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 secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. 2But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole 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

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 25:1While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women.
• Numbers 33:49Along the Jordan River they camped from Beth-jeshimoth as far as the meadows of Acacia on the plains of Moab.
• Numbers 13:2“Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.”
• Joshua 18:2But there remained seven tribes who had not yet been allotted their grants of land.
• Matthew 10:16“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.
• Ephesians 5:5You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
• Joshua 5:10While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.
• Joshua 6:1Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in.
• Joshua 6:17Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.
• Matthew 1:5Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.
• Joshua 21:31Helkath, and Rehob—four towns.
• Hebrews 11:31It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
• James 2:25Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.

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