Joosuan kirjaLuku 2

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Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men out from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, look over the land, especially Jericho." So they went and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and they stayed there.

The king of Jericho was told, "Look, men have come here tonight from the Israelites to search out the land."

So the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to search out the whole land."

But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.

At dark, when it was time to shut the gate, the men left. I don't know where they went. Go after them quickly—you may overtake them."

But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out there.

So the pursuers went after them along the road toward the Jordan, as far as the fords; and the gate was shut as soon as they had gone out.

Before the spies lay down for the night, she came up to them on the roof

and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given you this land, that dread of you has fallen upon us, and that all who live in this land are melting away before you.

For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you utterly destroyed.

When we heard it, our hearts melted, and no courage was left in anyone because of you; for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

Now then, swear to me by the LORD that, since I have shown you kindness, you will also show kindness to my father's house. Give me a sure sign

that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver us from death."

The men said to her, "Our lives for yours! If you do not report this business of ours, then when the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you."

Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, and she lived in the wall itself.

She said to them, "Go into the hill country, so the pursuers will not come upon you. Hide there three days until they return; after that you can go on your way."

The men said to her, "We will be released from this oath you have made us swear

unless, when we enter the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household into your house.

If anyone goes out the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.

And if you report this business of ours, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."

"Let it be as you say," she replied. She sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

They left and went into the hill country and stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had searched all along the road but did not find them.

Then the two men started back. They came down from the hills, crossed over, and came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him everything that had happened to them.

They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all who live in the land are melting away before us."

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Luku 2

Main Theme: Rahab hides the Israelite spies and confesses her faith in the LORD, leading to a covenant of protection for her and her family.

Content: Joshua sends two spies from Shittim to explore Jericho. They stay with Rahab, a prostitute, who hides them from the king's men. She confesses that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below, and that the entire land has lost heart because of Israel's victories. The spies promise to spare her and her family if she ties a scarlet cord in her window and keeps their agreement secret. The spies return safely and report to Joshua that the LORD has given the land into their hands.

Key Words/Images:

Rahab: A Canaanite prostitute who shows faith in Israel's God and is saved along with her family.
The Scarlet Cord (תִּקְוַת הַשָּׁנִי): The sign of the covenant between Rahab and the spies, which was to be hung in the window as a mark of protection.
Confession of Faith: Rahab's acknowledgment that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below shows that the report of God's mighty acts had reached Canaan.
Chesed (חֶסֶד): Steadfast love/loyalty – Rahab asks for kindness in return for the mercy she showed the spies.

Historiallinen konteksti

People

Rahab (רָחָב) is a central figure in this chapter. She is described as a זוֹנָה (zonah), which is traditionally translated as "prostitute." Some scholars have suggested that the word could also mean "innkeeper," since such businesses often overlapped in ancient times. Her house, located within the city wall, was a natural place for travelers to seek shelter without arousing suspicion.

The King of Jericho appears as the city's authority who receives intelligence about Israelite spies and sends orders to Rahab to hand them over (vv. 2–3).

Places

Jericho (יְרִיחוֹ) was strategically located at fords across the Jordan River and at the entrance to mountain passes, making it key to the conquest of Canaan. Rahab's house was built into the city wall itself (v. 15), which allowed the spies to escape through her window.

Shittim (הַשִּׁטִּים), the Israelites' camp east of the Jordan, was the starting point for the spies' mission (v. 1). The name means "acacia trees" and refers to the vegetation in that area.

The Hill (הָהָר, vv. 16, 22–23) was the place where the spies hid for three days on Rahab's advice before returning to Joshua.

Events and Customs

Spies and military reconnaissance were common practice in ancient warfare. The expression מְרַגְּלִים חֶרֶשׁ (meraglim cheresh) – "spying secretly" (v. 1) – emphasizes the hidden nature of the mission.

Drying flax on the roof (פִשְׁתֵּי הָעֵץ, v. 6) reflects agricultural practices in the region. Flax stalks were harvested in spring and laid out to dry on flat roofs before the fibers could be processed into textiles. This provided Rahab with a natural hiding place for the spies.

Lowering them by rope (v. 15) was possible because Rahab's house was built into the city wall, with a window facing outward. This was a known form of housing in Canaanite cities.

Key Terms

חֶסֶד (chesed) in verses 12 and 14 is a central covenant term meaning faithful love or loyal kindness. Rahab asks for chesed because she has shown chesed – this establishes a mutual obligation similar to covenant language.

אוֹת אֱמֶת (ot emet) – "a reliable sign" (v. 12) – refers to the scarlet cord (תִּקְוַת חוּט הַשָּׁנִי, vv. 18, 21) that was to mark Rahab's house. Such visible signs of protection have parallels with the blood on the doorposts at Passover (Exod 12).

הֶחֱרַמְתֶּם (hecharamtem) in verse 10 refers to cherem – the total destruction devoted to God that was practiced in holy war. Rahab specifically mentions the victory over Sihon and Og, and how the report of this had reached Jericho, explaining the inhabitants' fear (vv. 9, 11, 24).

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Joshua3 Rahab1 Nun (Joshua's father)2

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Rahab — A woman from Jericho who helped Israelite spies and later became part of their people.
Spies — People sent by Joshua to explore Jericho and gather information about the enemy.
Jericho — An ancient city in Canaan that the Israelites conquered under Joshua's leadership.
Canaan — The promised land that God pledged to give to the children of Israel, Abraham's descendants.
Faithfulness — Loyalty and trust in God and his promises, shown by both Rahab and the Israelites.
Red cord — A red thread that Rahab hung out of her window to identify her house and protect her family during the destruction of Jericho.
Conquest — The process of taking control of an area or city, as the Israelites did with Jericho and other cities in Canaan.
God's promises — Commitments that God gives to people, such as the promise of the promised land to the children of Israel.