Joshua 2

Chap. II. Ver. 1—24. Rahab entertains the spies, and secretes them.—There is no doubt but Rahab kept a house of entertainment for travellers; and probably she had likewise been a woman of loose character, a harlot, as such persons among the heathen often were; at this time, however, she seems to have been under serious impressions, and a believer in the God of Israel, as we may infer from her own confession, as well as from the assurance of the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. ((Joshua 11:31).) This led her to consider it her duty to conceal the spies sent to Jericho, even at the expense of truth: and those who know how often Christians have been tempted to make the same sacrifice, will not wonder that a heathen, who had so recently known the name of Jehovah, and perhaps had never heard of such a precept as, “Thou shalt not bear false witness,”

should have been tempted to “do evil that good might come.” The example of this ignorant woman, however, but just convinced of the evil of idolatry, and that the God of Israel was the only true God, ought never to be pleaded in excuse by any person educated in the truths of Christianity: and who is there that could plead, as she might, that she did it to save not only the lives of the spies, but the lives of her parents, and of all her father’s house? Nothing but infidel perversity can draw from such an extraordinary fact an apology for lying, for which certainly we can have no excuse. “Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie; The fault that needs it most grows two thereby.” G. Herbert. The spies were saved by being let down by a scarlet line (probably, the line that fastened her window-curtain,) and some ancient writers who are fond of allegory, have supposed this typical of salvation by the blood of Christ; but this seems rather fanciful than solid, though it certainly admits of a very ingenious interpretation, corresponding, in some respects, to the blood of the paschal lamb, that was placed upon the door-post of every Israelite, by way of protection, ies the destroying angel was passing through Egypt.

Such allusions

Notes on the verses

Chap. II. Ver. 1. A harlot’s house.—“Some pretend, that in Joshua, &c. where Rahab is spoken of, the word should be interpreted a hostess; but the LXX. in all those places, render it (porne) a harlot, and so St. Paul and St. James. ((Hebrews 11:31); (James 2:25).) Indeed nothing more may be intended by the epithet, than that she had formerly been so.” —Parkhurst. Admitting this, however, it does not follow that she was not a hostess. Buchanan says, “Among the ancients, women generally kept houses of entertainment,” particularly “among the Egyptians.” Ver. 3. The king of Jericho sent.—“Keeping a house of entertainment, the persons under her roof were sacred, according to the universal custom of the Asiatics, and could not be molested on any trifling grounds.”

—Dr. Clarke. Ver. 6. With the stalks of flax.—Rahab appears to have been a person of some substance, it is probable she reared flax, and dried it on the top of her house, (all the houses having flat roofs,) and there being a considerable quantity of it, the spies were easily concealed.” Flax stalks were probably dried to bun. See Harmer’s Observations. Ver. 13. Save alive, &c.—It is observable that in this enumeration of her kindred, there is no mention made of a husband. It is most likely that she was a single woman or a widow, who obtained an honest livelihood by keeping a house for the entertainment of strangers; and not a woman of ill fame, as some have supposed. The spies sent on this occasion were certainly some of the most confidential persons that Joshua had in his host, and their errand was of the greatest importance; is it then not most likely that they lodged at Ver.

15. Upon the wall.—Or, “above the wall,” and having a window (or Kiosk) that looked over the surrounding country, she was hence enabled to afford the spies means of escape. Probably her house was close against the wall, for had it been built off it, it must have fell with it. Ver. 18. This line of scarlet thread.—In the first epistle inscribed to Clemens Romanus, the companion of St. Paul, this circumstance is explained as “Showing that by the blood of our Lord, there should be redemption to all that believe and hope in God.” The 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the 1 Joshua cometh to Jordan. 2 The officers instruct the people for WS 7 m De.5.26. The waters o Lord encourageth Joshua.

9 Joshua encourageth the people. 1 Jordan are divided, Pr Lord of all the earth passeth over before 1 Th.1.9. you into Jordan. ND Joshua rose early in the morning; place, and go after it. 14 J] And it came to pass, when the people may sometimes afford beautiful illustrations, but must never indeed, vastly superior, as a residence, to the wilderness. through be drawn into arguments; nor are they needed. which they had passed, and afforded more permanent supplies; still, however, it was a country of but very partial rest. There