Text -- Joshua 2:20-24 (NET)

2:20 If you should report what we’ve been up to, we are not bound by this oath you made us swear.” 2:21 She said, “I agree to these conditions.” She sent them on their way and then tied the red rope in the window. 2:22 They went to the hill country and stayed there for three days, long enough for those chasing them to return. Their pursuers looked all along the way but did not find them. 2:23 Then the two men returned– they came down from the hills, crossed the river, came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered. 2:24 They told Joshua, “Surely the Lord is handing over all the land to us! All who live in the land are cringing before us!”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Jos 2:20

¹ tn Heb “and if you report this matter of ours.”

NET Notes: Jos 2:21

¹ tn Heb “According to your words, so it [will be].”

² tn Heb “she sent them away and they went.”

NET Notes: Jos 2:22

¹ tn Heb “they went and came.”

² tn Heb “the pursuers.” The object (“them”) is added for clarification.

³ tn Heb “the ones chasing them.” This has been rendered as “their pursuers” in the translation to avoid redundancy with the preceding clause.

⁴ tn Heb “The pursuers looked in all the way and did not find [them].”

NET Notes: Jos 2:23

¹ tn The words “the river,” though not in the Hebrew text, are added for clarification.

NET Notes: Jos 2:24

¹ tn Heb “Surely the Lord has given into our hand all the land.” The report by the spies uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.

² tn Heb “are melting away because of us.”