Joshua 2:4

 

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: 

a. NLT: Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: 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: [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And the woman taketh the two men, and hideth them, and saith thus: 'The men came in unto me, and I have not known whence they are; [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, Yes, two men came to me, but I did not know from where they had come. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Rubin Edition/Joshua: [The Artscroll Series/Rubin Edition The Prophets: Joshua/Judges Copyright 2000 by Mesorah Publication, Ltd.] The woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “It is true; the men did come to me, but I do not know from where they are.

1.  “And the woman took the two men, and hid them…”

a. [And the] woman [Strong: 802 'ishshah ish-shaw' feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym {naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as 582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.]

b. took [Strong: 3947 laqach law-kakh' a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

c. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

d. [the] two [Strong: 8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also (as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, + twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.]

e. men [Strong: 582 'enowsh en-oshe' from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain, chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age, husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some ( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in apposition with another word.]

f. [and] hid [them] [Strong: 6845 tsaphan tsaw-fan' a primitive root; to hide (by covering over); by implication, to hoard or reserve; figuratively to deny; specifically (favorably) to protect, (unfavorably) to lurk:--esteem, hide(-den one, self), lay up, lurk (be set) privily, (keep) secret(-ly, place).]

1). Scripture says faith was the motivator in Rahab’s behavior. Further in this chapter we will see plainly that was reaching out to the One true God.

a). Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

(1) It says here that Rahab perished not with them that “believed not”. The Greek word used here is “apeitheo” [Strong: 544], and it means “not to allow one's self to be persuaded, to refuse or withhold belief, to refuse belief and obedience, not to comply with”. What a commentary on these people, they refused to be persuaded. Refused to be persuaded of what? that they were going to be conquered? No! They knew that was going to happen, they were terrified of the inevitable. What they refused to be persuaded of was what Rahab confessed to the spies, “…for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” There will be more of this later in the chapter, but Rahab knew that the God of the Israelites was the one true God, and the rest of the city refused to believe it.

a). James 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

b). [Classic Amplified Bible] So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by good deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?

2). Rahab not only protected the spies but also sent them to an area where they would not be captured.

a). Joshua 2:15, 16 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. 

2:16 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.

3). It is unknown how long the spies were at Rahab’s house before the kings men came to her door. We also don’t know if before the kings men came if Rahab and the spies had any conversation. I think it is safe to speculate that they did, why else would she hide the spies on the roof to avoid capture by the king’s men? What we do know for sure from Joshua 2:9-13 is what was in Rahab’s heart. She knew that the God of Israel was the one true God and that if she was ever going to get out from under her miserable life it was now. She not only wanted to save herself but her whole family. 

2. “…and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:”

a. [and] said [thus] [Strong: 559 'amar aw-mar' a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

b. [Strong: 3651 ken kane from 3559; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles):--+ after that (this, -ward, -wards), as ... as, + (for-)asmuch as yet, + be (for which) cause, + following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), X the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, + there (where)-fore, this, thus, true, well, X you.]

c. [There] came [Strong: 935 bow' bo a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, + besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken (in age), X surely, take (in), way.]

d. men [Strong: 376 'iysh eesh contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.]

e. unto me [Strong: 413 'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

f. [but I] wist [Strong: 3045 yada` yaw-dah' a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), X will be, wist, wit, wot.]

g. not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

h. whence [Strong: 370 'aiyn ah-yin' probably identical 369 in the sense of query (Compare 336); --where? (only in connection with prepositional prefix, whence):--whence, where.]

i. they [are] [Strong: 1992 hem haym or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from 1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.]

1). Josepheus, Book 5, Chapter I Paragraph 2. “…and said to the messengers that were sent by the king, that certain unknown strangers had supped with her a little before sunsetting, and were gone away, who might easily be taken, if they were any terror to the city, or likely to bring any danger to the king.”

2). Rahab sends the men of her own city on a wild goose chase in order to protect the lives of the Israelite spies. We can see here that Rahab knew it was inevitable that Jericho would be conquered by the Israelite army. Her words and vow to the spies further on in the chapter substantiate this truth.