American Standard Version
Joshua 2:1
1And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there.
Joshua 2:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.
Context of Joshua 2:1
And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there. 2And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land. 3And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, that are entered into thy house; for they are come to search out all the land.
Read all of Joshua 2Joshua 2:1 word by word
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ־בִּן־נ֠וּן מִֽן־הַשִּׁטִּ֞ים שְׁנַֽיִם־אֲנָשִׁ֤ים מְרַגְּלִים֙ חֶ֣רֶשׁ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְכ֛וּ רְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְאֶת־יְרִיח֑וֹ וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ וַ֠יָּבֹאוּ בֵּית־אִשָּׁ֥ה זוֹנָ֛ה וּשְׁמָ֥הּ רָחָ֖ב וַיִּשְׁכְּבוּ־שָֽׁמָּה׃Read the interlinear
- Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- Nunנוּןnûn nôn · NunH5126
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- Shittimשִׁטִּיםshiţţîym · ShittimH7851
- twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- spiesרָגַלrâgal · to spyH7270
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- Rahabרָחָבrâchâb · RahabH7343
- layשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
Cross-references for Joshua 2:1
- Numbers 25:1And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab:
- Numbers 33:49And they encamped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth even unto Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.
- Numbers 13:2Send thou men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a prince among them.
- Joshua 18:2And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet divided their inheritance.
- Matthew 10:16Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
- Ephesians 5:5For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
- Joshua 5:10And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal; and they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
- Joshua 6:1Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
- Joshua 6:17And the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to Jehovah: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
- Matthew 1:5and Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
- Joshua 21:31Helkath with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs; four cities.
- Hebrews 11:31By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, having received the spies with peace.
- James 2:25And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
Commentaries on Joshua 2:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Joshua - sent - two men to spy secretly - It is very likely that these spies had been sent out soon after the death of Moses, and therefore our marginal reading, had sent, is to be preferred. Secretly - It is very probable also that these were confidential persons, and that the transaction was between them and him alone. As they were to pass over the Jordan opposite to Jericho, it was necessary that they should have possession of this city, that in case…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1An harlot‘s house - In the face of the parallel passages (e. g. Leviticus 21:7: Jeremiah 5:7) the rendering advocated for obvious reasons, namely, “the house of a woman, an innkeeper,” cannot be maintained. Rahab must remain an example under the Law similar to that Luke 7:37 under the Gospel, of “a woman that was a sinner,” yet, because of her faith, not only pardoned, but exalted to the highest honor. Rahab was admitted among the people of God; she…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Rahab receives and hides two Israelites. (1-7) Rahab and the spies. (8-21) The return of the spies. (22-24) Verses 1-7 Faith in God's promises ought not to do away, but to encourage our diligence in the use of proper means. The providence of God directed the spies to the house of Rahab. God knew where there was one that would be true to them, though they did not. Rahab appears to have been an innkeeper; and if she had formerly been one of bad life, which…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Shittim was about 13 kilometers (8 miles) east of the Jordan River on the plains of Moab, across from Jericho (see Numbers 25:1). the house of a prostitute: In the house of a prostitute, strangers could avoid attention they did not want. According to tradition, Rahab was an innkeeper as well as a prostitute (Josephus, Antiquities 5.1.2). Other evidence from the ancient Near East suggests that women who owned and operated inns were often prostitutes.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-71. 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 (Jos 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 2:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries