Rahab Hides the Spies

Joshua 2

1 And Joshua the son of Nun x sent 1 two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." And they went and came into the house of y a prostitute whose name was z Rahab and lodged there. 2 And it was told to the king of Jericho, "Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." 3 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land." 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, "True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." 6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. 7 So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan a as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

8 Before the men 2 lay down, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land, b and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land c melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord d dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and e what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to f Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. 3 11 And g as soon as we heard it, h our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for i the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and j give me a sure sign 13 that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." 14 And the men said to her, "Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land k we will deal kindly and faithfully with you."

15 Then she l let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. 16 And she said 4 to them, "Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way." 17 The men said to her, "We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. 18 m Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, n and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. 19 Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, o his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. 20 But if you p tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear." 21 And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22 They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. 23 Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and q passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. 24 And they said to Joshua, "Truly r the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land s melt away because of us."

  1. Cross References
    Numbers 25:1
    While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab.
  2. Cross References
    Hebrews 11:31
    By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
    James 2:25
    And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
  3. Cross References
    Matthew 1:5
    And Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.
  4. Cross References
    Judges 3:28
    And he said to them, "Follow after me, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand." So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over.
    Judges 7:24
    Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan." So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.
  5. Cross References
    Exodus 15:16
    Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
    Exodus 23:27
    I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.
  6. Cross References
    Joshua 2:11
    And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
    Joshua 2:24
    And they said to Joshua, "Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.
    Exodus 15:15
    Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
  7. Cross References
    Joshua 4:23
    For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over.
    Exodus 14:21
    Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
  8. Cross References
    Numbers 21:23 - 26
    But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.
    Numbers 21:33 - 35
    Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
  9. Cross References
    Psalms 135:11
    Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
    Psalms 136:19 - 20
    Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever.
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 15:14 - 15
    The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
  11. Cross References
    Joshua 2:9
    And said to the men, "I know that the Lord has ...
    Joshua 5:1
    As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who we...
    Joshua 7:5
    And the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of th...
    2 Samuel 17:10
    Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like ...
    Psalms 22:14
    I am poured out like water, and all my bones ar...
    Isaiah 13:7
    Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every h...
    Ezekiel 21:7
    And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' y...
  12. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 4:39
    Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.
  13. Cross References
    Joshua 2:18
    Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household.
  14. Cross References
    Judges 1:24 - 25
    And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, "Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 19:12
    So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped.
    Acts 9:25
    But his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
    2 Corinthians 11:33
    But I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
  16. Cross References
    Joshua 2:12
    Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 2:12
    Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign
    Joshua 6:23
    So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel.
  18. Cross References
    Matthew 27:25
    And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!
  19. Cross References
    Joshua 2:14
    And the men said to her, "Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.
  20. Cross References
    Joshua 2:7
    So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.
  21. Cross References
    Joshua 21:44
    And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands.
    Exodus 23:31
    And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.
  22. Cross References
    Joshua 2:9
    And said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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