Joshua 2


Joshua 2 is the second chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Hebrew Bible or in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. According to Jewish tradition, the book was attributed to Joshua, with additions by the high priests Eleazar and Phinehas, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter focuses on the spies sent by Joshua to Jericho and their encounter with Rahab, a part of a section comprising Joshua 1:1–5:12 about the entry to the land of Canaan.

Text

This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language. It is divided into 24 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis, Aleppo Codex, and Codex Leningradensis. Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including XJoshua with extant verses 4–5. and 4Q48 with extant verses 11–12.
Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint include Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus. Fragments of the Septuagint Greek text containing this chapter is found in manuscripts such as Washington Manuscript I, and a reduced version of the Septuagint text is found in the illustrated Joshua Roll.

New Testament references

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Analysis

The narrative of Israelites entering the land of Canaan comprises verses 1:1 to 5:12 of the Book of Joshua and has the following outline:

Rahab welcomes the spies (2:1–7)

The narrative in this chapter seems to be an interruption, but actually provides a background material for the stories of the crossing of the Jordan River and the Battle of Jericho. The sending out of spies follows Moses's example, but unlike the earlier mission, which had resulted in failure to take the promised land because of fear, this time the spies encouraged the people to march forward.
Rahab becomes the center of the narrative, being the only named person in the whole story, and practically in control of the whole actions in the narrative: she provides the spies information, protection and advice for their safety, whereas the spies, the king of Jericho and his officers were as passive objects.

Verse 1

  • "Shittim": identified as modern "Tell el-Ḥammām", on the eastern bank of Jordan river, opposite Jericho. Here it is written in the same short form as in Numbers 25:1, not in the longer form as in Numbers 33:49.

The promise to Rahab (2:8–24)

Rahab's confessions of faith encouraged the spies of God's promise, as she reminds them of the victories in Transjordan as evidence
that they will succeed in Canaan, and therefore she demands the life of herself and her family to be 'dealt kindly' with the expected loyalty in a covenant relationship. The spies agrees, swearing on their own lives to guarantee those of Rahab and family, provided she does not 'tell this business of ours', in spite of the Holy War concept which demands the killing of every people in Jericho.

Verse 14

  • "Business of ours" refers mainly to the activities of the spies, not the imminent conquest, as the latter is a common knowledge among all Canaanites.