Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
thereby for the cause of the Lord, was counted to her for righteousness ("justified by
works," James 2:25), yet the course which she adopted was a sin of weakness, which
was forgiven her in mercy because of her faith.
(Note: Calvin's estimate is also a correct one: "It has often happened, that even when good men have
endeavoured to keep a straight course, they have turned aside into circuitous paths. Rahab acted wrongly
when she told a lie and said that the spies had gone; and the action was acceptable to God only because
the evil that was mixed with the good was not imputed to her. Yet, although God wished the spies to be
delivered, He did not sanction their being protected by a lie." Augustine also pronounces the same opinion
concerning Rahab as that which he expressed concerning the Hebrew midwives (see the comm. on Ex
1:21).)
Joshua 2:7-14
And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as
they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
Upon this declaration on the part of the woman, the king's messengers ("the men")
pursued the spies by the road to the Jordan which leads across the fords. Both the
circumstances themselves and the usage of the language require that we should
interpret the words in this way; for hama`ªbªrowt (OT:4569) `al (OT:5921) cannot
mean "as far as the fords," and it is very improbable that the officers should have
gone across the fords. If they did not succeed in overtaking the spies and
apprehending them before they reached the fords, they certainly could not hope to do
this on the other side of the river in the neighbourhood of the Israelitish camp. By
"the fords" with the article we are to understand the ford near to Jericho which was
generally used at that time (Judg 3:22; 2 Sam 19:16ff.); but whether this was the one
which is commonly used now at the mouth of Wady Shaib , almost in a straight line
to the east of Jericho, or the more southerly one, el Helu , above the mouth of Wady
Hesban ( Rob. Pal. ii. p. 254), to the south of the bathing-place of Christian pilgrims,
or el Meshra ( Lynch , p. 155), or el Mocktaa ( Seetzen , ii. p. 320), it is impossible to
determine. (On these and other fords near Beisan, and as far up as the Sea of Galilee,
see Rob. ii. p. 259, and Ritter Erdk. xv. pp. 549ff.) After the king's messengers had
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