Joshua 2:1

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

Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and rested there. 2But it was told to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to spy out all the land.”

Joshua 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

• Then Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Nunנוּןnûn nôn · NunH5126
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• as spiesרָגַלrâgal · to spyH7270
• secretlyחֶ֫רֶשׁcheresh · silentlyH2791
• Shittimשִׁטִּיםshiţţîym · ShittimH7851
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• viewרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• especiallyאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405
• and enteredבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• a prostituteזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
• whose nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• was Rahabרָחָבrâchâb · RahabH7343
• and restedשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
• thereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033

Cross-references for Joshua 2:1

• Numbers 25:1While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab.
• Numbers 33:49They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim, in the plains of Moab.
• Numbers 13:2“Send out men for yourself to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.”
• Joshua 18:2But there remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance.
• Matthew 10:16“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.
• Ephesians 5:5For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
• Joshua 5:10While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho.
• Joshua 6:1Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in.
• Joshua 6:17But the city shall be designated for destruction, it and everything that is in it belongs to the Lord; only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.
• Matthew 1:5Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.
• Joshua 21:31Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands; four cities.
• Hebrews 11:31By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
• James 2:25In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by 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

• Armies
• Hospitality
• Reconnoissance
• Shittim
• Spies
• Vigilance
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Jericho
• Joshua
• Rahab
• Rahab, or Rachab
• Abelshittim
• Blameless
• Cord
• Harlot
• Hide
• Land

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