1Ug si Josue ang anak ni Nun, nagsugo gikan sa Sittim duha ka tawo aron sa pagsusi sa mahilum nga pagpaagi, nga nagaingon: Lakaw kamo, tan-awa ang yuta, ug ang Jerico. Sila nanglakaw ug nahiabut sa balay sa usa ka babaye nga bigaon, nga ginabinganlan si Rahab, ug namuyo didto. 2Ug gisuginlan ang hari sa Jerico sa pag-ingon: Ania karon, may mga tawo sa mga anak sa Israel, nga nanulod dinhi aron sa pagsusi sa yuta. 3Ug ang hari sa Jerico nagpasugo kang Rahab, nga nagaingon: Pagulaa ang mga tawo nga nangabut kanimo, nga nanulod sa imong balay; kay ming-anhi sila aron sa pagsusi sa yuta. 4Ug ang babaye mikuha sa duha ka tawo, ug iyang gitagoan sila; ug miingon siya: Matuod, dihay mga tawo nga ming-anhi kanako, apan wala ako mahibalo kong diin sila gikan: 5Ug nahitabo nga sa pagtak-op sa ganghaan sa diha nga mangitngit na, nga ang mga tawo nanggula; kong diin sila paingon ako wala masayud: agpasa sila ninyo dayon; kay sila hiabutan pa ninyo. 6Apan iyang gidala sila sa atop sa balay, ug gitagoan sila sa mga dagami nga lino, nga iyang gihapnig sa ibabaw sa atop. 7Ug ang mga tawo nangapas kanila sa alagian padulong sa Jordan hangtud sa labanganan; ug sa diha nga nanghigula na ang nanagsunod kanila, gitakpan nila ang ganghaan. 8Ug sa wala pa sila manghigda, siya misaka sa atop ngadto kanila; 9Ug miingon siya sa mga tawo: Ako nahibalo nga si Jehova naghatag kaninyo sa yuta, ug nga ang kahadlok kaninyo misantup kanamo, ug nga ang mga pumopuyo sa tibook nga yuta hingpugdawan tungod kaninyo. 10Kay kami nakadungog kong giunsa ni Jehova pagpamala ang mga tubig sa Dagat nga Mapula sa inyong atubangan, sa diha nga nanggula kamo gikan sa Egipto; ug unsa ang inyong gibuhat sa duha ka hari nga Amorehanon, nga didto sa tabok sa Jordan, ug kang Sihon ug kang Og, nga inyong gipanglaglag gayud. 11Ug sa pagkabati namo niining mga butanga, nangatunaw ang among mga kasingkasing; ug wala na usab ing espiritu nga napabilin sa kang bisan kinsa nga tawo tungod kaninyo, kay si Jehova nga inyong Dios, siya ang Dios sa langit sa kahitas-an, ug dinhi sa ilalum sa yuta. 12Busa karon, gihangyo ko kamo nga manumpa kamo kanako sa ngalan ni Jehova, nga sanglit ako nalooy kaninyo, ingon man usab kamo magkalooy sa panimalay sa akong amahan; ug hatagi ako ug usa ka matuod nga ilhanan; 13Ug nga inyong luwason nga buhi ang akong amahan, ug ang akong inahan, ug ang akong mga igsoong lalake, ug mga igsoong babaye, ug ang tanan nga ilang gibatonan; ug luwasa ang among kinabuhi gikan sa kamatayon. 14Ug ang mga tawo nag-ingon kaniya: Ang among mga kinabuhi alang kanimo kong dili ninyo imantala kining among bulohaton; ug mahitabo nga kong ihatag na unya ni Jehova ang yuta kanamo makigsandurot kami kanimo nga maloloy-on ug maminatud-on. 15Unya iyang gitunton sila sa usa ka pisi gikan sa tamboanan, kay ang iyang balay diha sa ibabaw sa daplin sa kuta, ug nagpuyo siya sa ibabaw sa kuta. 16Ug siya miingon kanila: Lumakaw kamo ngadto sa bukid kay tingali unya hikit-an kamo sa nanagpangita kaninyo; managtago kamo didto sulod sa tolo ka adlaw, hangtud nga mamauli ang mga nanagpangita kaninyo; ug unya makapadayon kamo sa inyong dalan. 17Ug ang mga tawo miingon kaniya: Kami walay sala niining imong panumpa nga imong gipanumpa kanamo. 18Ania karon, Sa diha nga kami manulod na niining yutaa, kining pulang pisi nga imong gigamit aron sa imong pagtunton kanamo, ihigot mo sa imong tamboanan; ug pagatigumon mo sa imong balay ang imong amahan, ug ang imong inahan, ug ang imong mga igsoon ug ang tanang butang sa balay sa imong amahan. 19Ug mahinabo nga bisan kinsa ang mogula sa pultahan sa imong balay ug moadto sa dalan, ang iyang dugo maanha sa iyang ulo, ug kami walay sala: ug bisan kinsa nga anaa uban kanimo sa balay, ang iyang dugo maania sa among ulo kong pagahilabtan siya. 20Apan kong ikaw magamantala niining among bulohaton, kami maga-walay sala sa imong panumpa nga gipanumpa kanamo. 21Ug siya miingon: Sumala sa imong mga pulong pagatumanon kini; ug iya silang gipalakaw, ug gilayon sila namahawa: ug ang pisi nga mapula gihigot niya sa tamboanan. 22Ug sila nanlakaw, ug miadto sa bukid, ug napabilin didto totolo ka adlaw, hangtud nga namauli ang nanagpangita kanila; ug ang mga nanaggukod kanila nangita kanila sa ilang giagian, apan sila wala hikaplagi. 23Unya namauli ang duha ka tawo, nanlugsong gikan sa bukid, ug nanabok, ug nangadto kang Josue, ang anak ni Nun; ug sila nagsugilon kaniya sa tanang nahitabo kanila. 24Ug sila ming-ingon kang Josue: Matuod gayud nga ang tibook yuta gihatag ni Jehova kanato; ug labut pa, ang tanang pumoluyo didto nangatunaw sa atubangan namo.
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.