Joshua Chapter 2
Joshua 2:1
“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.”
Joshua, acting in obedience and wisdom, quietly commissions two men from the camp at Shittim to go and observe the land, with particular attention to Jericho. This action is not evidence of doubt in God’s promise, but rather an example of faith expressed through responsible preparation. God had already promised the land to Israel, yet Joshua understood that divine promises do not eliminate human responsibility. Faith is never passive; it moves forward in obedience, diligence, and readiness. The last generation failed at this very point when ten spies returned with unbelief and discouraged the people, so Joshua avoids repeating that mistake by sending only two men, and he sends them secretly. There is wisdom in avoiding unnecessary public exposure of strategy when it can weaken the faith of others.
According to later Jewish tradition, though Scripture does not confirm this, these spies are thought to have been Caleb and the priest Eliezer. While this cannot be proven, the speculation highlights Israel’s memory of Caleb’s past faithfulness when he stood against the unbelief of the ten spies in Numbers chapter thirteen. Joshua sends them during the three-day waiting period he had already commanded the people to observe by the Jordan, as recorded in Joshua chapter one verse eleven. These three days are not wasted time; God often prepares His people in stillness before using them in action. This mission is part of that divine preparation.
Joshua specifically instructs the men to focus on Jericho, the fortified gateway into Canaan. Jericho stood as the military and symbolic stronghold of the land, and Israel’s entrance into Canaan would only begin after its fall. Joshua’s instruction, “Go view the land, even Jericho,” shows strategic focus. Yet, the ultimate outcome of this mission will not be military intelligence but the salvation of one unlikely woman named Rahab. From a military standpoint, this reconnaissance will bring little useful information, but in the plan of God it will secure the deliverance of Rahab and her household, and through her, God will bring a Canaanite woman into the lineage of the Messiah. This reveals that God’s purposes are often deeper and greater than human strategy can foresee.
The spies enter Jericho and lodge in the house of a harlot named Rahab. This detail is direct and unembellished. They do not enter her house for immoral purposes, but because it is a place where travelers could enter without suspicion, making it a wise location for concealment. God, in His sovereignty, directs them to the very house of a woman whose heart He has already been preparing. What began as a mission of espionage becomes a mission of mercy, setting the stage for one of Scripture’s clearest demonstrations of saving faith from among the Gentiles.
Joshua 2:1b
“And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.”
The two men obey Joshua’s command, cross into enemy territory, and intentionally enter the house of a woman named Rahab, identified plainly and without attempt to soften the word, as a harlot. Scripture does not hide human sinfulness or rewrite uncomfortable realities. Rahab was not merely an innkeeper or hostess, as some have tried to argue to protect the narrative from embarrassment. The Hebrew term used here, zonah, clearly refers to a prostitute. God’s Word is not ashamed of truth, and neither should we be, for the grace of God shines brightest in places of undeniable brokenness.
Throughout church history some interpreters have been troubled by the fact that the first recorded stop of the spies was the home of a prostitute. But this is exactly where the sovereignty of God and the mercy of God meet. Long before the spies arrived, God had already been at work in Rahab’s heart. She had heard of the God of Israel, she believed His power was real, and she feared His coming judgment. The second-century Christian scholar Origen made a striking comparison when he wrote, “As the first Joshua sent spies and they were received into the house of a harlot, so the second Joshua sent His forerunners, and publicans and harlots believed them.” This points to Jesus Christ, the greater Joshua, who came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Publicans and harlots came gladly to Him because they knew their need of grace. The gospel is not for those who claim righteousness, but for those who know they are guilty and cannot save themselves.
It is important to emphasize that there is no suggestion of immoral behavior between the spies and Rahab. To imply such is to impose human cynicism upon a text that gives no room for it. The men went to her house because it was the most strategic place for concealment. A brothel or lodging house like Rahab’s would be a place where strangers might come and go without immediately drawing suspicion. In a fortified city like Jericho, especially at a time when Israel’s encampment was visible across the Jordan and tensions were high, the city would be on alert. Therefore, the spies chose a location where travelers could blend in, and questions would be minimal.
That God allowed His plan of redemption to be connected to Rahab shows His grace in electing the least expected. Rahab was a Gentile, a Canaanite from a condemned city, a woman, and a prostitute. Yet by faith she will be saved from destruction, grafted into the nation of Israel, married to Salmon of the tribe of Judah, and become part of the lineage of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God did not choose a priest, a noble, or a scholar in Jericho—He chose Rahab. This is consistent with His character, for as Romans 5:20 says, “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” The spies may have thought they were on a mission to gather intelligence for warfare, but God was already preparing a soul for salvation. What begins as espionage will become a testimony of faith.
Joshua 2:2–7
“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. 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. 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: 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. 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. 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.”
News of the spies’ arrival reaches the king of Jericho almost immediately, a sign that the city is on high alert and expecting espionage. The Israelites are encamped only a few miles away across the Jordan, and Jericho’s leadership is fully aware that their presence is not a mere migration but an impending act of war. The king sends messengers directly to Rahab’s house, already suspecting that the strangers have entered her home. This suggests that Rahab’s lodging was known as a place where foreign travelers might stay unnoticed, but it also reveals that the king has an efficient intelligence network and that Jericho is operating under a fearful and suspicious mindset.
Rahab takes swift action. Before the messengers arrive, she brings the spies to the flat roof of her home and hides them beneath stalks of flax laid out to dry. These stalks, used in making linen, would have been spread in neat rows on the rooftop, and this provided the perfect concealment. Her actions go far beyond simple hospitality. In ancient Near Eastern culture, hospitality was a sacred duty—once someone was received into a home, their protection became the responsibility of the host. Yet Rahab’s decision goes further than custom or courtesy. She willingly risks her own life to hide these men. If discovered, she would be charged with treason and executed. Her actions show that her allegiance has already shifted—from the king of Jericho to the God of Israel.
When confronted by the king’s messengers, Rahab lies. She admits the men came, but claims ignorance of their origin and says they left at dusk before the city gate was shut. She urges the soldiers to pursue them quickly. The Bible records her lie plainly; it does not commend it, nor does it present deceit as a righteous act. Scripture consistently teaches that lying is sin. Yet while her words were false, her faith was real. Rahab acts with courage, but her understanding of God is incomplete. She is a Canaanite woman in a pagan city, with no formal knowledge of God’s Law. Her faith is at its earliest stage—imperfect, yet genuine. God does not commend her lie, but He does commend her faith. Hebrews 11:31 says, “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” It is her faith, not her falsehood, that is honored.
Rahab’s actions challenge believers to examine their own courage and obedience. She had only heard faint reports of the God of Israel; we have His full Word. She lived surrounded by idols; we live with the truth and presence of the Holy Spirit. Yet she risked everything to align herself with God’s people, while many Christians hesitate to risk reputation, comfort, or approval. Rahab hid the spies because she believed God would give Israel the land. Her decision sets her apart from the rest of Jericho and marks the beginning of her salvation.
As soon as the king’s men leave her house and rush toward the Jordan Valley to capture the spies, the city gate is shut. The walls close behind them, symbolizing that Jericho has unknowingly sealed its fate. The spies remain hidden on Rahab’s roof, safe by the courage of a woman the world despised but God had chosen.
Joshua 2:8–14
“And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.”
Before the spies rest for the night, Rahab comes to them on the rooftop and gives one of the clearest confessions of faith found in the Old Testament from a Gentile. She begins with certainty, “I know that the Lord hath given you the land.” This is remarkable. No Israelite had yet crossed the Jordan, no wall had fallen, no battle had been fought, yet this Canaanite woman speaks in the past tense—as if the victory is already accomplished. Faith sees what God has promised as already settled. Rahab possesses a confidence that even many Israelites lacked during the wilderness years.
She explains why Jericho trembles: all the people have heard of what the Lord did when He dried up the Red Sea and when He gave Israel victory over Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites. These events occurred forty years earlier, but the memory of God’s power remained alive among the nations. Jericho had walls, armies, and kings—but no confidence. As Rahab says, “our hearts did melt.” Terror has replaced courage, because they know the God of Israel does what no idol can do.
Her confession reaches its highest point when she declares, “for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” This is not mere fear. This is faith. She acknowledges the Lord (Jehovah) as the one true God over heaven and earth. She abandons the false gods of Canaan. Her theology is simple, yet absolutely true. It is imperfect, but it is real. That is why she is honored in Hebrews 11:31, “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not.” She is also commended in James 2:25, where her faith is shown to be living because it produced works—she received the spies and sent them out another way. She is not saved by lying, nor by her past works, but by a faith that took action.
Rahab then pleads for mercy—not only for herself, but for her father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all that belong to them. Her faith is not selfish. She longs that those she loves may escape the judgment she knows is coming. This reveals her transformation; she no longer identifies with Jericho but with the people of the Lord. She asks for a “true token,” a sign of assurance. She wants a covenant confirmed by oath in the name of the Lord. She is leaving her past, her idols, and her city; she seeks certainty that she and her household will be spared.
The spies answer with a solemn agreement: “Our life for yours.” They bind themselves to protect her if she remains silent about their mission. They do not say “if the Lord gives us the land,” but “when the Lord hath given us the land.” Their reply matches her faith—God’s promise is sure.
Rahab’s confession shows three marks of genuine faith: she hears the truth, she believes the truth, and she acts upon the truth. She knows who God is, she knows judgment is coming, she seeks mercy, and she stakes her life upon it. This is salvation by grace through faith—even in the Old Testament.
Joshua 2:15–21
“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.
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.
And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
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.
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.
And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
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.”
Rahab’s house was built into the wall of Jericho, which provided both danger and opportunity. From this high vantage, she lowers the spies to safety by a rope out the window. She also instructs them with wisdom: flee to the nearby hills rather than directly toward the Jordan River, and stay hidden for three days until the pursuers give up. Rahab is no passive believer; her faith produces practical obedience, quick thinking, and courageous action.
The spies agree to the oath she requested, but they establish clear conditions for her salvation. She must tie a scarlet cord in the same window where she let them down. This cord would serve two purposes: it identified her household to the Israelites during the invasion, and it was the visible sign of her faith. Without it, her home would be indistinguishable from the rest of Jericho. No matter her profession of faith, no matter her sincerity, if the scarlet thread was not displayed, she and her family would perish with the rest of the city.
This scarlet cord carries deep symbolic meaning. From the earliest centuries of the Church, men such as Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Origen saw in this red cord a foreshadowing of the blood of Jesus Christ. Just as the blood of the Passover lamb marked the homes of the Israelites in Egypt so death would pass over, so the scarlet cord marked Rahab’s house so judgment would not touch it. The color of blood, hanging visibly over a doomed city, testifies of redemption, substitution, and deliverance through faith. Rahab was not saved by morality, nor by nationality, but by trusting in a promise sealed by a scarlet sign.
The promise also came with boundaries. All of Rahab’s family must be gathered into her house. If any step outside, their blood would be on their own heads. Inside that marked house there was safety; outside, only judgment. This mirrors salvation in Christ: safety is found only under the blood. There is one door, one place of refuge, and one sign of covenant grace.
Rahab’s answer is simple and submissive: “According unto your words, so be it.” She sends the spies away and immediately ties the scarlet cord in her window. She does not wait for the invasion to begin. She obeys at once. Faith, if genuine, acts quickly upon God’s word. From that moment forward, Rahab was set apart from Jericho—not by location, but by faith and by the mark of redemption. Judgment was coming, but her house was covered.
Her obedience and faith were not only for survival. God had greater plans. After Jericho fell, Rahab was brought into Israel, married Salmon of the tribe of Judah, and became the mother of Boaz. Through her came Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David. Her name is written in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:5. The harlot of Jericho became a mother in the Messiah’s line. Joshua, whose name means “Jehovah is salvation,” became both judge of the wicked and savior of Rahab. In the same way, Jesus Christ is either Savior or Judge—depending on whether we, like Rahab, trust in the promise and take refuge under the scarlet sign of His blood.
Joshua 2:22–24
“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.
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:
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.”
The spies obey Rahab’s instructions exactly. Instead of heading straight back across the Jordan where the pursuers were searching, they escape to the mountain and hide there for three days. This was enough time for the king’s men to return to Jericho empty-handed, having searched every road but not the place God had appointed for their hiding. Only after the danger had passed do the spies descend, cross the Jordan, and return to Joshua with their report. They tell him everything—not only how they were pursued and preserved, but how God had already prepared the heart of a Gentile woman in Jericho.
Their conclusion is full of faith: “Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land.” This is the exact opposite of the report from the faithless spies in Numbers chapter thirteen who said, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” Here, the spies do not describe the strength of Jericho’s walls or its soldiers. They speak of the weakness of its heart. They had not gathered tactical information, but they brought back something far more valuable—confirmation that the enemy was already defeated in spirit. “All the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.” God had gone before Israel, preparing their victory long before the battle began.
From a military standpoint, this reconnaissance mission produced no useful strategic plan. God’s method for taking Jericho would not depend on swords, ladders, or siege towers. The walls would fall by the power of God alone. So how did this mission matter? It strengthened faith. It confirmed the promises of God. It prepared Israel to march forward, not with fear, but with confidence in the Lord. Sometimes God sends us not to gather information, but to gather encouragement.
There was another purpose far greater than military intelligence—God sent the spies to save Rahab. The Lord orchestrated every detail: two spies, one house, a scarlet cord, a woman the world would have ignored. While Israel prepared for war, God was preparing redemption. This shows how far God will go for one soul who believes. In a city destined for judgment, God reached into the home of a prostitute and brought out a woman who would become part of the lineage of Jesus Christ. No one is beyond His reach.
This encourages believers today. You may know someone who seems too lost, too sinful, too hardened against God—someone like Rahab. But the Lord’s arm is not shortened. He can bring the gospel to the darkest house, the hardest heart, and the most unlikely person. Just as Jericho’s walls would fall, so He can break the walls around a human soul. The God who saved Rahab can save anyone.
