Joshua 2:12-22

12 And now swear to me by the Lord God; since I deal mercifully with you, so do ye also deal mercifully with the house of my father:

13 and save alive the house of my father, my mother, and my brethren, and all my house, and all that they have, and ye shall rescue my soul from death.

14 And the men said to her, Our life for yours to death: and she said, When the Lord shall have delivered the city to you, ye shall deal mercifully and truly with me.

15 And she let them down by the window;

16 and she said to them, Depart into the hill-country, lest the pursuers meet you, and ye shall be hidden there three days until your pursuers return from after you, and afterwards ye shall depart on your way.

17 And the men said to her, We are clear of this thy oath.

18 Behold, we shall enter into a part of the city, and thou shalt set a sign; thou shalt bind this scarlet cord in the window, by which thou hast let us down, and thou shalt bring in to thyself, into thy house, thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all the family of thy father.

19 And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall go outside the door of thy house, his guilt shall be upon him, and we shall be quit of this thine oath; and we will be responsible for all that shall be found with thee in thy house.

20 But if any one should injure us, or betray these our matters, we shall be quit of this thine oath.

21 And she said to them, Let it be according to your word; and she sent them out, and they departed.

22 And they came to the hill-country, and remained there three days; and the pursuers searched all the roads, and found them not.

Joshua 2:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 2

This chapter gives an account of the spies sent by Joshua to Jericho, and of their entrance into the house of Rahab, who hid them from the king's messengers, Jos 2:1-7; of the relation she gave them of the fear and dread of Israel, which were fallen upon the Canaanites, Jos 2:8-11; and of the request she made to them, to save her and her father's house, when the city should be taken, and to have a sure sign of it given her, Jos 2:12,13; which the spies solemnly promised, and gave her a sign of it, with a charge not to discover the matter to any, Jos 2:14-20; and being let down by a cord through the window of her house, they made their escape to a mountain, where they lay three days, and then returned to Joshua, and made their report, Jos 2:21-24.

Footnotes

• [a]. do enter.
• [b]. the sign.