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Meanwhile,[a] the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River[b] near the fords.[c] The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them.[d]

Now before the spies[e] went to sleep, Rahab[f] went up[g] to the roof. She said to the men, “I know the Lord is handing this land over to you.[h] We are absolutely terrified of you,[i] and all who live in the land are cringing before[j] you.[k]

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:7 tn Another way to translate vv. 6-7 would be, “While she took them up to the roof and hid them…, the king’s men tried to find them….” Both of the main clauses have the subject prior to the predicate, perhaps indicating simultaneous action. (On the grammatical point, see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 42, §235.) In this case Rahab moves the Israelite spies from the hiding place referred to in v. 4 to a safer and less accessible hiding place.
  2. Joshua 2:7 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.
  3. Joshua 2:7 tn Heb “And the men chased after them [on] the road [leading to] the Jordan to the fords.” The text is written from the perspective of the king’s men. As far as they were concerned, they were chasing the spies.
  4. Joshua 2:7 tn Heb “And they shut the gate after—as soon as the ones chasing after them went out.” The expressions “after” and “as soon as” may represent a conflation of alternate readings.
  5. Joshua 2:8 tn Heb “they.”
  6. Joshua 2:8 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. Joshua 2:8 tn The Hebrew text adds, “to them.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has not been translated.
  8. Joshua 2:9 tn Heb “has given the land to you.” Rahab’s statement uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.
  9. Joshua 2:9 tn Heb “terror of you has fallen upon us.”
  10. Joshua 2:9 tn Or “melting away because of.”
  11. Joshua 2:9 tn 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….”

So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan,(A) and as soon as the pursuers(B) had gone out, the gate was shut.

Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof(C) and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear(D) of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.

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