New English Translation
Joshua 2:1
1Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them: “Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.” They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night 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
Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them: “Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.” They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there. 2The king of Jericho received this report: “Note well! Israelite men have come here tonight to spy on the land.” 3So the king of Jericho sent this order to Rahab: “Turn over the men who came to you – the ones who came to your house – for they have come to spy on the whole 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Nunנוּןnûn nôn · NunH5126
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- out of Shittimשִׁטִּיםshiţţîym · ShittimH7851
- twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- to spyרָגַלrâgal · to spyH7270
- secretlyחֶ֫רֶשׁcheresh · silentlyH2791
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- viewרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- even Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405
- and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- into an harlot’sזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- houseאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- namedשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- Rahabרָחָבrâchâb · RahabH7343
- and lodgedשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
Cross-references for Joshua 2:1
- Numbers 25:1When Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality 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 to investigate the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe, each one a leader among them.”
- Joshua 18:2seven Israelite tribes had not been assigned their allotted land.
- Matthew 10:16“I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
- Ephesians 5:5For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
- Joshua 5:10So the Israelites camped in Gilgal and celebrated the Passover in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho.
- Joshua 6:1Now Jericho was shut tightly because of the Israelites. No one was allowed to leave or enter.
- Joshua 6:17The city and all that is in it must be set apart for the Lord, except for Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house, because she hid the spies we sent.
- Matthew 1:5Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), Obed the father of Jesse,
- Joshua 21:31Helkath, and Rehob, along with the grazing areas of each – a total of four cities;
- Hebrews 11:31By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.
- James 2:25And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed 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
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries