Skip to content
mannafest.faith

Joshua 2:15

in Joshua 2

Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the side of the wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

KJV

Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

This verse in Joshua 2

Commentary

9 notes on this verse
Upon the town wall - The town wall probably formed the back wall of the house, and the window opened therefore into the country. (Compare Paul’s escape, 2Co 11:33).

This site's exposition

the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city

on Joshua 2:15-16

The window opens on open country because the back of the house is the wall. Barnes sets Paul’s escape at 2 Corinthians 11:33 beside it. Readers weigh this house against 6:20, where the wall falls, though 6:22-23 fetches her from a house still standing, and the text gives no explanation.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Clement of Rome

1 CLEMENT 12 · Written before 99.

proposed

For her faith and hospitality Rahab the harlot was saved. For when the spies were sent forth into Jericho by Joshua the son of Nun, the king of the land perceived that they were coming to spy out his country, and [he] sent forth men to seize them, that being seized they might be put to death. So the hospitable Rahab received them and hid them in the upper chamber under the flax stalks. And when the messengers of the king came near and said, "The spies of our land entered into your house; bring them forth, for the king so orders," then she answered, "The men truly, whom you seek, came to me, but they departed immediately and are journeying on the way"; and she pointed out to them the opposite road. And she said to the men, "Without a doubt I perceive that the Lord your God will deliver this city to you; for the fear and the dread of you is fallen upon its inhabitants. When therefore it shall come to pass that you take it, save me and the house of my father." And they said to her, "It shall be even so as you have spoken to us. Therefore, when you perceive that we are coming, you shall gather all your folk beneath your roof, and they shall be saved; for as many as shall be found outside of the house shall perish." And moreover they gave her a sign, that she should hang out from her house a scarlet thread, thereby showing beforehand that through the blood of the Lord there shall be redemption for all them that believe and hope on God. You see, dearly beloved, not only faith, but prophecy, is found in the woman.
On account of her faith and hospitality, Rahab the harlot was saved. For when spies were sent by Joshua, the son of Nun, to Jericho, the king of the country ascertained that they had come to spy out their land, and sent men to seize them, in order that, when taken, they might be put to death. But the hospitable Rahab receiving them, concealed them on the roof of her house under some stalks of flax. And when the men sent by the king arrived and said, "There came men unto you who are to spy out our land; bring them forth, for so the king commands," she answered them, "The two men whom you seek came unto me, but quickly departed again and are gone," thus not discovering the spies to them. Then she said to the men, "I know assuredly that the Lord your God has given you this city, for the fear and dread of you have fallen on its inhabitants. When therefore you shall have taken it, keep ye me and the house of my father in safety." And they said to her, "It shall be as you have spoken to us. As soon, therefore, as you know that we are at hand, you shall gather all your family under your roof, and they shall be preserved, but all that are found outside of your dwelling shall perish." Moreover, they gave her a sign to this effect, that she should hang forth from her house a scarlet thread. And thus they made it manifest that redemption should flow through the blood of the Lord to all them that believe and hope in God. You see, beloved, that there was not only faith, but prophecy, in this woman.

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

): If thou utter this our business, that is, "If thou betray us when we are gone, or if thou make this agreement public, so as that others tie scarlet lines in their windows and so confound us, then we will be clear of thy oath." Those are unworthy of the secret of the Lord that know now how to keep it to themselves when there is occasion.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

Town-wall - Which gave her the opportunity of dismissing them when the gates were shut. Upon the wall - Her particular dwelling was there: which may possibly be added, because the other part of her house was reserved for the entertainment of strangers.
Then she let them down by a cord through the window,....
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

her house was upon the town wall--In many Oriental cities houses are built on the walls with overhanging windows; in others the town wall forms the back wall of the house, so that the window opens into the country. Rahab's was probably of this latter description, and the cord or rope sufficiently strong to bear the weight of a man.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Then she let them down by a cord etc. - The natural place of this verse is after the first clause of Jos 2:21; for it is certain that she did not let them down in the basket till all those circumstances marked from Jos 2:16-20 inclusive had taken place. She dwelt upon the wall - That is, either the wall of the city made a part of her house or her house was built close to the wall, so that the top or battlements of it were above the wall with a window that looked out to the country. As the city gates were now shut there was no way for the spies to escape but through this window; and in order to this she let them down through the window in a basket suspended by a cord, till they reached the ground on the outside of the wall.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

Then she lowered them down with the rope. With the same rope and through the same window her admirers would use to come up to her. She said: “Master of the World with these I have sinned, with these forgive me.”
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Joshua 2:15:1, via Sefaria, The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Until the pursuers return. 16 How could she possibly have known that the pursuers would be coming back after three days? She must have had Divine inspiration to know they would return after three days.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Joshua 2:16:1, via Sefaria, The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

11 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַתּוֹרִדֵ֥םand she let down them

    vatoridemH3381 →381 times

  • בַּחֶ֖בֶלwith <the> rope

    bachevelH2256 →62 times

  • בְּעַ֣דthrough

    beadH1157 →

  • הַֽחַלּ֑וֹןthe window

    hachalonH2474 →31 times

  • כִּ֤יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • בֵיתָהּ֙house her

    veitahH1004 →2046 times

  • בְּקִ֣יר[was] in [the] wall of

    bekirH7023 →

  • הַֽחוֹמָ֔הthe city wall

    hachomahH2346 →133 times

  • וּבַֽחוֹמָ֖הand in the city wall

    uvachomahH2346 →133 times

  • הִ֥יאshe

    hi'H1931 →1879 times

  • יוֹשָֽׁבֶת׃[was] dwelling

    yoshavetH3427 →1079 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Joshua 6:20

    So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into…

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 11:30

      By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

    • 2 Corinthians 10:4–5

      The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

    • Joshua 6:5

      And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse and all…

  • Through

    Acts 9:25

    One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 11:33

      But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.

    • 1 Samuel 19:11–12

      Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will…

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 11:33

    But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.

    it leads to

    • Acts 9:25

      One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.

    • 1 Samuel 19:12

      So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.

    • Joshua 2:18

      unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all…

Where this verse is studied

About Joshua

Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Clement of Rome, 1 CLEMENT 12; Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 12; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.