) .

F26 (xptw) "duxerat, tulerat"; so Syr. Ar. Kimchi, & Ben Melech.
F1 (wnputw) "et abscondit eum", Montanus; "abdiderat eum", Vatablus.

Joshua 2:4 In-Context

2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men of the sons of Israel have come here this night to spy out the land.

3 Then the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come unto thee, who have entered into thy house; for they are come to spy out all the land.

4 And the woman had taken the two men and hidden them and said thus, It is true that some men came unto me, but I did not know where they came from.

5 And at the time of shutting the gate, when it was dark, these men went out, and I do not know where the men went; pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house and hid them among the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.