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, Josh. 2:1–7; of the relation she gave them of the fear and dread of Israel, which were fallen upon the Canaanites, Josh.

And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men Or “had sent” [[14]]; for this was done before the above order to depart: it is a tradition of the Jews [[15]], that they were Caleb and Phinehas; but they were not young men, as in ; especially the former; nor is it probable that men of such…

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…

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…

And the woman took the two men Or “she had taken” them and hid them; the Hebrew word is singular, “him” [[0]]: hence the Jews, who take these two spies to be Caleb and Phinehas, say, that only Caleb was hid, and Phinehas, though he was before them, was not seen, being an angel, ; but the sense is,…

And it came to pass, about the time of the shutting of the gate Of the city, which was done every night, and at a certain time: when it was dark; the sun set, and night come on: that the men went out; out of her house, and out of the city too, as she said, though it was a downright lie, as well as…

But she had brought them up to the roof of the house Before the messengers came; though Abarbinel thinks it was after they were gone, when she took them from the place of their concealment, and had them to the roof of the house, where she thought they would be safe and secure, should the messengers…

And the men pursued after them As they thought: the way to Jordan; on the other side of which the people of Israel lay encamped, to which they supposed, according to Rahab’s account, these two men directed their course: unto the fords; the fords of Jordan, the passages through it; for in some…

And before they were laid down Under the stalks of the flax; or rather, since they are said to be hid in them, before they were fallen asleep, so Kimchi and Abarbinel: she came up unto them upon the roof; to acquaint them how things were, and to converse with them on the following subjects.

And she said unto the men The two spies: I know that the Lord hath given you the land; the land of Canaan, of which she was an inhabitant, and in which they now were; this she knew either by some tradition that was among them; or by divine revelation, a supernatural impulse upon her mind: or by…

For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt To make a passage for them through it, to walk in as on dry land; this they had heard of and remembered, though it was forty years ago: and what you did unto the kings of the Amorites that were on…

And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt Particularly what were done to the two kings of the Amorites, who, and their people, were utterly destroyed, their goods made a prey of, and their countries seized upon and possessed: neither did there remain any more courage in any man,…

Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord Which being a religious action, and done by men that feared the Lord, she knew it would be binding upon them: the Targum is, “swear to me by the Word of the Lord:” since I have showed you kindness; by receiving them with peace into her house, and…

And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters She makes no mention of any husband or children she had, as harlots seldom have, and which seems to confirm her character as such; and so Abarbinel observes, that her father’s house is only mentioned to tell us…

And the men answered her The two spies: our life for yours; or “our souls in your stead to die” [[8]]; 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…

Then she let them down by a cord through the window Which must be large, and the cord strong, as well as she herself a masculine woman, to let down two men by it, unless she employed any of her servants in the affair; though this being so great a secrecy, it is probable she trusted none of her…

And she said unto them, get ye unto the mountain Which was near to the city, and is supposed to be the same which is now called Quarantania: Dr. Shaw, a late traveller in those parts, says [[11]], from the mountain Quarantania, the very same perhaps where the two spies concealed themselves, , we…

And the men said unto her Some think that this discourse, which passed between the spies and her, was while in the house before she let them down, or otherwise they would have been in danger of being overheard, and so the whole affair discovered; but as it was on the other side of the house, and…

Behold, when we come into the land The land of Canaan, and into this city, into that part of it, as the Septuagint, where her house was, meaning not themselves only, but the people of Israel they belonged to: thou shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by;…

And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the door of thy house into the street After they have been taken in, and when the Israelites were come into the city: his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless; if he is killed by any person, his death will be owing to himself, and no…

And if thou utter this our business So that others would either hang out scarlet threads or get into her house for shelter, (See Gill on Josh. 2:14); then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear; be under no obligation to make it good, by saving her and her father’s house.

And she said, according to your words, so be it She agreed, that if the conditions required were not performed, they would be quit of their oath, but if they were, she expected it would be fulfilled: and she sent them away, and they departed; took their leave of each other: and she bound the…

And they went, and came unto the mountain Rahab had directed them to, the mountain Quarantania, (See Gill on Josh. 2:16); and abode there three days; being, no doubt, supplied with food by Rahab; and it might not be three wholly, but one whole day and part of the other two: until the pursuers were…

So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain Or came down from it again, by which, it seems, they went to the top of it, and hid themselves in some cave there: this descent, Kimchi says, was, “on the third day of their being sent, which was the second day of the three days Joshua made…

And they said unto Joshua Made a report of what they had got knowledge of, which answered the end of their mission: truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land: which they concluded by the terror the inhabitants of it were in, and so in no condition to make resistance and defend…