Joshua 2:19 kjv
And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
Joshua 2:19 nkjv
So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.
Joshua 2:19 niv
If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them.
Joshua 2:19 esv
Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head.
Joshua 2:19 nlt
If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death.
Joshua 2 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 7:1-4 | Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark... for I have seen that you are righteous... for in seven days I will send rain on the earth..." | Staying within God's designated sanctuary |
| Ex 12:13 | The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you… | Blood as a sign of protection for those inside |
| Lev 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. | Significance of blood for life and atonement |
| Num 35:26-27 | But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the boundaries of his city of refuge… the avenger of blood may kill the manslayer without incurring guilt. | Boundaries of protection and bloodguilt |
| Deut 5:10 | ...but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. | Conditional blessing based on obedience |
| Deut 19:10 | ...that innocent blood may not be shed in your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, and so bloodguilt come upon you. | Avoiding bloodguilt |
| Josh 6:17 | The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the spies. | Rahab's salvation extended to her household |
| Josh 6:25 | But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive... | Fulfillment of the promise of household salvation |
| 1 Sam 25:39 | Blessed be the Lord who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil... | God's protection for the righteous |
| 2 Sam 1:16 | And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord's anointed.’” | Bloodguilt on one's own head |
| 1 Ki 2:32-33 | So the Lord will bring back his bloodguilt on his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he… | Accountability for one's actions (bloodguilt) |
| Prov 11:15 | Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but he who hates strikes his hands in pledges is secure. | Promises and security in relationships |
| Isa 1:18 | “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." | Scarlet/Redness and redemption |
| Ezek 3:18 | If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you do not warn him, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. | Accountability for not warning |
| Ezek 18:20 | The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. | Individual responsibility for sin |
| Matt 27:25 | And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” | Voluntary acceptance of bloodguilt |
| Acts 16:31 | And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” | Household salvation through faith |
| Acts 18:6 | And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” | Release from bloodguilt for faithful warning |
| Heb 11:31 | By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. | Rahab's salvation rooted in her faith |
| 1 Jn 1:7 | But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. | Blood for cleansing and atonement (NT) |
Joshua 2 verses
Joshua 2 19 Meaning
Joshua 2:19 outlines a conditional covenant of protection established between the Israelite spies and Rahab. It specifies that any person belonging to Rahab's household who steps outside the bounds of her house will bear the consequence of their own death, thereby absolving the spies of any bloodguilt. Conversely, should harm come to anyone remaining inside her house, the responsibility for their blood would rest upon the spies, implying their absolute commitment to protecting those within the designated safe zone. This verse details the strict terms under which Rahab and her family would be spared during the imminent destruction of Jericho, emphasizing obedience to the terms for salvation.
Joshua 2 19 Context
Joshua chapter 2 sets the scene for the conquest of Jericho, a formidable walled city. Joshua dispatches two spies to scout the land, specifically Jericho. Upon their arrival, they seek refuge in the house of Rahab, a harlot whose dwelling is integrated into the city wall. When their presence is discovered by the king of Jericho, Rahab, acting in faith, hides the spies and misleads the king's men. Recognizing the imminent divine judgment on Jericho, she implores the spies for a promise of protection for herself and her family in exchange for her aid. This plea highlights her faith in the God of Israel, having heard of His mighty deeds, particularly the drying of the Red Sea and the defeat of the Amorite kings. Joshua 2:19 is the core of the spies' solemn oath and Rahab's critical condition for salvation. It defines the strict boundary (her house) within which safety is guaranteed and beyond which danger and death lie. This covenant signifies God's mercy extended even to an unlikely gentile outsider through faith and a specific act of obedience (displaying the scarlet cord and staying inside). Historically, such covenants and the concept of bloodguilt were common in ancient Near Eastern societies, where oaths were sacred and breaking them invited divine retribution or human vengeance. The narrative implicitly stands against the false securities of idols and human might, presenting the Israelite God as the only true source of deliverance.
Joshua 2 19 Word analysis
- And it shall be that whoever goes out: Hebrew: yetsē’ (יֵצֵא), to go out, emerge. This phrase emphasizes an active, deliberate decision to transgress the established boundary. It signifies individual agency and accountability for choosing to depart from the promised place of safety.
- of the doors of your house: Hebrew: beitek (בֵיתֵךְ), your house. "Doors" specify the literal exit points. The "house" (בית, bayit) serves as the defined sanctuary, the place of shelter and safety. It represents the exclusive locus of the spies' promised protection.
- into the street: Hebrew: chūtsah (חוּצָה), outside, street, abroad. This refers to the external, exposed, and dangerous environment, subject to the impending destruction of Jericho. It directly contrasts with the security within the house.
- his blood shall be on his own head: Hebrew: dāmō be’rō’shō (דָּמוֹ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ), his blood upon his head. This is an ancient idiom, signifying self-culpability or sole responsibility for one's demise. It means they brought the judgment upon themselves, and no one else is accountable. This strongly asserts individual responsibility for one's actions, particularly disobedience to life-saving commands.
- and we will be guiltless: Hebrew: va’anaḥnū neqiyīm (וַאֲנַחְנוּ נְקִיִּם), and we are innocent, clean. The spies declare their absolution from any legal, moral, or divine culpability for the death of anyone who disobeys. Their oath would remain unbroken concerning such a person.
- And whoever is with you in the house: This emphasizes inclusivity within the specific location. The protection is not limited to Rahab but extends to all who are present with her, under her "roof" and in submission to the stipulated conditions. It signifies household salvation, common in the Old and New Testaments.
- his blood shall be on our head: Hebrew: dāmō be’rō’shēnū (דָּמוֹ בְּרֹאשֵׁנוּ), his blood upon our head. This idiom implies taking full responsibility for the safety and lives of those protected. It is a powerful commitment, signifying that if the spies failed to protect them, they would bear the full burden of bloodguilt before God and man. This reflects the gravity of their sworn oath.
- if a hand is laid on him: Hebrew: v’im yāḏ tihye be-bō (וְאִם יָד תִּהְיֶה בּוֹ), if a hand should be upon him. This is a common Hebrew idiom for harm or violence, emphasizing that any act of aggression against those within the house, leading to injury or death, would constitute a breach of the spies' covenant.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head": This phrase highlights the fatal consequence of departing from the designated place of safety. It's a clear warning against self-reliance or ignoring divine stipulations, where disobedience directly leads to self-inflicted doom. The responsibility for transgression is placed squarely on the individual.
- "and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if a hand is laid on him.": This two-part statement beautifully frames the reciprocal nature of the oath. The spies secure their own innocence in case of a violation by Rahab's household, while simultaneously binding themselves to full accountability for the protection of those who comply. It demonstrates the meticulous detail and seriousness of the covenant being established, guaranteeing the Israelite spies' honor and commitment, predicated on Rahab's faithful obedience to their instruction.
Joshua 2 19 Bonus section
- The terms in Joshua 2:19 echo the Passover instructions in Exodus 12, where families had to remain inside blood-marked houses to be spared from the destroying angel. This parallels Rahab's salvation through her faith and the symbolic scarlet cord.
- This verse subtly portrays God's meticulous care for covenant details, ensuring that His promise of salvation, even to a non-Israelite and prostitute, is delivered with clarity and firm stipulations. It reveals a God of grace, yet also of righteous justice who demands adherence to His word.
- Rahab's immediate acceptance and strict adherence to these terms (Joshua 2:21; 6:22-25) underline the role of obedience in actualizing promised deliverance. Her act of remaining in the house became an embodiment of saving faith, further highlighted in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25).
Joshua 2 19 Commentary
Joshua 2:19 succinctly conveys the seriousness of a covenant forged under unique circumstances, centered on an ark-like structure of salvation for Rahab and her household. It establishes an absolute boundary for protection: her house. Those who stay within this specific place, symbolized by the scarlet cord (mentioned previously), are under the protective guarantee of the spies. Departure from this space, however, incurs immediate and lethal personal accountability—"his blood shall be on his own head." This emphasizes that salvation is conditional upon obedient adherence to divine provision. The spies' oath, conversely, demonstrates an unwavering commitment to protect those inside, willingly assuming the grave "bloodguilt" should they fail. This principle transcends the immediate historical context, illustrating God's method of providing a secure refuge for those who place their faith in Him and follow His explicit instructions. It underscores that deliverance from judgment comes not from human strength or wisdom, but from active faith expressed through obedience to divine command.