Joshua 2:3

3 And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come to thee, who have entered into thy 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 from Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go, view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into the house of a harlot, named Rahab, and lodged there.

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

3 And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come to thee, who have entered into thy 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 to me, but I knew not whence they [were]:

5 And it came to pass [about the time] of shutting the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went, I know not: pursue after them quickly; for ye will overtake them.