Joshua 2:14

14 Which answered to her, Our life be for you into death, if nevertheless thou betrayest not us; and when the Lord hath betaken to us the land, we shall do mercy and truth with thee. (And they answered to her, Our lives be for yours unto death, if thou betrayest us not; and when the Lord hath delivered the land to us, we shall show mercy and faithfulness to thee.)

Joshua 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 2:14

And the men answered her
The two spies:

our life for yours;
or "our souls in your stead to die" ^F9; that is, we engage for the security of your lives, should they be in danger; we promise to die in your room and stead rather than you should: this they said not as though their lives would be required of them for them, but to assure her of the safety of her and her father's house, on the following condition:

if ye utter not this our business;
not their business in searching the land, for the discovery of that would be of little avail after they were gone; for it was known already that there were persons come to search the land; but "this our word" ^F11, what they were going to say to her and bid her do, as a sign of safety to her and hers; which, if she discovered, others would give out the same sign, and then they could not promise her safety; or if she did not take care to bring in her father, mother, brethren, and sisters, and theirs into her house, they could not engage to protect them:

and it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land;
not the whole land, but Jericho and the laud about it, that when that part of it should be delivered into their hands:

that we will deal kindly and truly with thee;
"kindly", by sparing her and her father's house; "truly", by faithfully performing the promise and oath they made to her.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (twml Mkytxt wnvpn) "anima nostra pro vobis ad moriendum", Pagninus, Montanus.
F11 (hz wnrbd ta) "verbum nostrum hoc", Pagninus, Montanus; "sermonem nostrum hunc", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius.

Joshua 2:14 In-Context

12 Now therefore swear ye to me by the Lord God, that as I did mercy with you, so and ye do with the house(hold) of my father; and give ye to me a very sign, (And so now swear ye to me by the Lord God, that as I did mercy with you, so ye shall also do mercy with my family; and give ye to me a true sign,)

13 that ye (shall) save my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and [my] sisters, and all things that be theirs, and (shall) deliver our lives from death.

14 Which answered to her, Our life be for you into death, if nevertheless thou betrayest not us; and when the Lord hath betaken to us the land, we shall do mercy and truth with thee. (And they answered to her, Our lives be for yours unto death, if thou betrayest us not; and when the Lord hath delivered the land to us, we shall show mercy and faithfulness to thee.)

15 Then she let them down from the window by a cord; for her house was joined to the town wall.

16 And she said to them, Go ye up to the hilly places, lest peradventure the men turning again meet you; and be ye hid there three days, till they come again; and so ye shall go by your way. (And she said to them, Go ye up to the hills, lest as the men return, they come upon you; and be ye hid there for three days, until they return; and then ye can go on your way.)