1Jehoschua Sohn Nuns hatte von Schittim zwei Männer als Kundschafter in der Stille abgesandt, sprechend: Geht, beseht das Land, zumal Jericho! Sie gingen und kamen in das Haus eines Weibs, einer Hure, ihr Name war Rachab, und legten sich da nieder. 2Man sprach zum König von Jericho, sprach: Da sind Männer hergekommen die Nacht, von den Söhnen Jissraels, das Land auszuspüren.. 3Der König von Jericho sandte zu Rachab, ließ sprechen: Rück heraus die Männer, die zu dir gekommnen, die in dein Haus kamen, denn alles Land auszuspüren sind sie gekommen. 4Das Weib hatte die beiden Männer genommen und sie verborgen, sie sprach: Wohl, gekommen sind die Männer zu mir, aber ich weiß nicht, woher sie waren; 5als es nun daran war, das Tor zu schließen, im Finstern, waren die Männer ausgerückt, ich weiß nicht, wohin die Männer gegangen sind - rasch, jagt ihnen nach, denn ihr müßt sie erreichen. 6Sie hatte aber aufs Dach sie hinaufgebracht und sie unter den Stengelflachs schlüpfen lassen, der ihr auf dem Dache geschichtet war. 7Die Männer jagten ihnen nach, den Weg zum Jordan, auf die Furten zu, und nachdem die ihnen Nachjagenden draußen waren, schloß man das Tor. 8Ehe aber jene sich hinlegten, stieg sie hinauf zu ihnen, aufs Dach, 9und sprach zu den Männern: Ich weiß: ja, euch hat ER das Land gegeben, ja, von euch her stürzt Entsetzen auf uns, ja, alle Insassen des Landes wanken vor euch, 10wir habens ja gehört: das, wie ER die Wasser des Schilfmeers trocknete vor euch her bei eurer Fahrt aus Ägypten, und wie ihr den beiden Amoriterkönigen tatet, denen jenseit des Jordans, dem Ssichon und dem Og, wie ihr sie banntet, 11wir hörtens, unser Herz schmolz, in niemand mehr hob ein Geist sich vor euch, ja: ER, euer Gott, er ist Gott, im Himmel droben, auf Erden drunten! 12Und nun schwöret mir doch bei IHM, ich habe ja hold an euch getan, so tut auch ihr hold am Haus meines Vaters, gebt mir ein getreues Zeichen, 13meinen Vater, meine Mutter, meine Brüder, meine Schwestern, alles was zu ihnen gehört lasset leben, rettet unsre Seelen vorm Tod! 14Die Männer sprachen zu ihr: Unsre Seele an eurer Statt in den Tod! vermeldet ihr nur diese unsre Abrede nicht, soll es sein: wann ER uns das Land gibt, tun wir hold und treu an dir. 15Sie ließ am Seil sie durchs Fenster hinab, denn ihr Haus war in der Wand der Mauer, in der Mauer war sie ansässig, 16und sprach zu ihnen: Ins Gebirge geht, sonst könnten die Nachjagenden auf euch stoßen, und versteckt euch dort ein Tagdritt, bis die Nachjagenden umgekehrt sein mögen, alsdann mögt ihr eures Weges gehn. 17Die Männer sprachen zu ihr: Unsträflich werden wir vor diesem deinem Schwur, den du uns hast schwören lassen: 18Wir also kommen nun in das Land - knote dann ans Fenster diesen Karmesinfadenstrick, daran du uns herabließest, und deinen Vater, deine Mutter, deine Brüder, alles Haus deines Vaters hole zu dir ins Haus ein, 19seis: allwer zu den Türen deines Hauses hinaus tritt, sein Blut auf sein Haupt, und wir sind unsträflich, allwer aber mit dir im Haus ist, sein Blut auf unser Haupt, wenn eine Hand an ihn gerät, - 20doch meldest du diese unsre Abrede, sind wir unsträflich vor deinem Schwur, den du uns hast schwören lassen. 21Sie sprach: Nach euren Reden, so sei es. Sie sandte sie weg, und sie gingen, sie aber knotete den Karmesinstrick ans Fenster. 22Sie gingen und kamen ins Gebirg und saßen dort ein Tagdritt, bis die Nachjagenden umgekehrt waren, die Nachjagenden suchten überall auf dem Weg und trafen nichts an. 23Dann kehrten die beiden Männer um, sie zogen herab vom Gebirg, sie schritten hinüber und kamen zu Jehoschua Sohn Nuns. Sie erzählten ihm alles, was sie betroffen hatte, 24und sprachen zu Jehoschua: Ja, ER hat all das Land in unsere Hand gegeben, auch wirklich: alle Insassen des Landes wanken vor uns!
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.
