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Joshua 2:9 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

9 And she said H559 unto the men, H582 I know H3045 that the LORD H3068 hath given H5414 you the land, H776 and that your terror H367 is fallen H5307 upon us, and that all the inhabitants H3427 of the land H776 faint H4127 because H6440 of you.

Cross Reference

Exodus 23:27 STRONG

I will send H7971 my fear H367 before H6440 thee, and will destroy H2000 all the people H5971 to whom thou shalt come, H935 and I will make H5414 all thine enemies H341 turn their backs H6203 unto thee.

Deuteronomy 2:25 STRONG

This day H3117 will I begin H2490 to put H5414 the dread H6343 of thee and the fear H3374 of thee upon the nations H6440 H5971 that are under the whole heaven, H8064 who shall hear H8085 report H8088 of thee, and shall tremble, H7264 and be in anguish H2342 because of thee. H6440

Joshua 2:11 STRONG

And as soon as we had heard H8085 these things, our hearts H3824 did melt, H4549 neither did there remain H6965 any more courage H7307 in any man, H376 because H6440 of you: for the LORD H3068 your God, H430 he is God H430 in heaven H8064 above, H4605 and in earth H776 beneath.

Exodus 15:15-16 STRONG

Then H227 the dukes H441 of Edom H123 shall be amazed; H926 the mighty men H352 of Moab, H4124 trembling H7461 shall take hold H270 upon them; all the inhabitants H3427 of Canaan H3667 shall melt away. H4127 Fear H367 and dread H6343 shall fall H5307 upon them; by the greatness H1419 of thine arm H2220 they shall be as still H1826 as a stone; H68 till thy people H5971 pass over, H5674 O LORD, H3068 till the people H5971 pass over, H5674 which H2098 thou hast purchased. H7069

Genesis 35:5 STRONG

And they journeyed: H5265 and the terror H2847 of God H430 was upon the cities H5892 that were round about H5439 them, and they did not pursue H7291 after H310 the sons H1121 of Jacob. H3290

Psalms 112:10 STRONG

The wicked H7563 shall see H7200 it, and be grieved; H3707 he shall gnash H2786 with his teeth, H8127 and melt away: H4549 the desire H8378 of the wicked H7563 shall perish. H6

Hebrews 11:1-2 STRONG

Now G1161 faith G4102 is G2076 the substance G5287 of things hoped for, G1679 the evidence G1650 of things G4229 not G3756 seen. G991 For G1063 by G1722 it G5026 the elders G4245 obtained a good report. G3140

Matthew 20:15 STRONG

G2228 Is it not G3756 lawful G1832 for me G3427 to do G4160 what G3739 I will G2309 with G1722 mine own? G1699 G1487 Is G2076 thine G4675 eye G3788 evil, G4190 because G3754 I G1473 am G1510 good? G18

Nahum 2:10 STRONG

She is empty, H950 and void, H4003 and waste: H1110 and the heart H3820 melteth, H4549 and the knees H1290 smite together, H6375 and much pain H2479 is in all loins, H4975 and the faces H6440 of them all gather H6908 blackness. H6289

Jeremiah 27:5 STRONG

I have made H6213 the earth, H776 the man H120 and the beast H929 that are upon H6440 the ground, H776 by my great H1419 power H3581 and by my outstretched H5186 arm, H2220 and have given H5414 it unto whom it seemed H5869 meet H3474 unto me.

Isaiah 19:1 STRONG

The burden H4853 of Egypt. H4714 Behold, the LORD H3068 rideth H7392 upon a swift H7031 cloud, H5645 and shall come H935 into Egypt: H4714 and the idols H457 of Egypt H4714 shall be moved H5128 at his presence, H6440 and the heart H3824 of Egypt H4714 shall melt H4549 in the midst H7130 of it.

Ecclesiastes 8:12 STRONG

Though a sinner H2398 do H6213 evil H7451 an hundred times, H3967 and his days be prolonged, H748 yet surely I know H3045 that it shall be well H2896 with them that fear H3373 God, H430 which fear H3372 before H6440 him:

Psalms 115:16 STRONG

The heaven, H8064 even the heavens, H8064 are the LORD'S: H3068 but the earth H776 hath he given H5414 to the children H1121 of men. H120

Genesis 13:14-17 STRONG

And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Abram, H87 after H310 that Lot H3876 was separated H6504 from him, Lift up H5375 now thine eyes, H5869 and look H7200 from the place H4725 where thou art northward, H6828 and southward, H5045 and eastward, H6924 and westward: H3220 For all the land H776 which thou seest, H7200 to thee will I give it, H5414 and to thy seed H2233 for H5704 ever. H5769 And I will make H7760 thy seed H2233 as the dust H6083 of the earth: H776 so that H834 if a man H376 can H3201 number H4487 the dust H6083 of the earth, H776 then shall thy seed H2233 also be numbered. H4487 Arise, H6965 walk H1980 through the land H776 in the length H753 of it and in the breadth H7341 of it; for I will give H5414 it unto thee.

Job 19:25 STRONG

For I know H3045 that my redeemer H1350 liveth, H2416 and that he shall stand H6965 at the latter H314 day upon the earth: H6083

2 Kings 7:6 STRONG

For the Lord H136 had made the host H4264 of the Syrians H758 to hear H8085 a noise H6963 of chariots, H7393 and a noise H6963 of horses, H5483 even the noise H6963 of a great H1419 host: H2428 and they said H559 one H376 to another, H251 Lo, the king H4428 of Israel H3478 hath hired H7936 against us the kings H4428 of the Hittites, H2850 and the kings H4428 of the Egyptians, H4714 to come H935 upon us.

2 Kings 5:15 STRONG

And he returned H7725 to the man H376 of God, H430 he and all his company, H4264 and came, H935 and stood H5975 before H6440 him: and he said, H559 Behold, now I know H3045 that there is no God H430 in all the earth, H776 but in Israel: H3478 now therefore, I pray thee, take H3947 a blessing H1293 of thy servant. H5650

2 Samuel 17:10 STRONG

And he also that is valiant, H1121 H2428 whose heart H3820 is as the heart H3820 of a lion, H738 shall utterly H4549 melt: H4549 for all Israel H3478 knoweth H3045 that thy father H1 is a mighty man, H1368 and they which be with him are valiant H2428 men. H1121

1 Samuel 14:15-16 STRONG

And there was trembling H2731 in the host, H4264 in the field, H7704 and among all the people: H5971 the garrison, H4673 and the spoilers, H7843 they also trembled, H2729 and the earth H776 quaked: H7264 so it was a very great H430 trembling. H2731 And the watchmen H6822 of Saul H7586 in Gibeah H1390 of Benjamin H1144 looked; H7200 and, behold, the multitude H1995 melted away, H4127 and they went H3212 on beating down H1986 one another.

Judges 7:14 STRONG

And his fellow H7453 answered H6030 and said, H559 This is nothing else save the sword H2719 of Gideon H1439 the son H1121 of Joash, H3101 a man H376 of Israel: H3478 for into his hand H3027 hath God H430 delivered H5414 Midian, H4080 and all the host. H4264

Deuteronomy 32:8 STRONG

When the most High H5945 divided H5157 to the nations H1471 their inheritance, H5157 when he separated H6504 the sons H1121 of Adam, H120 he set H5324 the bounds H1367 of the people H5971 according to the number H4557 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478

Deuteronomy 28:10 STRONG

And all people H5971 of the earth H776 shall see H7200 that thou art called H7121 by the name H8034 of the LORD; H3068 and they shall be afraid H3372 of thee.

Deuteronomy 11:25 STRONG

There shall no man H376 be able to stand H3320 before H6440 you: for the LORD H3068 your God H430 shall lay H5414 the fear H6343 of you and the dread H4172 of you upon H6440 all the land H776 that ye shall tread H1869 upon, as he hath said H1696 unto you.

Exodus 18:11 STRONG

Now I know H3045 that the LORD H3068 is greater H1419 than all gods: H430 for in the thing H1697 wherein they dealt proudly H2102 he was above them.

Exodus 3:6-8 STRONG

Moreover he said, H559 I am the God H430 of thy father, H1 the God H430 of Abraham, H85 the God H430 of Isaac, H3327 and the God H430 of Jacob. H3290 And Moses H4872 hid H5641 his face; H6440 for he was afraid H3372 to look H5027 upon God. H430 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 I have surely H7200 seen H7200 the affliction H6040 of my people H5971 which are in Egypt, H4714 and have heard H8085 their cry H6818 by reason H6440 of their taskmasters; H5065 for I know H3045 their sorrows; H4341 And I am come down H3381 to deliver H5337 them out of the hand H3027 of the Egyptians, H4714 and to bring H5927 them up out of that land H776 unto a good H2896 land H776 and a large, H7342 unto a land H776 flowing H2100 with milk H2461 and honey; H1706 unto the place H4725 of the Canaanites, H3669 and the Hittites, H2850 and the Amorites, H567 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites. H2983

Genesis 15:18-21 STRONG

In the same H1931 day H3117 the LORD H3068 made H3772 a covenant H1285 with Abram, H87 saying, H559 Unto thy seed H2233 have I given H5414 this land, H776 from the river H5104 of Egypt H4714 unto the great H1419 river, H5104 the river H5104 Euphrates: H6578 The Kenites, H7017 and the Kenizzites, H7074 and the Kadmonites, H6935 And the Hittites, H2850 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Rephaims, H7497 And the Amorites, H567 and the Canaanites, H3669 and the Girgashites, H1622 and the Jebusites. H2983

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 2

Commentary on Joshua 2 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verse 1

Two Spies Sent Over to Jericho. - Joshua 2:1. Although Joshua had received a promise from the Lord of His almighty help in the conquest of Canaan, he still thought it necessary to do what was requisite on his part to secure the success of the work committed to him, as the help of God does not preclude human action, but rather presupposes it. He therefore sent two men out secretly as spies from Shittim the place of encampment at that time (see at Numbers 25:1), to view, i.e., explore, the land, especially Jericho, the strongly fortified frontier town of Canaan (Joshua 6:1). The word “ secretly ” is connected by the accents with “ saying ,” giving them their instructions secretly; but this implies that they were also sent out secretly. This was done partly in order that the Canaanites might not hear of it, and partly in order that, if the report should prove unfavourable, the people might not be thrown into despair, as they had been before in the time of Moses. The spies proceeded to Jericho, and towards evening they entered the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there, lit . laid themselves down, intended to remain or sleep there. Jericho was two hours' journey to the west of the Jordan, situated in a plain that was formerly very fertile, and celebrated for its palm trees and balsam shrubs, but which is now quite desolate and barren. This plain is encircled on the western side by a naked and barren range of mountains, which stretches as far as Beisan towards the north and to the Dead Sea on the south. Every trace of the town has long since passed away, though it evidently stood somewhere near, and probably on the northern side of, the miserable and dirty village of Rמha, by the Wady Kelt (see Robinson , Pal. ii. pp. 279ff., 289ff.; v. Raumer , Pal. pp. 206ff.). Rahab is called a zonah , i.e., a harlot , not an innkeeper, as Josephus , the Chaldee version, and the Rabbins render the word. Their entering the house of such a person would not excite so much suspicion. Moreover, the situation of her house against or upon the town wall was one which facilitated escape. But the Lord so guided the course of the spies, that they found in this sinner the very person who was the most suitable for their purpose, and upon whose heart the tidings of the miracles wrought by the living God on behalf of Israel had made such an impression, that she not only informed the spies of the despondency of the Canaanites, but, with believing trust in the power of the God of Israel, concealed the spies from all the inquiries of her countrymen, though at the greatest risk to herself.


Verses 2-6

When the king of Jericho was informed of the fact that these strange men had entered the house of Rahab, and suspecting their reason for coming, summoned Rahab to give them up, she hid them (lit., hid him , i.e., each one of the spies: for this change from the plural to the singular see Ewald , §219), and said to the king's messengers: כּן , recte , “It is quite correct, the men came to me, but I do not know where they were from; and when in the darkness the gate was at the shutting (i.e., ought to be shut: for this construction, see Genesis 15:12), they went out again, I know not whither. Pursue them quickly, you will certainly overtake them.” The writer then adds this explanation in Joshua 2:6 : she had hidden them upon the roof of her house among stalks of flax. The expression “ to - night ” (lit., the night) in Joshua 2:2 is more precisely defined in Joshua 2:5, viz., as night was coming on, before the town-gate was shut, after which it would have been in vain for them to attempt to leave the town. “ Stalks of flax ,” not “cotton pods” ( Arab ., J. D . Mich. ), or “tree-flax, i.e., cotton,” as Thenius explains it, but flax stalks or stalk-flax, as distinguished from carded flax, in which there is no wood left, λινοκαλάμη , stipula lini (lxx, Vulg .). Flax stalks, which grow to the height of three or four feet in Egypt, and attain the thickness of a reed, and would probably be quite as large in the plain of Jericho, the climate of which resembles that of Egypt, would form a very good hiding-place for the spies if they were piled up upon the roof to dry in the sun. The falsehood by which Rahab sought not only to avert all suspicion from herself of any conspiracy with the Israelitish men who had entered her house, but to prevent any further search for them in her house, and to frustrate the attempt to arrest them, is not to be justified as a lie of necessity told for a good purpose, nor, as Grotius maintains, by the unfounded assertion that, “before the preaching of the gospel, a salutary lie was not regarded as a fault even by good men.” Nor can it be shown that it was thought “allowable,” or even “praiseworthy,” simply because the writer mentions the fact without expressing any subjective opinion, or because, as we learn from what follows (Joshua 2:9.), Rahab was convinced of the truth of the miracles which God had wrought for His people, and acted in firm faith that the true God would give the land of Canaan to the Israelites, and that all opposition made to them would be vain, and would be, in fact, rebellion against the Almighty God himself. For a lie is always a sin. Therefore even if Rahab was not actuated at all by the desire to save herself and her family from destruction, and the motive from which she acted had its roots in her faith in the living God (Hebrews 11:31), so that what she did for the spies, and thereby for the cause of the Lord, was counted to her for righteousness (“justified by works,” James 2:25), yet the course which she adopted was a sin of weakness, which was forgiven her in mercy because of her faith.

(Note: Calvin's estimate is also a correct one: “It has often happened, that even when good men have endeavoured to keep a straight course, they have turned aside into circuitous paths. Rahab acted wrongly when she told a lie and said that the spies had gone; and the action was acceptable to God only because the evil that was mixed with the good was not imputed to her. Yet, although God wished the spies to be delivered, He did not sanction their being protected by a lie.” Augustine also pronounces the same opinion concerning Rahab as that which he expressed concerning the Hebrew midwives (see the comm. on Exodus 1:21).)


Verses 7-14

Upon this declaration on the part of the woman, the king's messengers (“the men”) pursued the spies by the road to the Jordan which leads across the fords. Both the circumstances themselves and the usage of the language require that we should interpret the words in this way; for המּעבּרות על cannot mean “as far as the fords,” and it is very improbable that the officers should have gone across the fords. If they did not succeed in overtaking the spies and apprehending them before they reached the fords, they certainly could not hope to do this on the other side of the river in the neighbourhood of the Israelitish camp. By “ the fords ” with the article we are to understand the ford near to Jericho which was generally used at that time (Judges 3:22; 2 Samuel 19:16.); but whether this was the one which is commonly used now at the mouth of Wady Shaib , almost in a straight line to the east of Jericho, or the more southerly one, el Helu , above the mouth of Wady Hesban ( Rob . Pal. ii. p. 254), to the south of the bathing-place of Christian pilgrims, or el Meshra ( Lynch , p. 155), or el Mocktaa ( Seetzen , ii. p. 320), it is impossible to determine. (On these and other fords near Beisan, and as far up as the Sea of Galilee, see R o b. ii. p. 259, and Ritter Erdk . xv. pp. 549ff.) After the king's messengers had left the town, they shut the gate to prevent the spies from escaping, in case they should be still in the town. כּאשׁר אהרי for אשׁר אהרי is uncommon, but it is analogous to אחרי־כן אשׁר in Genesis 6:4.

Joshua 2:8-9

Notwithstanding these precautions, the men escaped. As soon as the officers had left Rahab's house, she went to the spies, who were concealed upon the roof, before they had lain down to sleep, which they were probably about to do upon the roof, - a thing of frequent occurrence in the East in summer time, - and confessed to them all that she believed and knew, namely, that God had given the land to the Israelites, and that the dread of them had fallen upon the Canaanites (“ us ,” in contrast with “ you ,” the Israelites, signifies the Canaanites generally, and not merely the inhabitants of Jericho), and despair had seized upon all the inhabitants of the land. The description of the despair of the Canaanites (Joshua 2:9) is connected, so far as the expressions are concerned, with Exodus 15:15 and Exodus 15:16, to show that what Moses and the Israelites had sung after crossing the Red Sea was now fulfilled, that the Lord had fulfilled His promise (Exodus 23:27 compared with Deuteronomy 2:25 and Deuteronomy 11:25), and had put fear and dread upon the Canaanites.

Joshua 2:10

The report of the drying up of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15.), of the defeat of the mighty kings of the Amorites, and of the conquest of their kingdoms, had produced this effect upon the Canaanites. Even in the last of these occurrences the omnipotence of God had been visibly displayed, so that what the Lord foretold to Moses (Deuteronomy 2:25) had now taken place; it had filled all the surrounding nations with fear and dread of Israel, and the heart and courage of the Canaanites sank in consequence.

Joshua 2:11

When we heard this ” - Rahab proceeded to tell them, transferring the feelings of her own heart to her countrymen - “ our heart did melt ” (it was thus that the Hebrew depicted utter despair; “the hearts of the people melted, and became as water,” Joshua 7:5), “ and there did not remain any more spirit in any one :” i.e., they lost all strength of mind for acting, in consequence of their fear and dread (vid., Joshua 5:1, though in 1 Kings 10:5 this phrase is used to signify being out of one's-self from mere astonishment). “ For Jehovah your God is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath .” To this confession of faith, to which the Israelites were to be brought through the miraculous help of the Lord (Deuteronomy 4:39), Rahab also attained; although her confession of faith remained so far behind the faith which Moses at that time demanded of Israel, that she only discerned in Jehovah a Deity ( Elohim ) in heaven and upon earth, and therefore had not yet got rid of her polytheism altogether, however close she had come to a true and full confession of the Lord. But these miracles of divine omnipotence which led the heart of this sinner with its susceptibility for religious truth to true faith, and thus became to her a savour of life unto life, produced nothing but hardness in the unbelieving hearts of the rest of the Canaanites, so that they could not escape the judgment of death.

Joshua 2:12-14

After this confession Rahab entreated the spies to spare her family (father's house), and made them promise her on oath as a sign of their fidelity, that on the capture of Jericho, which is tacitly assumed as self-evident after what had gone before, they would save alive her parents, and brothers and sisters, and all that belonged to them (i.e., according to Joshua 6:23, the children and families of her brothers and sisters), and not put them to death; all of which they promised her on oath. “ A true token ,” lit. a sign of truth, i.e., a sign by which they guaranteed the truth of the kindness for which she asked. This sign consisted in nothing but the solemn oath with which they were to confirm their assurance, and, according to Joshua 2:14, actually did confirm it. The oath itself was taken in these words, “ our soul shall die for you ,” by which they pledged their life for the life of Rahab and her family in this sense: God shall punish us with death if we are faithless, and do not spare thy life and the lives of thy relations. Though the name of God is not really expressed, it was implied in the fact that the words are described as swearing by Jehovah. But the spies couple their assurance with this condition, “ if ye utter not this our business ,” do not betray us, sc., so that we should be pursued, and our life endangered; “ then will we show thee mercy and truth ” (cf. Genesis 24:27).


Verse 15-16

Rahab then let them down by a rope through the window, namely, into the open country; for her house stood against or upon the town wall, so that she lived upon the wall, and advised them to get to the mountains, that they might not meet the men who had been sent out in pursuit of them, and to hide themselves there for three days, when the pursuers would have returned.


Verses 17-20

In conclusion, the spies guarded against any arbitrary interpretation and application of their oath, by imposing three conditions, on the non-fulfilment of which they would be released from their oath. הזּה for הזּאת is to be explained in Joshua 2:17 from the fact that the gender is often disregarded in the use of the pronoun (see Ewald , §183, a .), and in Joshua 2:18 from the fact that there the gender is determined by the nomen rectum (see Ewald , §317, d .).

Joshua 2:18

The first condition was, that when the town was taken Rahab should make her house known to the Israelites, by binding “ the cord of this crimson thread ,” i.e., this cord made of crimson thread, in the window from which she had let them down. The demonstrative “ this ” leads to the conclusion adopted by Luther and others, that “ this cord ” is the rope ( חבל ) mentioned in Joshua 2:15, as no other word had been mentioned to which they could refer; and the fact that nothing has been said about the sign in question being either given or received, precludes the idea that the spies gave the cord to Rahab for a sign. The crimson or scarlet colour of the cord ( שׁני = שׁני תּולעת ; see at Exodus 25:4), as the colour of vigorous life, made this cord an expressive sign of the preservation of Rahab's life and the lives of her relations. The second condition was, that when the town was taken, Rahab should collect together her parents, and her brothers and her sisters, into her own house.

Joshua 2:19-20

Whoever went outside the door, his blood should be upon his own head; i.e., if he was slain outside by the Israelitish soldiers, he should bear his death as his own fault. But every one who was with her in the house, his blood should fall upon their (the spies') head, if any hand was against them, i.e., touched them or did them harm (vid., Exodus 9:3). The formula, “ his blood be upon his head ,” is synonymous with the legal formula, “his blood be upon him” (Leviticus 20:9). The third condition (Joshua 2:20) is simply a repetition of the principal condition laid down at the very outset (Joshua 2:14).


Verse 21

When Rahab had accepted all these conditions, she let the men go, and bound the red cord in the window. It is not to be supposed that she did this at once, but merely as soon as it was necessary. It is mentioned here for the purpose of bringing the subject to a close.


Verse 22

The spies remained three days in the mountains, till the officers returned to the town, after searching for them the whole way in vain. The mountains referred to are probably the range on the northern side of Jericho, which afterwards received the name of Quarantana (Arab. Kuruntul ), a wall of rock rising almost precipitously from the plain to the height of 1200 or 1500 feet, and full of grottoes and caves on the eastern side. These mountains were well adapted for a place of concealment; moreover, they were the nearest to Jericho, as the western range recedes considerably to the south of Wady Kelt (vid., Rob . ii. p. 289).


Verse 23-24

After this they returned to the camp across the Jordan, and informed Joshua of all that had befallen them, and all that they had heard. On Joshua 2:24, see Joshua 2:9.