Joshua 2:4

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

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.” Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” 6(Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.)

Joshua 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 1:19“The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,” the midwives replied. “They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.”
• 2 Samuel 16:18“I’m here because I belong to the man who is chosen by the Lord and by all the men of Israel,” Hushai replied.
• 2 Samuel 17:19The man’s wife put a cloth over the top of the well and scattered grain on it to dry in the sun; so no one suspected they were there.
• 2 Kings 6:19Then Elisha went out and told them, “You have come the wrong way! This isn’t the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to the city of 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

• Armies
• Falsehood
• Harlot (Prostitute)
• Hospitality
• Reconnoissance

In the dictionaries

• Blameless
• Cord
• Hide
• Land
• Let
• Melt
• Rahab
• Town
• Hospitality; Host
• Joshua, Book of

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