^2:9She said to the men, “I know the Lord is handing this land over to you.²¹ We are absolutely terrified of you,²² and all who live in the land are cringing before²³ you.²⁴^2:10For we heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt and how you annihilated the two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, on the other side of the Jordan.²⁵^2:11When we heard the news we lost our courage and no one could even breathe for fear of you.²⁶ For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below! ^2:12So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the Lord’s name.²⁷ Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family.²⁸ Give me a solemn pledge²⁹^2:13that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and rescue us³⁰ from death.” ^2:14The men said to her, “If you³¹ die, may we die too!³² If you do not report what we’ve been up to,³³ then, when the Lord hands the land over to us, we will show unswerving allegiance³⁴ to you.”³⁵

^2:15Then Rahab³⁶ let them down by a rope³⁷ through the window. (Her³⁸ house was built as part of the city wall; she lived in the wall.)³⁹^2:16She told them, “Head⁴⁰ to the hill country, so the ones chasing you don’t find you.⁴¹ Hide from them there for three days, long enough for those chasing you⁴² to return. Then you can be on your way.” ^2:17The men said to her, “We are not bound by this oath you made us swear unless the following conditions are met:⁴³^2:18When we invade the land⁴⁴, tie this red rope⁴⁵ in the window through which you let us down, and gather together in your house your father, mother, brothers, and all who live in your father’s house.⁴⁶^2:19Anyone who leaves your house will be responsible for his own death—we are innocent in that case!⁴⁷ But if anyone with you in the house is harmed, we will be responsible.⁴⁸^2:20If you should report what we’ve been up to,⁴⁹ we are not bound by this oath you made us swear.” ^2:21She said, “I agree to these conditions.”⁵⁰ She sent them on their way⁵¹ and then tied the red rope in the window. ^2:22They went⁵² to the hill country and stayed there for three days, long enough for those chasing them⁵³ to return. Their pursuers⁵⁴ looked all along the way but did not find them.⁵⁵^2:23Then the two men returned—they came down from the hills, crossed the river,⁵⁶ came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered. ^2:24They told Joshua, “Surely the Lord is handing over all the land to us!⁵⁷ All who live in the land are cringing before us!”⁵⁸

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Footnotes

21 Heb “has given the land to you.” Rahab’s statement uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.
22 Heb “terror of you has fallen upon us.”
23 Or “melting away because of.”
24 Both of these statements are actually subordinated to “I know” in the Hebrew text, which reads, “I know that the Lord … and that terror of you … and that all the inhabitants.…”
25 Heb “and what you did to the two Amorite kings who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, how you annihilated them.”
26 Heb “And we heard and our heart[s] melted and there remained no longer breath in a man because of you.”
27 Heb “Now, swear to me by the Lord.” To swear an oath in the Lord’s name would make the Lord the witness and guarantor of the promise attached to the oath. If the person making the oath should go back on the promise, the Lord would judge him for breaking the contract.
28 Heb “with the house of my father.”
29 Heb “true sign,” that is, “an inviolable token or pledge.”
30 Or “our lives.”
31 The second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that Rahab’s entire family is in view.
32 Heb “Our lives in return for you to die.” If the lives of Rahab’s family are not spared, then the spies will pay for the broken vow with their own lives.
33 Heb “If you do not report this matter of ours.”
34 Heb “allegiance and faithfulness.” These virtual synonyms are joined in the translation as “unswerving allegiance” to emphasize the degree of promised loyalty.
35 The second person pronoun is feminine singular, referring specifically to Rahab.
36 Heb “she”; the referent (Rahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
37 The phrase “by a rope” is omitted in the . It may be a later clarifying addition. If original, the omission in the is likely due to an error of homoioarcton. A scribe’s or translator’s eye could have jumped from the initial ב (bet) in the phrase בַּחֶבֶל (bakhevel, “with a rope”) to the initial ב on the immediately following בְּעַד (bé’ad, “through”) and accidentally omitted the intervening letters.
38 Heb “For her house.”
39 These explanatory statements are omitted in the and probably represent a later scribal addition.
40 Heb “Go.”
41 Heb “so that the pursuers might not meet you.”
42 Heb “the pursuers.” The object (“you”) is not in the Hebrew text but is implied.
43 Heb “We are free from this oath of yours which you made us swear.” The words “unless the following conditions are met” are not in the Hebrew text, but are added for clarification.
44 Heb “Look! We are about to enter the land.”
45 Heb “the cord of this red thread.”
46 Heb “and your father and your mother and your brothers and all the house of your father gather to yourself to the house.”
47 Heb “Anyone who goes out from the doors of your house to the outside, his blood is on his head. We are innocent.”
48 Heb “But anyone who is with you in the house, his blood is on our head if a hand should be on him.”
49 Heb “and if you report this matter of ours.”
50 Heb “According to your words, so it [will be].”
51 Heb “she sent them away and they went.”
52 Heb “they went and came.”
53 Heb “the pursuers.” The object (“them”) is added for clarification.
54 Heb “the ones chasing them.” This has been rendered as “their pursuers” in the translation to avoid redundancy with the preceding clause.
55 Heb “The pursuers looked in all the way and did not find [them].”
56 The words “the river,” though not in the Hebrew text, are added for clarification.
57 Heb “Surely the Lord has given into our hand all the land.” The report by the spies uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.
58 Heb “are melting away because of us.”