1Josué, fils de Nun, envoya secrètement de Sittim deux espions, en leur disant: Allez, examinez le pays et Jérico. Ils partirent donc et vinrent dans la maison d'une courtisane, nommée Rahab, et ils couchèrent là. 2Et l'on dit au roi de Jérico: Voici, des hommes sont venus ici cette nuit, d'entre les enfants d'Israël, pour explorer le pays. 3Le roi de Jérico envoya dire à Rahab: Fais sortir les hommes qui sont venus chez toi, qui sont entrés dans ta maison; car ils sont venus pour explorer tout le pays. 4Mais la femme avait pris les deux hommes, et les avait cachés; et elle dit: Il est vrai que ces hommes sont venus chez moi, mais je ne savais d'où ils étaient; 5Et comme la porte allait être fermée, sur le soir, ces hommes sont sortis; je ne sais où ils sont allés; hâtez-vous de les poursuivre, car vous les atteindrez. 6Or, elle les avait fait monter sur le toit, et les avait cachés sous des tiges de lin, qu'elle avait arrangées sur le toit. 7Et les hommes les poursuivirent dans la direction du Jourdain, vers les gués, et l'on ferma la porte, après que ceux qui les poursuivaient furent sortis. 8Avant qu'ils se couchassent, elle monta vers eux sur le toit, 9Et elle leur dit: Je sais que YEHOVAH vous a donné le pays, et que la terreur de votre nom nous a saisis, et que tous les habitants du pays ont perdu courage à cause de vous. 10Car nous avons appris comment YEHOVAH a tari devant vous les eaux de la mer Rouge, quand vous sortiez d'Égypte, et ce que vous avez fait aux deux rois des Amoréens qui étaient au delà du Jourdain, à Sihon et à Og, que vous avez dévoués à l'interdit. 11Nous l'avons appris, et notre cœur s'est fondu, et le courage d'aucun homme ne se soutient encore devant vous; car YEHOVAH votre Dieu est Dieu dans les cieux en haut et sur la terre en bas. 12Maintenant donc, jurez-moi, je vous prie, par YEHOVAH, que puisque j'ai usé de bonté envers vous, vous userez aussi de bonté envers la maison de mon père; et donnez-moi une preuve assurée, 13Que vous laisserez vivre mon père, ma mère, mes frères, mes sœurs, et tous ceux qui leur appartiennent, et que vous garantirez nos personnes de la mort. 14Et ces hommes lui répondirent: Nous exposerons notre personne pour vous à la mort, si vous ne divulguez pas notre entreprise; et quand YEHOVAH nous donnera le pays, nous te traiterons avec bonté et fidélité. 15Elle les fit donc descendre avec une corde par la fenêtre; car sa maison était dans le mur du rempart, et elle habitait sur le rempart. 16Et elle leur dit: Allez vers la montagne, de peur que ceux qui vous poursuivent ne vous rencontrent, et cachez-vous là trois jours, jusqu'à ce que ceux qui vous poursuivent soient de retour; et après cela vous irez votre chemin. 17Or ces hommes lui avaient dit: Voici comment nous serons quittes de ce serment que tu nous as fait faire. 18Lorsque nous entrerons dans le pays, tu attacheras ce cordon de fil écarlate à la fenêtre par laquelle tu nous auras fait descendre, et tu réuniras chez toi, dans la maison, ton père, ta mère, tes frères, et toute la famille de ton père; 19Et si quelqu'un d'eux sort des portes de ta maison, son sang sera sur sa tête et nous en serons innocents; mais pour tous ceux qui seront avec toi dans la maison, leur sang sera sur notre tête, si l'on met la main sur quelqu'un d'eux. 20Et si tu divulgues ce qui nous concerne, nous serons quittes du serment que tu nous as fait faire. 21Alors elle répondit: Qu'il en soit comme vous avez dit. Puis elle les renvoya, et ils s'en allèrent. Et elle attacha le cordon d'écarlate à la fenêtre. 22Ils s'en allèrent donc et vinrent à la montagne, et demeurèrent là trois jours, jusqu'à ce que ceux qui les poursuivaient fussent de retour. Et ceux qui les poursuivaient les cherchèrent par tout le chemin, et ils ne les trouvèrent point. 23Les deux hommes s'en retournèrent alors, descendirent de la montagne et, passant le Jourdain, ils vinrent vers Josué, fils de Nun, et lui racontèrent tout ce qui leur était arrivé. 24Et ils dirent à Josué: Certainement YEHOVAH a livré tout le pays entre nos mains; et même, tous les habitants du pays ont perdu courage devant nous.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 RAHAB RECEIVES AND CONCEALS THE TWO SPIES. (
Josh 2:1-
Josh 2:7)
Joshua . . . sent . . . two men to spy secretly--Faith is manifested by an active, persevering use of means (
Jas 2:22); and accordingly Joshua, while confident in the accomplishment of the divine promise (
Josh 1:3), adopted every precaution which a skilful general could think of to render his first attempt in the invasion of Canaan successful. Two spies were despatched to reconnoitre the country, particularly in the neighborhood of Jericho; for in the prospect of investing that place, it was desirable to obtain full information as to its site, its approaches, the character, and resources of its inhabitants. This mission required the strictest privacy, and it seems to have been studiously concealed from the knowledge of the Israelites themselves, test any unfavorable or exaggerated report, publicly circulated, might have dispirited the people, as that of the spies did in the days of Moses.
Jericho--Some derive this name from a word signifying "new moon," in reference to the crescent-like plain in which it stood, formed by an amphitheater of hills; others from a word signifying "its scent," on account of the fragrance of the balsam and palm trees in which it was embosomed. Its site was long supposed to be represented by the small mud-walled hamlet Er-Riha; but recent researches have fixed on a spot about half an hour's journey westward, where large ruins exist about six or eight miles distant from the Jordan. It was for that age a strongly fortified town, the key of the eastern pass through the deep ravine, now called Wady-Kelt, into the interior of Palestine.
they . . . came into an harlot's house--Many expositors, desirous of removing the stigma of this name from an ancestress of the Saviour (
Matt 1:5), have called her a hostess or tavern keeper. But Scriptural usage (
Lev 21:7-
Lev 21:14;
Deut 23:18;
Judg 11:1;
1Kgs 3:16), the authority of the Septuagint, followed by the apostles (
Heb 11:31;
Jas 2:25), and the immemorial style of Eastern khans, which are never kept by women, establish the propriety of the term employed in our version. Her house was probably recommended to the spies by the convenience of its situation, without any knowledge of the character of the inmates. But a divine influence directed them in the choice of that lodging-place.
2 it was told the king--by the sentinels who at such a time of threatened invasion would be posted on the eastern frontier and whose duty required them to make a strict report to headquarters of the arrival of all strangers.
4 the woman took the two men, and hid them--literally, "him," that is, each of them in separate places, of course previous to the appearance of the royal messengers and in anticipation of a speedy search after her guests. According to Eastern manners, which pay an almost superstitious respect to a woman's apartment, the royal messengers did not demand admittance to search but asked her to bring the foreigners out.
5 the time of shutting of the gates--The gates of all Oriental cities are closed at sunset, after which there is no possibility either of admission or egress.
the men went out--This was a palpable deception. But, as lying is a common vice among heathen people, Rahab was probably unconscious of its moral guilt, especially as she resorted to it as a means for screening her guests; and she might deem herself bound to do it by the laws of Eastern hospitality, which make it a point of honor to preserve the greatest enemy, if he has once eaten one's salt. Judged by the divine law, her answer was a sinful expedient; but her infirmity being united with faith, she was graciously pardoned and her service accepted (
Jas 2:25).
6 she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax--Flax, with other vegetable productions, is at a certain season spread out on the flat roofs of Eastern houses to be dried in the sun; and, after lying awhile, it is piled up in numerous little stacks, which, from the luxuriant growth of the flax, rise to a height of three or four feet. Behind some of these stacks Rahab concealed the spies.
7 the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords--That river is crossed at several well-known fords. The first and second immediately below the sea of Galilee; the third and fourth immediately above and below the pilgrims' bathing-place, opposite Jericho.
as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate--This precaution was to ensure the capture of the spies, should they have been lurking in the city.
8 THE COVENANT BETWEEN HER AND THEM. (
Josh 2:8-
Josh 2:21)
she came up unto them upon the roof and said--Rahab's dialogue is full of interest, as showing the universal panic and consternation of the Canaanites on the one hand (
Josh 24:11;
Deut 2:25), and her strong convictions on the other, founded on a knowledge of the divine promise, and the stupendous miracles that had opened the way of the Israelites to the confines of the promised land. She was convinced of the supremacy of Jehovah, and her earnest stipulations for the preservation of her relatives amid the perils of the approaching invasion, attest the sincerity and strength of her faith.
14 the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business--This was a solemn pledge--a virtual oath, though the name of God is not mentioned; and the words were added, not as a condition of their fidelity, but as necessary for her safety, which might be endangered if the private agreement was divulged.
15 her house was upon the town wall--In many Oriental cities houses are built on the walls with overhanging windows; in others the town wall forms the back wall of the house, so that the window opens into the country. Rahab's was probably of this latter description, and the cord or rope sufficiently strong to bear the weight of a man.
16 she said--rather "she had said," for what follows must have been part of the previous conversation.
Get you to the mountain--A range of white limestone hills extends on the north, called Quarantania (now Jebel Karantu), rising to a height of from twelve hundred to fifteen hundred feet, and the sides of which are perforated with caves. Some one peak adjoining was familiarly known to the inhabitants as "the mountain." The prudence and propriety of the advice to flee in that direction rather than to the ford, were made apparent by the sequel.
21 she bound the scarlet line in the window--probably soon after the departure of the spies. It was not formed, as some suppose, into network, as a lattice, but simply to hang down the wall. Its red color made it conspicuous, and it was thus a sign and pledge of safety to Rahab's house, as the bloody mark on the lintels of the houses of the Israelites in Egypt to that people.