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.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 2:1-7
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.