Joshua 2:16
in Joshua 2“Go to the hill country,” she said, “so that your pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they have returned; then go on your way.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers light upon you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
KJV
And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
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This verse in Joshua 2
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThe mountain - That is, to some of the mountains wherewith Jericho was encompassed, in which also there were many caves where they might lurk. Three days - Not three whole days, but one whole day, and part of two days.
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.
This site's exposition
Go to the hill country
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown identify the hills as the limestone range called Quarantania, its sides full of caves. They render she said as she had said, since the advice belongs to the talk before she let the men down. Wesley counts three days as one day and parts of two.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
Clement of RomeClement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 12 · Written before 99.
proposed
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.
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.
She counsels them and says, "Wait here for three days." Not one day does she specify, nor two days, but definitely three days. Notice what she says: "Wait three days." She does not designate three nights but three days, for hers was an enlightened heart. Then she says, and after three days—but what does she say? "Do not go through the open plains," she warns, "but go up the mountain way." The faith of the church is not laid in the valleys but is established on the mountains.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): 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
And she said unto them, get ye unto the mountain,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
She directs them to leave the high road, and abscond in the mountains till the pursuers returned, for till then they could not safely venture over Jordan. Those that are in the way of God and their duty may expect that Providence will protect them, but this will not excuse them from taking all prudent methods for their own safety.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
she said--rather "she had said," for what follows must have been part of the previous conversation. Get you to the mountain--A range of white limestone hills extends on the north, called Quarantania (now Jebel Karantu), rising to a height of from twelve hundred to fifteen hundred feet, and the sides of which are perforated with caves.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Hide yourselves there three days - They were to travel by night, and hide themselves in the day-time; otherwise they might have been discovered by the pursuers who were in search of them.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
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.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
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.”
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
18 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֤אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| הָהָ֣רָה | haharah | the hill country towards | H2022 → | 546 times |
| לֵּ֔כוּ | lekhu | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| פֶּֽן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| יִפְגְּע֥וּ | yifgeu | they should meet | H6293 → | 46 times |
| בָכֶ֖ם | vakhem | <in> <the> you | ||
| הָרֹדְפִ֑ים | harodefim | the pursuers | H7291 → | 143 times |
| וְנַחְבֵּתֶ֨ם | venachbetem | and you will hide yourselves | H2247 → | |
| שָׁ֜מָּה | shamah | there <towards> | H8033 → | 834 times |
| שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת | sheloshet | three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| יָמִ֗ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| עַ֚ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| שׁ֣וֹב | shov | return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| הָרֹֽדְפִ֔ים | harodefim | the pursuers | H7291 → | 143 times |
| וְאַחַ֖ר | veachar | and after | H310 → | 715 times |
| תֵּלְכ֥וּ | telekhu | you will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְדַרְכְּכֶֽם׃ | ledarkekhem | to way your | H1870 → | 707 times |
וַתֹּ֤אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
לָהֶם֙to <the> them
lahem
הָהָ֣רָהthe hill country towards
haharahH2022 →546 times
לֵּ֔כוּgo
lekhuH1980 →1546 times
פֶּֽן־lest
pen-H6435 →133 times
יִפְגְּע֥וּthey should meet
yifgeuH6293 →46 times
בָכֶ֖ם<in> <the> you
vakhem
הָרֹדְפִ֑יםthe pursuers
harodefimH7291 →143 times
וְנַחְבֵּתֶ֨םand you will hide yourselves
venachbetemH2247 →
שָׁ֜מָּהthere <towards>
shamahH8033 →834 times
שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁתthree
sheloshetH7969 →432 times
יָמִ֗יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
עַ֚דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
שׁ֣וֹבreturn
shovH7725 →1056 times
הָרֹֽדְפִ֔יםthe pursuers
harodefimH7291 →143 times
וְאַחַ֖רand after
veacharH310 →715 times
תֵּלְכ֥וּyou will go
telekhuH1980 →1546 times
לְדַרְכְּכֶֽם׃to way your
ledarkekhemH1870 →707 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
James 2:25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:31
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.
- Joshua 6:22–25
Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised…
- Joshua 2:19–21
If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with…
- Joshua 2:15
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.
- Hebrews 11:31
Through
Psalms 11:1In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain!
it leads to
- Psalms 56:11
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Isaiah 26:3–4
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
- 1 Samuel 23:14
And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.
- Psalms 25:2
in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
- Psalms 56:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
About Joshua

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 12; Clement of Rome, 1 CLEMENT 12; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 18 (Ps 86); 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.
