Joshua 2:2

2 The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the people of Israel have come here tonight. They've come to check out the land."

Joshua 2:2 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 2:2

And it was told the king of Jericho, saying
Who being alarmed at the near approach of the Israelites, and knowing their claim to the land of Canaan, and their design upon it, employed men to watch and observe what passed in the city, and parts adjacent, and inform him of it; or some persons of themselves, and for their own safety, and the good of their fellow citizens, gave notice to the king of it:

behold, there came men hither tonight of the children of Israel;
who were known by their habit and language; or at least, being strangers, were suspected to be of that people, the terror of whom had fallen on all the inhabitants, so that every strange man they took for an Israelite; from hence it appears, that the spies came to Jericho at night, that they might not be observed: but with all their precaution they were taken notice of, and their design suspected, namely,

to search out the country;
which were the proper places to attack first, and where there was the greatest probability of succeeding, as well as to find out the disposition of the inhabitants, whether fearful or fearless of them.

Joshua 2:2 In-Context

1 Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two spies from Shittim. He sent them in secret. He said to them, "Go. Look the land over. Most of all, check out Jericho." So they went to Jericho. They stayed at the house of a prostitute. Her name was Rahab.

2 The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the people of Israel have come here tonight. They've come to check out the land."

3 So the king sent a message to Rahab. It said, "Bring out the men who came into your house. They've come to check out the whole land."

4 But the woman had hidden the two men. She said, "It's true that the men came here. But I didn't know where they had come from.

5 They left at sunset, when it was time to close the city gate. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You might catch up with them."