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The Lord Commissions Joshua

After Moses the Lord’s servant died, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant: “Moses my servant is dead. Get ready![a] Cross the Jordan River.[b] Lead these people into the land that I am ready to hand over to them.[c] I am handing over to you every place you set foot, as I promised Moses.[d] Your territory will extend from the desert[e] in the south to Lebanon in the north. It will extend all the way to the great River Euphrates in the east (including all Syria)[f] and all the way to the Mediterranean Sea[g] in the west.[h] No one will be able to resist you[i] all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone. Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them.[j] Make sure you are[k] very strong and brave! Carefully obey[l] all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep.[m] Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful[n] in all you do.[o] This law scroll must not leave your lips.[p] You must memorize it[q] day and night so you can carefully obey[r] all that is written in it. Then you will prosper[s] and be successful.[t] I repeat,[u] be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic,[v] for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”[w]

Joshua Prepares for the Invasion

10 Joshua instructed[x] the leaders of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your supplies, for within three days you will cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to you.’”[y]

12 Joshua told the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh: 13 “Remember what Moses the Lord’s servant commanded you.[z] The Lord your God is giving you a place to settle and is handing this land over to you.[aa] 14 Your wives, children, and cattle may stay in the land that Moses assigned to you east of the Jordan River. But all of you warriors must cross over armed for battle ahead of your brothers.[ab] You must help them 15 until the Lord gives your brothers a place like yours to settle and they conquer the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to them. Then you may go back to your allotted land and occupy the land Moses the Lord’s servant assigned you east of the Jordan.”[ac]

16 They told Joshua, “We will do everything you say. We will go wherever you send us. 17 Just as we obeyed[ad] Moses, so we will obey you. But[ae] may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Any man who rebels against what you say and does not obey all your commands will be executed.[af] But[ag] be strong and brave!”

Joshua Sends Spies into the Land

Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them:[ah] “Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.”[ai] They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there.[aj] The king of Jericho received this report: “Note well![ak] Israelite men have come here tonight[al] to spy on the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this order to Rahab:[am] “Turn over[an] the men who came to you[ao]—the ones who came to your house[ap]—for they have come to spy on the whole land!” But the woman hid the two men[aq] and replied, “Yes, these men were clients of mine,[ar] but I didn’t know where they came from. When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left.[as] I don’t know where they were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!” (Now she had taken them up to the roof and had hidden them in the stalks of flax she had spread out[at] on the roof.) Meanwhile,[au] the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River[av] near the fords.[aw] The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them.[ax]

Now before the spies[ay] went to sleep, Rahab[az] went up[ba] to the roof. She said to the men, “I know the Lord is handing this land over to you.[bb] We are absolutely terrified of you,[bc] and all who live in the land are cringing before[bd] you.[be] 10 For 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.[bf] 11 When we heard the news we lost our courage and no one could even breathe for fear of you.[bg] For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below! 12 So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the Lord’s name.[bh] Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family.[bi] Give me a solemn pledge[bj] 13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and will rescue us[bk] from death.” 14 The men said to her, “If you[bl] die, may we die too![bm] If you do not report what we’ve been up to,[bn] then we will show unswerving allegiance[bo] to you[bp] when the Lord hands the land over to us.”

15 Then Rahab[bq] let them down by a rope[br] through the window. (Her[bs] house was built as part of the city wall; she lived in the wall.)[bt] 16 She told them, “Head[bu] to the hill country, so the ones chasing you don’t find you.[bv] Hide from them there for three days, long enough for those chasing you[bw] to return. Then you can be on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We are not bound by this oath you made us swear unless the following conditions are met:[bx] 18 When we invade the land,[by] tie this red rope[bz] 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.[ca] 19 Anyone who leaves your house will be responsible for his own death—we are innocent in that case![cb] But if anyone with you in the house is harmed, we will be responsible.[cc] 20 If you should report what we’ve been up to,[cd] we are not bound by this oath you made us swear.” 21 She said, “I agree to these conditions.”[ce] She sent them on their way[cf] and then tied the red rope in the window. 22 They went[cg] to the hill country and stayed there for three days, long enough for those chasing them[ch] to return. Their pursuers[ci] looked all along the way but did not find them.[cj] 23 Then the two men returned—they came down from the hills, crossed the river,[ck] came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered. 24 They told Joshua, “Surely the Lord is handing over all the land to us![cl] All who live in the land are cringing before us!”[cm]

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 1:2 tn Heb “Get up!”
  2. Joshua 1:2 tn Heb “this Jordan”; the word “River” has been supplied in the translation for clarity (likewise in v. 11).
  3. Joshua 1:2 tc Heb “Cross over this Jordan, you and all these people, to the land that I am giving to them, to the children of Israel.” The final phrase, “to the children of Israel,” is probably a later scribal addition specifying the identity of “these people/them.”
  4. Joshua 1:3 tn Heb “Every place on which the sole of your foot walks, to you I have given it, as I said to Moses.” The second person pronouns in vv. 3-4 are plural, indicating that all the people are addressed here. The verbal form נְתַתִּיו (netattiv, “I have given it”) is probably a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of the action. Another option is to translate, “I have already assigned it.” In this case the verb would probably refer to the Lord’s decree to Abraham that he would give this land to his descendants.
  5. Joshua 1:4 tn A מִדְבָּר (midbar, “wilderness, desert”) refers to a dry region which is characterized by receiving less than twelve inches of rain per year. It therefore cannot support trees, yet may have sparse vegetation if it receives more than six inches of rain. If it receives less than six inches, then “desert” is an appropriate term (usually not a sandy desert). Most cases of the term are rendered as “wilderness” in NET. Here it refers to the southern border of the nation which stretches down into Sinai.
  6. Joshua 1:4 tn Heb “all the land of the Hittites.” The expression “the land of the Hittites” does not refer to Anatolia (modern Turkey), where the ancient Hittite kingdom of the second millennium b.c. was located, but rather to Syria, the “Hatti land” mentioned in inscriptions of the first millennium b.c. (see HALOT 363-64 s.v. חִתִּי). The phrase is omitted in the LXX and may be a scribal addition.
  7. Joshua 1:4 tn Heb “the Great Sea,” the typical designation for the Mediterranean Sea.
  8. Joshua 1:4 tn Heb “From the wilderness and this Lebanon even to the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, even to the great sea [at] the place where the sun sets, your territory will be.”
  9. Joshua 1:5 tn Heb “A man will not stand before you.” The second person pronouns in this verse are singular, indicating Joshua is the addressee.
  10. Joshua 1:6 tn Heb “For you will cause these people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give to them.” The pronoun “them” at the end of the verse refers to either the people or to the fathers.
  11. Joshua 1:7 tn Or “Only be.”
  12. Joshua 1:7 tn Heb “so you can be careful to do.” The use of the infinitive לִשְׁמֹר (lishmor, “to keep”) after the imperatives suggests that strength and bravery will be necessary for obedience. Another option is to take the form לִשְׁמֹר as a vocative lamed (ל) with imperative (see Isa 38:20 for an example of this construction), which could be translated, “Indeed, be careful!”
  13. Joshua 1:7 tn Heb “commanded you.”
  14. Joshua 1:7 tn Heb “be wise,” but the word can mean “be successful” by metonymy.
  15. Joshua 1:7 tn Heb “in all which you go.”
  16. Joshua 1:8 tn Heb “mouth.”sn This law scroll must not leave your lips. The ancient practice of reading aloud to oneself as an aid to memorization is in view here.
  17. Joshua 1:8 tn Heb “read it in undertones,” or “recite it quietly” (see HALOT 237 s.v. I הגה).
  18. Joshua 1:8 tn Heb “be careful to do.”
  19. Joshua 1:8 tn Heb “you will make your way prosperous.”
  20. Joshua 1:8 tn Heb “and be wise,” but the word can mean “be successful” by metonymy.
  21. Joshua 1:9 tn Heb “Have I not commanded you?” The rhetorical question emphasizes the importance of the following command by reminding the listener that it is being repeated.
  22. Joshua 1:9 tn Or perhaps, “don’t get discouraged!”
  23. Joshua 1:9 tn Heb “in all which you go.”
  24. Joshua 1:10 tn Or “commanded.”
  25. Joshua 1:11 tn Heb “to enter to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving to you to possess it.”
  26. Joshua 1:13 tn Heb “remember the word which Moses, the Lord’s servant, commanded you.”sn This command can be found in Deut 3:18-20. In vv. 13-15 Joshua paraphrases the command, as the third person reference to Moses in v. 14 indicates.
  27. Joshua 1:13 tn Heb “is providing rest for you and is giving to you this land.”sn “This land” refers to the trans-Jordanian lands allotted to these tribes.
  28. Joshua 1:14 tn Heb “But you must cross over armed for battle before your brothers, all [you] mighty men of strength.”
  29. Joshua 1:15 tn Heb “Then you may return to the land of your possession and possess it, that which Moses, the Lord’s servant, gave to you beyond the Jordan toward the rising of the sun.”
  30. Joshua 1:17 tn Heb “listened to.”
  31. Joshua 1:17 tn Or “Only.” Here and in v. 18 this word qualifies what precedes (see also v. 7).
  32. Joshua 1:18 tn Heb “any man who rebels against your mouth and does not listen to your words, to all which you command us, will be put to death.”
  33. Joshua 1:18 tn Or “Only.” Here and in v. 17 this word qualifies what precedes (see also v. 7).
  34. Joshua 2:1 tn Heb “Joshua, son of Nun, sent from Shittim two men, spies, secretly, saying.”
  35. Joshua 2:1 tn Heb “go, see the land, and Jericho.”
  36. Joshua 2:1 tn Heb “they went and entered the house of a woman, a prostitute, and her name was Rahab, and they slept there.”
  37. Joshua 2:2 tn Or “look.”
  38. Joshua 2:2 tn Heb “men have come here tonight from the sons of Israel.”
  39. Joshua 2:3 tn Heb “and the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying.”
  40. Joshua 2:3 tn Heb “bring out.”
  41. Joshua 2:3 tn The idiom “come to” (בוֹא אֶל, boʾ ʾel) probably has sexual connotations here, as it often does elsewhere when a man “comes to” a woman. If so, the phrase could be translated “your clients.” The instructions reflect Rahab’s perspective as to the identity of the men.
  42. Joshua 2:3 tn The words “the ones who came to your house” (Heb “who came to your house”) may be a euphemistic scribal addition designed to blur the sexual connotation of the preceding words.
  43. Joshua 2:4 tn Heb “The woman took the two men and hid him.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix on “hid” has to be a scribal error (see GKC §135.p).
  44. Joshua 2:4 tn Heb “the men came to me.” See the note on this phrase in v. 3.
  45. Joshua 2:5 tn Heb “And the gate was to be shut in the darkness and the men went out.”
  46. Joshua 2:6 tn Heb “arranged in rows by her.”
  47. 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.
  48. Joshua 2:7 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.
  49. 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.
  50. 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.
  51. Joshua 2:8 tn Heb “they.”
  52. Joshua 2:8 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  53. Joshua 2:8 tn The Hebrew text adds, “to them.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has not been translated.
  54. Joshua 2:9 tn Heb “has given the land to you.” Rahab’s statement uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.
  55. Joshua 2:9 tn Heb “terror of you has fallen upon us.”
  56. Joshua 2:9 tn Or “melting away because of.”
  57. 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….”
  58. Joshua 2:10 tn Heb “and what you did to the two Amorite kings who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, how you annihilated them.”
  59. Joshua 2:11 tn Heb “And we heard and our heart[s] melted and there remained no longer breath in a man because of you.”
  60. Joshua 2:12 tn Heb “Now, swear to me by the Lord.”sn 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.
  61. Joshua 2:12 tn Heb “with the house of my father.”
  62. Joshua 2:12 tn Heb “true sign,” that is, “an inviolable token or pledge.”
  63. Joshua 2:13 tn Or “our lives.”
  64. Joshua 2:14 tn The second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that Rahab’s entire family is in view.
  65. Joshua 2:14 tn 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.
  66. Joshua 2:14 tn Heb “If you do not report this matter of ours.”
  67. Joshua 2:14 tn Heb “allegiance and faithfulness.” These virtual synonyms are joined in the translation as “unswerving allegiance” to emphasize the degree of promised loyalty.
  68. Joshua 2:14 tn The second person pronoun is feminine singular, referring specifically to Rahab.
  69. Joshua 2:15 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  70. Joshua 2:15 tc The phrase “by a rope” is omitted in the LXX. It may be a later clarifying addition. If original, the omission in the LXX 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 (beʿad, “through”) and accidentally omitted the intervening letters.
  71. Joshua 2:15 tn Heb “For her house.”
  72. Joshua 2:15 tc These explanatory statements are omitted in the LXX and probably represent a later scribal addition.
  73. Joshua 2:16 tn Heb “Go.”
  74. Joshua 2:16 tn Heb “so that the pursuers might not meet you.”
  75. Joshua 2:16 tn Heb “the pursuers.” The object (“you”) is not in the Hebrew text but is implied.
  76. Joshua 2:17 tn 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.
  77. Joshua 2:18 tn Heb “Look! We are about to enter the land.”
  78. Joshua 2:18 tn Heb “the cord of this red thread.”
  79. Joshua 2:18 tn Heb “and your father and your mother and your brothers and all the house of your father gather to yourself to the house.”
  80. Joshua 2:19 tn Heb “Anyone who goes out from the doors of your house to the outside, his blood is on his head. We are innocent.”
  81. Joshua 2:19 tn Heb “But anyone who is with you in the house, his blood is on our head if a hand should be on him.”
  82. Joshua 2:20 tn Heb “and if you report this matter of ours.”
  83. Joshua 2:21 tn Heb “According to your words, so it [will be].”
  84. Joshua 2:21 tn Heb “she sent them away and they went.”
  85. Joshua 2:22 tn Heb “they went and came.”
  86. Joshua 2:22 tn Heb “the pursuers.” The object (“them”) is added for clarification.
  87. Joshua 2:22 tn Heb “the ones chasing them.” This has been rendered as “their pursuers” in the translation to avoid redundancy with the preceding clause.
  88. Joshua 2:22 tn Heb “The pursuers looked in all the way and did not find [them].”
  89. Joshua 2:23 tn The words “the river,” though not in the Hebrew text, are added for clarification.
  90. Joshua 2:24 tn Heb “Surely the Lord has given into our hand all the land.” The report by the spies uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.
  91. Joshua 2:24 tn Heb “are melting away because of us.”

Joshua Installed as Leader

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord,(A) the Lord said to Joshua(B) son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River(C) into the land(D) I am about to give to them(E)—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot,(F) as I promised Moses.(G) Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon,(H) and from the great river, the Euphrates(I)—all the Hittite(J) country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.(K) No one will be able to stand against you(L) all the days of your life. As I was with(M) Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake(N) you. Be strong(O) and courageous,(P) because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors(Q) to give them.

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey(R) all the law(S) my servant Moses(T) gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left,(U) that you may be successful wherever you go.(V) Keep this Book of the Law(W) always on your lips;(X) meditate(Y) on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.(Z) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;(AA) do not be discouraged,(AB) for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”(AC)

10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people:(AD) 11 “Go through the camp(AE) and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions(AF) ready. Three days(AG) from now you will cross the Jordan(AH) here to go in and take possession(AI) of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”

12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh,(AJ) Joshua said, 13 “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest(AK) by giving you this land.’ 14 Your wives,(AL) your children and your livestock may stay in the land(AM) that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle,(AN) must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites.(AO) You are to help them 15 until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”(AP)

16 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.(AQ) 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.(AR) Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey(AS) it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!(AT)

Rahab and the Spies

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies(AU) from Shittim.(AV) “Go, look over(AW) the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.(AX)” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab(AY) and stayed there.

The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab:(AZ) “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

But the woman had taken the two men(BA) and hidden them.(BB) She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate,(BC) they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”(BD) (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax(BE) she had laid out on the roof.)(BF) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan,(BG) and as soon as the pursuers(BH) had gone out, the gate was shut.

Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof(BI) and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear(BJ) of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up(BK) the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt,(BL) and what you did to Sihon and Og,(BM) the two kings of the Amorites(BN) east of the Jordan,(BO) whom you completely destroyed.[b](BP) 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear(BQ) and everyone’s courage failed(BR) because of you,(BS) for the Lord your God(BT) is God in heaven above and on the earth(BU) below.

12 “Now then, please swear to me(BV) by the Lord that you will show kindness(BW) to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign(BX) 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them(BY)—and that you will save us from death.”

14 “Our lives for your lives!”(BZ) the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully(CA) when the Lord gives us the land.”

15 So she let them down by a rope(CB) through the window,(CC) for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills(CD) so the pursuers(CE) will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days(CF) until they return, and then go on your way.”(CG)

17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath(CH) you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord(CI) in the window(CJ) through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family(CK) into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads;(CL) we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head(CM) if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.(CN)

21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”

So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord(CO) in the window.(CP)

22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days,(CQ) until the pursuers(CR) had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands;(CS) all the people are melting in fear(CT) because of us.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:10 Or the Sea of Reeds
  2. Joshua 2:10 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.