21 And Joshua son of Nun sendeth from Shittim, two men, spies, silently, saying, 'Go, see the land—and Jericho;' and they go and come into the house of a woman, a harlot, and her name 'is' Rahab, and they lie down there. 2 And it is told to the king of Jericho, saying, 'Lo, men have come in hither to-night, from the sons of Israel, to search the land. 3 And the king of Jericho sendeth unto Rahab, saying, 'Bring out the men who are coming in unto thee, who have come into thy house, for to search the whole of the land they have come in. 4 And the woman taketh the two men, and hideth them, and saith thus: 'The men came in unto me, and I have not known whence they 'are'; 5 and it cometh to pass—the gate is to 'be' shut—in the dark, and the men have gone out; I have not known whither the men have gone; pursue ye, hasten after them, for ye overtake them;' 6 and she hath caused them to go up on the roof, and hideth them with the flax wood, which is arranged for her on the roof. 7 And the men have pursued after them the way of the Jordan, by the fords, and the gate they have shut afterwards, when the pursuers have gone out after them.
8 And—before they lie down—she hath gone up unto them on the roof, 9 and she saith unto the men, 'I have known that Jehovah hath given to you the land, and that your terror hath fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted at your presence. 10 'For we have heard how Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red Sea at your presence, in your going out of Egypt, and that which ye have done to the two kings of the Amorite who 'are' beyond the Jordan; to Sihon and to Og whom ye devoted. 11 And we hear, and melt doth our heart, and there hath not stood any more spirit in 'any' man, from your presence, for Jehovah your God, He 'is' God in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath. 12 'And now, swear ye, I pray you, to me by Jehovah—because I have done with you kindness—that ye have done, even ye, kindness with the house of my father, and have given to me a true token, 13 and have kept alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and have delivered our souls from death.' 14 And the men say to her, 'Our soul for yours—to die; if ye declare not this our matter, then it hath been, in Jehovah's giving to us this land, that we have done with thee kindness and truth.' 15 And she causeth them to go down by a rope through the window, for her house 'is' in the side of the wall, and in the wall she 'is' dwelling; 16 and she saith to them, 'To the mountain go, lest the pursuers come upon you; and ye have been hidden there three days till the turning back of the pursuers, and afterwards ye go on your way.' 17 And the men say unto her, 'We are acquitted of this thine oath which thou hast caused us to swear: 18 lo, we are coming into the land, this line of scarlet thread thou dost bind to the window by which thou hast caused us to go down, and thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all the house of thy father thou dost gather unto thee, to the house; 19 and it hath been, any one who goeth out from the doors of thy house without, his blood 'is' on his head, and we are innocent; and any one who is with thee in the house, his blood 'is' on our head, if a hand is on him; 20 and if thou declare this our matter, then we have been acquitted from thine oath which thou hast caused us to swear.' 21 And she saith, 'According unto your words, so it 'is';' and she sendeth them away, and they go; and she bindeth the scarlet line to the window.
22 And they go, and come in to the mountain, and abide there three days until the pursuers have turned back; and the pursuers seek in all the way, and have not found.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 2:1-22
Commentary on Joshua 2:1-7
(Read Joshua 2:1-7)
Faith in God's promises ought not to do away, but to encourage our diligence in the use of proper means. The providence of God directed the spies to the house of Rahab. God knew where there was one that would be true to them, though they did not. Rahab appears to have been an innkeeper; and if she had formerly been one of bad life, which is doubtful, she had left her evil courses. That which seems to us most accidental, is often overruled by the Divine providence to serve great ends. It was by faith that Rahab received those with peace, against whom her king and country had war. We are sure this was a good work; it is so spoken of by the apostle, James 2:25; and she did it by faith, such a faith as set her above the fear of man. Those only are true believers, who find in their hearts to venture for God; they take his people for their people, and cast in their lot among them. The spies were led by the special providence of God, and Rahab entertained them out of regard to Israel and Israel's God, and not for lucre or for any evil purpose. Though excuses may be offered for the guilt of Rahab's falsehood, it seems best to admit nothing which tends to explain it away. Her views of the Divine law must have been very dim: a falsehood like this, told by those who enjoy the light of revelation, whatever the motive, would deserve heavy censure.
Commentary on Joshua 2:8-21
(Read Joshua 2:8-21)
Rahab had heard of the miracles the Lord wrought for Israel. She believed that his promises would certainly be fulfilled, and his threatenings take effect; and that there was no way of escape but by submitting to him, and joining with his people. The conduct of Rahab proved that she had the real principle of Divine faith. Observe the promises the spies made to her. The goodness of God is often expressed by his kindness and truth, Psalm 117:2; in both these we must be followers of him. Those who will be conscientious in keeping promises, are cautious in making them. The spies make needful conditions. The scarlet cord, like the blood upon the doorpost at the passover, recalls to remembrance the sinner's security under the atoning blood of Christ; and that we are to flee thereto for refuge from the wrath of a justly offended God. The same cord Rahab used for the saving of these Israelites, was to be used for her own safety. What we serve and honour God with, we may expect he will bless, and make useful to us.
Commentary on Joshua 2:22-24
(Read Joshua 2:22-24)
The report the spies brought was encouraging. All the people of the country faint because of Israel; they have neither wisdom to yield, nor courage to fight. Those terrors of conscience, and that sense of Divine wrath, which dismay the ungodly, but bring not to repentance, are fearful forebodings of approaching destruction. But grace yet abounds to the chief of sinners. Let them, without delay, flee to Christ, and all shall be well.