God’s Word Translation
Joshua 2:4
4But the woman had already taken the two men inside and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come here. But I didn’t know where they had come 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, “Some Israelites have entered the city tonight. They came to gather information about our land.” 3So the king of Jericho sent messengers to Rahab, who told her, “Bring out the men who came to your house. They came here to gather information about the entire land.” But the woman had already taken the two men inside and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come here. But I didn’t know where they had come from. 5When it was dark and the gate was just about to close, they left. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you’ll catch up with them.” 6(She had taken them up to the roof and covered them with the flax which she had laid up there.)
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 answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women. They are so healthy that they have their babies before a midwife arrives.”
- 2 Samuel 16:18Hushai answered Absalom, “No, I want to be with the one whom the Lord, these people, and all Israel have chosen. I will be his ⌞friend⌟ and stay with him.
- 2 Samuel 17:19The man’s wife took a cover, spread it over the top of the cistern, and scattered some grain over it so that no one could tell it was there.
- 2 Kings 6:19Elisha told them, “This isn’t the way! This isn’t the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you’re looking for.” So he led them into 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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