Joshua 2:3

3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men who have come to thee, who have entered into thine house, for they have come to search out all the country."

Joshua 2:3 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 2:3

And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab
Not merely because she kept a public house, or being a prostitute had often strangers in it, and so conjectured that the men he had notice of might be there; but he sent upon certain information that they were seen to go in there, as it follows:

saying, bring forth the men that are come to thee;
not to commit lewdness with her, though this is the sense some Jewish commentators give; but this neither agrees with the character of the men Joshua had chosen for this purpose, nor answers any end of the king to suggest; nor can it be thought that Rahab would so openly and freely own this, as in ( Joshua 2:4 ) : but what is meant by the phrase is explained in the following clause,

which are entered into thine house:
in order to lodge there that night:

for they be come to search out all the country;
so it was suspected, nor was the suspicion groundless.

Joshua 2:3 In-Context

1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, even Jericho." And they went and came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, there came men in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country."

3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men who have come to thee, who have entered into thine house, for they have come to search out all the country."

4 And the woman took the two men and hid them, and said thus, "There came men unto me, but I knew not from whence they came.

5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out. Whither the men went I know not. Pursue after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them."