TEXT [Commentary]

4.   The spies’ faithfulness to Rahab (6:22-23)

22 Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.”

23 The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.

NOTES

6:22 the prostitute’s house. See note on 2:1 and commentary on 2:1-3.

6:23 Rahab . . . with her. See notes and commentary on 2:12-21.

moved . . . to a safe place. Lit., “caused them to rest.” The text uses a verb rich in positive theological content and associations (Heb., wayyannikhum, Hiphil imperfect of nuakh [TH5117, ZH5663]). Joshua summed up Israel’s situation at the end of his life as God’s having brought them into their promised “rest” (22:4; 23:1). Jesus promised rest for those who come to him (Matt 11:28). The author of Hebrews interpreted the “rest” of the people of God, through Christ, in terms of Israel’s entering into the promised “rest” of Canaan (Heb 3:18–4:11), even mentioning Joshua by name (Heb 4:8). Rahab’s faith made it possible for her and her family to share in this rich and permanent (cf. Heb 11:31) blessing of rest.

COMMENTARY [Text]

The attentive and interested reader wants to know what happened to Rahab. The reader still deciding whether the people of God can and ought to be trustworthy wants to know, too. Could the faith of a pagan non-Israelite really be rewarded? Does God care for “outsiders”?

Joshua sent the young men who had gone into Jericho earlier to fetch Rahab. They knew Rahab and where she lived; she would recognize and trust them. The long sentence of 6:23 records their exemplary actions. It is important for the reader to know not only that they fulfilled Joshua’s command to them, but also that they fulfilled their oath to Rahab. God’s people, and through them God himself, are seen to be trustworthy. A pagan may believe in Israel’s God and find deliverance from certain death.

Rahab’s house certainly was full to bursting; “other relatives” would have included aunts, uncles, and cousins several times removed, as well as in-laws. All who accepted Rahab’s whispered invitation would have been present, together with their children, servants, and even guests, if any. Since Rahab’s house was a place of business, probably an inn (see commentary on 2:1), it is not impossible that 20 percent (300–400) of Jericho’s estimated 1,500–2,000 people took refuge with Rahab. (The population estimate is based on our knowledge that 150–200 people per acre was the average within walled towns, and Jericho’s area was about 10 acres.) Of course, it may have been a significantly smaller number; we cannot know for sure. But when death is the alternative, a lot of people can squeeze into a small space! Whatever the number, any of Rahab’s relatives who perished did so because of their unbelief in Israel’s God, or even because of their unbelief in Rahab, on this occasion God’s agent of grace to them.

The two young men brought these people outside Jericho because it was to be burned (6:24). They put them “outside the camp of Israel” (6:23, lit.) because they were not yet part of Israel. Yet “a safe place near the camp of Israel” expresses perfectly these two men’s attitude toward Rahab and her family. That Rahab and, by inference, her family did find acceptance into Israel, and not merely deliverance from Jericho, we know from the further note in 6:25.