Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
In conclusion, the spies guarded against any arbitrary interpretation and application of
their oath, by imposing three conditions, on the non-fulfilment of which they would
be released from their oath. hazeh (OT:2088) for hazo't (OT:2063) is to be explained
in v. 17 from the fact that the gender is often disregarded in the use of the pronoun
(see Ewald , §183, a. ), and in v. 18 from the fact that there the gender is determined
by the nomen rectum (see Ewald , §317, d. ).
Verse 18. The first condition was, that when the town was taken Rahab should make
her house known to the Israelites, by binding "the cord of this crimson thread," i.e.,
this cord made of crimson thread, in the window from which she had let them down.
The demonstrative "this" leads to the conclusion adopted by Luther and others, that
"this cord" is the rope ( chbl (OT:2256)) mentioned in v. 15, as no other word had
been mentioned to which they could refer; and the fact that nothing has been said
about the sign in question being either given or received, precludes the idea that the
spies gave the cord to Rahab for a sign. The crimson or scarlet colour of the cord (
shaaniy (OT:8144) = shaaniy (OT:8144) towla`at (OT:8438); see at Ex 25:4), as the
colour of vigorous life, made this cord an expressive sign of the preservation of
Rahab's life and the lives of her relations. The second condition was, that when the
town was taken, Rahab should collect together her parents, and her brothers and her
sisters, into her own house.
Verse 19-20. Whoever went outside the door, his blood should be upon his own head;
i.e., if he was slain outside by the Israelitish soldiers, he should bear his death as his
own fault. But every one who was with her in the house, his blood should fall upon
their (the spies') head, if any hand was against them, i.e., touched them or did them
harm (vid., Ex 9:3). The formula, "his blood be upon his head," is synonymous with
the legal formula, "his blood be upon him" (Lev 20:9). The third condition (v. 20) is
simply a repetition of the principal condition laid down at the very outset (v. 14).
Joshua 2:21
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