Joshua 2: Rahab and the Spies
Two spies enter Jericho and find refuge with Rahab, a Canaanite woman whose faith in Yahweh leads her to risk everything and be saved.
Joshua 2 (WEB)
1 Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, including Jericho.” They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”
3 The king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all the land.”
4 The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I didn’t know where they came from.
5 About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly; for you will overtake them.”
6 But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.
7 The men pursued them the way to the Jordan to the fords: and as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
8 Before they had laid down, she came up to them on the roof;
9 and she said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
10 For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
11 As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.
12 Now therefore, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true token;
13 and that you will save alive my father, my mother, my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.”
14 The men said to her, “Our life for yours, if you don’t talk about this business of ours; and it shall be, when Yahweh gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was on the side of the wall, and she lived on the wall.
16 She said to them, “Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers find you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way.”
17 The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made us to swear.
18 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you used to let us down. You shall gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.
19 It shall be that whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is on him.
20 But if you talk about this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you have made us to swear.”
21 She said, “According to your words, so be it.” She sent them away, and they departed. She tied the scarlet line in the window.
22 They went, and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but didn’t find them.
23 Then the two men returned, descended from the mountain, passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had happened to them.
24 They said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has delivered into our hands all the land. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.”
Joshua 2 (KJV)
1 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.
2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
4 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:
5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
9 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token:
13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.
19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22 And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:
24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.
Joshua 2 (ASV)
1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there.
2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land.
3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, that are entered into thy house; for they are come to search out all the land.
4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them; and she said, Yea, the men came unto me, but I knew not whence they were:
5 and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I know not: pursue after them quickly; for ye will overtake them.
6 But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
7 And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they that pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
9 and she said unto the men, I know that Jehovah hath given you the land, and that the fear of you is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
10 For we have heard how Jehovah dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, unto Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11 And as soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Jehovah your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.
12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by Jehovah, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true token;
13 and that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.
14 And the men said unto her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business; and it shall be, when Jehovah giveth us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the side of the wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers light upon you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
17 And the men said unto her, We will be guiltless of this thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt gather unto thee into the house thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household.
19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
20 But if thou utter this our business, then we shall be guiltless of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22 And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
23 Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them.
24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly Jehovah hath delivered into our hands all the land; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land do melt away before us.
Summary
Joshua secretly sends two men from Shittim to scout the land, especially Jericho, and they lodge at the house of a prostitute named Rahab. When the king of Jericho hears of the spies and demands they be handed over, Rahab hides them under stalks of flax on her roof and sends the pursuers off on a false trail toward the Jordan fords. Then she comes up to the men and makes a remarkable confession: she knows that Yahweh has given Israel the land, that dread of them has fallen on her people, and that the hearts of all Jericho have melted. She has heard how God dried up the Red Sea and defeated the Amorite kings, and she declares that Yahweh is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. On that faith she pleads for kindness, asking that her family be spared when Israel takes the city. The men swear an oath, sealing it with a scarlet cord she must tie in her window, and they instruct her to gather her household inside. Rahab lowers them by a rope through her window in the city wall and tells them to hide in the hills for three days. They return safely to Joshua and report that the Lord has truly given all the land into Israel's hands. A Canaanite outsider becomes a vivid early picture of saving faith, and her name will one day appear in the line of the Messiah.
Main Characters
- Rahab — A Canaanite prostitute in Jericho who hides the spies, confesses Yahweh as God of heaven and earth, and is spared with her family because of her faith.
- The two spies — Men sent secretly by Joshua to scout Jericho; they accept Rahab's help, swear to protect her household, and return confident the Lord has given the land.
- The king of Jericho — The ruler who learns of the spies and demands them, but is deceived by Rahab and never finds the men hidden on her roof.
- Joshua — Israel's leader, who dispatches the spies and receives their report that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before Israel.
Key Verse
Joshua 2:11 (WEB)
As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.
Lessons Learned
- God's saving grace reaches beyond Israel to outsiders who turn to him in faith.
- True faith acts, even at great personal risk, on what it confesses to be true.
- Reports of God's mighty deeds can melt some hearts in fear and others into faith.
- God weaves unlikely people into his redemptive story, even into the family line of Christ.
- Faith comes by hearing of God's works. Rahab believes because “we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea” (Joshua 2:10, WEB). Reports of God's deeds awaken faith in her heart.
- Saving faith confesses the true God. Rahab declares “Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath” (Joshua 2:11, WEB). She names him as the only God, over all.
- Real faith takes risks. Rahab hides the spies and sends the pursuers astray (Joshua 2:4-6, WEB), staking her life on the God she has come to trust.
- God's mercy keeps its promises. The scarlet cord in the window (Joshua 2:18, 21, WEB) marks a household secured by an oath; God's covenant kindness reaches even a Canaanite home.
- What does Rahab know and believe about Yahweh, and how has she come to that knowledge?
- How does Rahab's faith show itself in action rather than mere words?
- Why is it significant that a Canaanite prostitute becomes the hero of faith in this chapter?
- What might the scarlet cord in the window suggest about rescue and the protection of a household?
- Rahab acted boldly on what little she knew of God. Where is God inviting you to act on what you already believe about him?
- Rahab has heard the reports of the Red Sea crossing and the defeat of Sihon and Og, and she has concluded that Yahweh is God of heaven and earth (2:9-11). Her faith is built on what God has actually done, not on visible proof of Israel's strength.
- She does not merely admire Israel's God; she hides the spies, lies to the king's men, and lowers the spies to safety (2:4-6, 15). Genuine faith risks everything on the truth it confesses. Help the group see faith as something enacted, not merely felt.
- Rahab is an outsider by nation and reputation, yet she becomes the model believer in the chapter, later named in Hebrews 11 and in Jesus' genealogy (Matthew 1:5). Her story shows that God's grace is wide enough for the most unlikely, and prepares us for the gospel going to the nations.
- The scarlet cord marks the one house that will be spared in the coming judgment, gathering Rahab's family under a sign of rescue. Many see a foreshadowing of redemption through blood; at minimum it shows salvation extending to a whole household through faith. Let the group reflect carefully without overpressing the imagery.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name one truth about God they are sure of and one concrete step of trusting obedience it calls for. As leader, encourage even small, costly acts of faith as the soil where deeper trust grows.