Joshua 2

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:1

Ver. 1. And Joshua—sent—two men to spy, &c.— Or had sent, as the Margin of our Bibles more properly renders it. Joshua had certainly sent the spies to Jericho before he issued in the camp the order mentioned ver. 10, 11 of the former chapter. This supposition removes every difficulty that can arise in this history with respect to the order of time, and clears up the 22nd verse of the present chapter. Moses had succeeded so indifferently in sending spies before to discover the land of... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:4

Ver. 4. And the woman took the two men, and hid them— Or rather, as some versions have it, Now the woman had taken the two men, and had hidden them; having, without doubt, perceived the king's officers coming, or being informed of the search which was made at the time when, being already instructed by the two spies, she had conferred with them and given them assurances of her fidelity. And said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were— As if she had said, "My house is open... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:5

Ver. 5. And—about the time of shutting of the gate— Rahab's house was evidently nigh to one of the gates of Jericho: she feigned, therefore, that, before the gate was shut, those whom they took for spies had gone out, and so had left her house but a very short time before. The spies arrived at the close of the day, and Rahab asserts that they went out in the dusk, just at the shutting of the gate. Whither the men went, I wot not: pursue after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them— The... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:6

Ver. 6. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house— We have elsewhere remarked in what manner the roofs of houses in this country were constructed. See Deuteronomy 22:8. They were flat, or rather terraces, on which men might either lie or walk. And hid them, &c.— All this had passed before the arrival of the king of Jericho's officers, and upon a report of the search that they were ordered to make. Stalks of flax— Hemp-wood,—line-stalks. See Ulpian. Digest. lib. 32: cap. 55 sect.... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:9

Ver. 9. She said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, &c.— As if she had thus addressed them. "Be not surprised at the care I take for your security. I, as well as you, believe in the one true God, absolute master of the fate of nations. I know that he hath resolved to give this country to the people of Israel; and I can already sensibly perceive the effect of his sovereign decree, in the terror which has seized on all the inhabitants of this land," &c. This... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:11

Ver. 11. For the Lord your God, he is God, &c.— "Is a God whose power, far different from that of the idols, who only preside over certain places of which they are considered as the tutelar deities, extends through all nature, and hath no bounds." This fine confession of Rahab is a convincing proof of the purity of her sentiments. We are not to be surprised, after this, at the apostle's celebrating the faith of this memorable Canaanite; much less, that, animated by a faith so judicious and... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:12

Ver. 12. Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord— In acknowledgment of the signal service which Rahab had done the two spies, she requests of them a favour, which is, that, at the taking of Jericho, not only herself and her parents, but all those also of her family who were found in her house, should be exempted from the general destruction. And she desires that it may be assured to her by an oath: this was the greatest security she could have; an oath is the most respectable and... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:13

Ver. 13. That ye will save alive my father, &c.— We here see what Rahab means in the foregoing verse by her father's house;—namely, his family: her enumeration of which demonstrates that she had neither husband nor children. By all that they have, she meant the children of her brethren and sisters, and all her kindred. See chap. Joshua 6:23. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:14

Ver. 14. And the men assured her, Our life for yours— i.e. We will perish rather than suffer you to receive the least injury; or, May we perish, if your demand be not complied with! They engaged themselves by oath, (see ver. 17.) so far as in them lay, in a firm persuasion that Joshua would not fail to ratify what they had promised solely for the public good. If ye utter not this our business— Or, as the Hebrew signifies, this our word;—in the engagement we make with you. Persuaded that their... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:15

Ver. 15. Then she let them down, &c.— Having thus mutually given their word to each other, she took advantage of the darkness of the night, to let them down by means of a cord, through a window of her house which opened to the country. This house was built upon the wall, or in the wall itself of the city, very near the gate. One of the fronts looked into the city; the other out of it. read more

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:1

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:4

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:5

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:6

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:9

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:11

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:12

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:13

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:14

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 2:15

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