Christian Standard Bible
Joshua 2:4
4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from.
Joshua 2:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
- New International Version (NIV)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 had come from.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
Context of Joshua 2:4
2The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.” 3Then the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they came to investigate the entire land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5At nightfall, when the city gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don’t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them!” 6But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof.
Read all of Joshua 2Joshua 2:4 word by word
וַתִּקַּ֧ח הָֽאִשָּׁ֛ה אֶת־שְׁנֵ֥י הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַֽתִּצְפְּנ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר׀ כֵּ֗ן בָּ֤אוּ אֵלַי֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְתִּי מֵאַ֥יִן הֵֽמָּה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- the twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- and hidצָפַןtsâphan · to treasureH6845
- them, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- thus, There cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- unto me, but I wistיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- not whenceאַ֫יִן'ayin · where?H370
Cross-references for Joshua 2:4
- Exodus 1:19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.”
- 2 Samuel 16:18“Not at all,” Hushai answered Absalom. “I am on the side of the one that the Lord, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen. I will stay with him.
- 2 Samuel 17:19Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything.
- 2 Kings 6:19Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you’re looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.
Commentaries on Joshua 2:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And hid them - Probably she secreted them for the time being in some private corner, till she had the opportunity of concealing them on the house-top in the manner mentioned Joshua 2:6.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I wist not whence they were - Rahab acted as she did from the belief in God‘s declared word, and conviction that resistance to His will would be both vain and wicked Joshua 2:9-11. Thus, she manifested a faith both sound and practical, and is praised accordingly Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25. The falsehood to which she had recourse may be excused by the pressure of circumstances and by her own antecedents, but cannot be defended.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5It is not necessary to either approve or condemn Rahab’s lie to the king’s messengers. She may not have known the ethical standards that God later gave to Israel. Another possibility is that saving a human life was a higher moral value than telling the truth in that situation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-64-6. 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.Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 2:4
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
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