וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ־בִּן־נוּן מִן־הַשִּׁטִּים שְׁנַיִם־אֲנָשִׁים מְרַגְּלִים חֶרֶשׁ לֵאמֹר לְכוּ רְאוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ   2:1

וְאֶת־יְרִיחוֹ וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ בֵּית־אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה וּשְׁמָהּ רָחָב וַיִּשְׁכְּבוּ־שָׁמָּה׃

Josh 2:1   And Joshua son of Nun sent out from Hashittim two men spying secretly saying, “Go view the land and Jericho.” And they went and they came into the house of a woman, a harlot, and her name was Rahab, and they lay there.

The name Rahab means broad or wide.  I don’t think I can attribute any significance to this.

וַיֵּאָמַר לְמֶלֶךְ יְרִיחוֹ לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה אֲנָשִׁים בָּאוּ הֵנָּה הַלַּיְלָה מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַחְפֹּר אֶת־הָאָרֶץ׃   2:2

Josh 2:2   And it was told to the king of Jericho saying, “Behold, men came in here tonight from the children of Israel to explore the land.”

וַיִּשְׁלַח מֶלֶךְ יְרִיחוֹ אֶל־רָחָב לֵאמֹר הוֹצִיאִי הָאֲנָשִׁים הַבָּאִים אֵלַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר־בָּאוּ לְבֵיתֵךְ כִּי   2:3

לַחְפֹּר אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ בָּאוּ׃

Josh 2:3   So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab saying, “Bring forth the men who came to you, who entered in to your house, for they came to search out the entire land.”

וַתִּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה אֶת־שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים וַתִּצְפְּנוֹ וַתֹּאמֶר כֵּן בָּאוּ אֵלַי הָאֲנָשִׁים וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מֵאַיִן הֵמָּה׃   2:4

Josh 2:4   But the woman took the two men and hid him and she said, “True, the men came to me but I did not know from where they were,

Notice the change of number in the phrase “took the two men and hid him.”  This may be the scribe’s way of indicating that Rahab hid them as one.

וַיְהִי הַשַּׁעַר לִסְגּוֹר בַּחֹשֶׁךְ וְהָאֲנָשִׁים יָצָאוּ לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אָנָה הָלְכוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים רִדְפוּ מַהֵר אַחֲרֵיהֶם    2:5

כִּי תַשִּׂיגוּם׃

Josh 2:5   and the gate was closing at darkness and the men went out; I do not know where the men went.  Pursue quickly after them, for you can overtake them.”

וְהִיא הֶעֱלָתַם הַגָּגָה וַתִּטְמְנֵם בְּפִשְׁתֵּי הָעֵץ הָעֲרֻכוֹת לָהּ עַל־הַגָּג׃   2:6

Josh 2:6   But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with stalks of flax spread by her on the roof.

וְהָאֲנָשִׁים רָדְפוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם דֶּרֶךְ הַיַּרְדֵּן עַל הַמַּעְבְּרוֹת וְהַשַּׁעַר סָגָרוּ אַחֲרֵי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ הָרֹדְפִים   2:7

אַחֲרֵיהֶם׃

Josh 2:7   And the men chased after them by way of the Jordan over the fords, and the gates were shut after, as those went out chasing after them.

וְהֵמָּה טֶרֶם יִשְׁכָּבוּן וְהִיא עָלְתָה עֲלֵיהֶם עַל־הַגָּג׃   2:8

Josh 2:8   And they were not yet lying down when she went up over them on the roof,

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָאֲנָשִׁים יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־נָתַן יְהוָה לָכֶם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְכִי־נָפְלָה אֵימַתְכֶם עָלֵינוּ וְכִי נָמֹגוּ    2:9

כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ מִפְּנֵיכֶם׃

Josh 2:9   and she said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given the land to you, and that a terror of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away from before you.”

כִּי שָׁמַעְנוּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־הוֹבִישׁ יְהוָה אֶת־מֵי יַם־סוּף מִפְּנֵיכֶם בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם וַאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם   2:10

לִשְׁנֵי מַלְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן לְסִיחֹן וּלְעוֹג אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱרַמְתֶּם אוֹתָם׃

Josh 2:10   “For we have heard how the Lord caused the waters of the Reed Sea to recede from before you in your exodus from Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, that you utterly destroyed them.”

וַנִּשְׁמַע וַיִּמַּס לְבָבֵנוּ וְלֹא־קָמָה עוֹד רוּחַ בְּאִישׁ מִפְּנֵיכֶם כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא אֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם    2:11

מִמַּעַל וְעַל־הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת׃

Josh 2:11   “When we heard, then our hearts melted, and spirit did not remain in any one any more because of you, for the Lord, your God, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”

Then, as now, as we have already learned, some non-Jews believed more faithfully in God than many of the Jews did -- and do.  As true as it is ironic!

וְעַתָּה הִשָּׁבְעוּ־נָא לִי בַּיהוָה כִּי־עָשִׂיתִי עִמָּכֶם חָסֶד וַעֲשִׂיתֶם גַּם־אַתֶּם עִם־בֵּית אָבִי חֶסֶד    2:12

וּנְתַתֶּם לִי אוֹת אֱמֶת׃

Josh 2:12   “So now, please swear to me on the Lord, as I have dealt with you kindly, so shall you also deal kindly with the house of my father, and you will give me a true sign,

וְהַחֲיִתֶם אֶת־אָבִי וְאֶת־אִמִּי וְאֶת־אַחַי וְאֶת־אַחוֹתַי וְאֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם וְהִצַּלְתֶּם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵינוּ    2:13

 מִמָּוֶת׃

Josh 2:13   and preserve alive my father and my mother and my brother and my sisters and all that is theirs, and deliver our lives from death.”

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהּ הָאֲנָשִׁים נַפְשֵׁנוּ תַחְתֵּיכֶם לָמוּת אִם לֹא תַגִּידוּ אֶת־דְּבָרֵנוּ זֶה וְהָיָה בְּתֵת־יְהוָה לָנוּ    2:14

אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְעָשִׂינוּ עִמָּךְ חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת׃

Josh 2:14   Then the men said to her, “Our life in lieu of you dying if you will not tell our purpose is this, so it shall be when the Lord gives the land to us, that we will deal with you kindly and faithfully.”

וַתּוֹרִדֵם בַּחֶבֶל בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן כִּי בֵיתָהּ בְּקִיר הַחוֹמָה וּבַחוֹמָה הִיא יוֹשָׁבֶת׃    2:15

הָרֹדְפִים וְאַחַר תֵּלְכוּ לְדַרְכְּכֶם׃

Josh 2:15   Then she let them down with a rope through the window, for her house was on the side of the wall, and on the wall she had her dwelling.

וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הָהָרָה לֵּכוּ פֶּן־יִפְגְּעוּ בָכֶם הָרֹדְפִים וְנַחְבֵּתֶם שָׁמָּה שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים עַד שׁוֹב   2:16

Josh 2:16   And she said to them, “Go to the mountain lest the pursuers light upon you, and hide there three days until the return of the pursuers, then afterward you may depart for your journey.”

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶיהָ הָאֲנָשִׁים נְקִיִּם אֲנַחְנוּ מִשְּׁבֻעָתֵךְ הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁבַּעְתָּנוּ׃   2:17

Josh 2:17   And the men said to her, “We could be clear from this oath of yours which you have made us swear:”

הִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ בָאִים בָּאָרֶץ אֶת־תִּקְוַת חוּט הַשָּׁנִי הַזֶּה תִּקְשְׁרִי בַּחַלּוֹן אֲשֶׁר הוֹרַדְתֵּנוּ בוֹ   2:18

וְאֶת־אָבִיךְ וְאֶת־אִמֵּךְ וְאֶת־אַחַיִךְ וְאֵת כָּל־בֵּית אָבִיךְ תַּאַסְפִי אֵלַיִךְ הַבָּיְתָה׃

Josh 2:18   “Behold, we are coming into the land; you must bind this cord of scarlet thread on the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather your father and your mother and your brethren and all the house of your father to you to the house.”

וְהָיָה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵא מִדַּלְתֵי בֵיתֵךְ הַחוּצָה דָּמוֹ בְרֹאשׁוֹ וַאֲנַחְנוּ נְקִיִּם וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה אִתָּךְ    2:19

בַּבַּיִת דָּמוֹ בְרֹאשֵׁנוּ אִם־יָד תִּהְיֶה־בּוֹ׃

Josh 2:19   “And it shall be, anyone who shall go out of the doors of your house to the street, his blood shall be on his head, and we shall be guiltless, but anyone who will be with you in the house, his blood shall be on our heads if a hand will be against him.”

וְאִם־תַּגִּידִי אֶת־דְּבָרֵנוּ זֶה וְהָיִינוּ נְקִיִּם מִשְּׁבֻעָתֵךְ אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁבַּעְתָּנוּ׃   2:20

Josh 2:20   “But if you tell our purpose is this, then we will be clear from your oath which you made us swear.”

וַתֹּאמֶר כְּדִבְרֵיכֶם כֶּן־הוּא וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵם וַיֵּלֵכוּ וַתִּקְשֹׁר אֶת־תִּקְוַת הַשָּׁנִי בַּחַלּוֹן׃   2:21

Josh 2:21   And she said, “According to your word, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed, and she bound the cord of scarlet in the window.

וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ הָהָרָה וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים עַד־שָׁבוּ הָרֹדְפִים וַיְבַקְשׁוּ הָרֹדְפִים בְּכָל־הַדֶּרֶךְ   2:22

וְלֹא מָצָאוּ׃

Josh 2:22   And they went and came to the mountain, and they waited there three days until the pursuers had returned; and the pursuers searched all along the way and did not find.

וַיָּשֻׁבוּ שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיֵּרְדוּ מֵהָהָר וַיַּעַבְרוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ אֵת   2:23

כָּל־הַמֹּצְאוֹת אוֹתָם׃

Josh 2:23   And the two men turned back and came down from the mountain and passed over and came to Joshua son of Nun and they related to him all that had befallen them.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי־נָתַן יְהוָה בְּיָדֵנוּ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ וְגַם־נָמֹגוּ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ מִפָּנֵינוּ׃   2:24

Josh 2:24   And they said to Joshua, “Surely the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, and also all the inhabitants of the land melt away from before us.”

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