Joshua 2:9 kjv
And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
Joshua 2:9 nkjv
and said to the men: "I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.
Joshua 2:9 niv
and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.
Joshua 2:9 esv
and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
Joshua 2:9 nlt
"I know the LORD has given you this land," she told them. "We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror.
Joshua 2 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | God's promise of the land to Abraham's descendants. |
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land..." | Reinforcement of the covenant promise regarding the land. |
| Exod 15:15-16 | Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed... Terror and dread fall upon them; by the greatness of Your arm they are still as a stone... | The LORD instilling dread in Israel's enemies during the Exodus. |
| Exod 23:27 | "I will send My terror before you, and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come..." | God promising to send His terror to discomfit enemies. |
| Deut 1:8 | "See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers..." | God presenting the promised land as already given. |
| Deut 2:25 | "This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven..." | The LORD instilling dread of Israel in other nations. |
| Deut 11:25 | "No one shall be able to stand against you. The LORD your God will lay the dread and fear of you upon all the land that you tread..." | God promises universal dread of Israel as they advance. |
| Josh 1:2-3 | "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, cross over this Jordan... Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you..." | God affirms giving the land to Joshua and Israel. |
| Josh 5:1 | As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan... heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan... their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them... | Actual fulfillment of dread and melting hearts among Canaanite kings. |
| 1 Sam 17:46 | "...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." | Public display of God's power for others to recognize Him. |
| 1 Kgs 8:43 | "...that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel..." | Solomon's prayer for nations to know and fear the LORD. |
| Ps 9:16 | The LORD has made Himself known; He has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. | God reveals Himself through His judgments. |
| Ps 112:10 | The wicked man sees it and is vexed; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish. | The wicked experiencing dismay and melting away. |
| Isa 45:6 | "...that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other." | Declaration of YHWH's exclusive deity. |
| Jer 16:21 | "Therefore, behold, I will make them know... then they shall know that My name is the LORD." | God revealing His identity to the nations. |
| Nah 1:5 | The mountains quake before Him; the hills melt away... | Imagery of the natural world melting before God's presence/power. |
| Matt 1:5 | and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab... | Rahab included in the lineage of Jesus Christ. |
| Rom 9:24 | ...even us whom He has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? | God's salvific purpose extends beyond Israel to include Gentiles. |
| Heb 11:31 | By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies with peace. | Rahab praised for her faith. |
| Jas 2:25 | And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? | Rahab's faith evidenced by her works. |
| Eph 2:12 | remember that you were at that time separated from Christ... having no hope and without God in the world. | Gentiles historically without God's covenant, showing the grace of Rahab's inclusion. |
| Rev 11:13 | And at that hour there was a great earthquake... and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. | Fear leading to recognition of God, similar to Rahab's response. |
Joshua 2 verses
Joshua 2 9 Meaning
This verse presents Rahab's confession of faith in YHWH, the God of Israel, acknowledging His sovereign power over the land of Canaan. She states her certainty that the LORD has already decreed and granted the land to the Israelites. Furthermore, she reveals the pervasive dread and panic that has fallen upon all the inhabitants of the land, causing them to lose their resolve and "melt away" in fear at the prospect of the Israelite advance, understanding it to be a divine judgment.
Joshua 2 9 Context
Joshua chapter 2 describes the clandestine mission of two Israelite spies sent by Joshua to reconnoiter Jericho before the invasion. They take refuge in the house of Rahab, a prostitute whose dwelling is built into the city wall. The king of Jericho, hearing of their presence, sends men to apprehend them. Rahab hides the spies and, when confronted, misdirects the king's men, allowing the spies to escape. Immediately after she hides them, Rahab goes up to the roof where she hid the spies under flax stalks. It is at this critical moment, risking her life and betraying her own people, that she makes this pivotal confession. This verse sets the stage for her subsequent appeal to the spies for the safety of her family, demonstrating not merely a desperate act of survival but a genuine theological conviction rooted in the reputation of Israel's God. Historically, Jericho was the first fortified city Israel would encounter in their conquest of Canaan, representing a significant strategic and psychological barrier. Rahab's statement confirms that the widespread panic predicted by God (Exod 23:27, Deut 2:25) had indeed spread through the land, foreshadowing Israel's divinely assured victory.
Joshua 2 9 Word analysis
- And she said to the men,: This simple narrative introduces Rahab's active role. Her immediate address to the spies highlights her agency and the urgency of her revelation, making a direct confession.
- "I know": (Hebrew: yada, יָדַע) This term signifies not merely intellectual knowledge but a deep, intimate, experiential recognition and understanding. Rahab is asserting a firm conviction, born from hearing about the LORD's powerful acts (such as the Exodus and victories over Sihon and Og in Jos 2:10). This "knowing" is the foundation of her subsequent actions and plea for salvation. It implies belief.
- "that the LORD": (Hebrew: YHWH, יְהוָה) Rahab specifically uses the covenant name of Israel's God, YHWH. This is highly significant. It demonstrates that she distinguishes Israel's God from the local Canaanite deities and attributes ultimate sovereignty and power to Him. This indicates a genuine shift in allegiance or at least a recognition of YHWH's supreme power.
- "has given you": (Hebrew: nathan, נָתַן) The verb is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action with continuing effects. From Rahab's perspective, God has already effectively delivered the land into Israel's hands; the conquest is simply the physical manifestation of a divine decree. This contrasts sharply with the Canaanites' natural perspective of an invading army.
- "the land": (Hebrew: ha'aretz, הָאָרֶץ) Specifically refers to the land of Canaan, which had been promised to Abraham's descendants centuries earlier. Rahab recognizes the divine transfer of ownership.
- "and that the dread of you": (Hebrew: eimatkhem, אֵימַתְכֶם - dread/terror; nafleh, נָפְלָה - fallen/overwhelmed) "Dread" (eimah) suggests a paralyzing, awesome terror. It is described as having "fallen upon us," implying it's an irresistible, external force, likely understood as divine in origin. It denotes a supernatural, overwhelming fear that seizes one's heart, not mere apprehension.
- "has fallen upon us": "Us" clearly refers to Rahab and her people, the Canaanites. This phrase demonstrates Rahab's personal identification with the terror and impending doom of her city, which amplifies the sincerity of her subsequent plea. She is not claiming to be immune, but choosing to act differently in response to this dread.
- "and that all the inhabitants of the land": "All" (כָּל-יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ) emphasizes the universality of this dread, extending beyond Jericho to the entire region. This collective fear highlights the fulfillment of God's promises to cast dread before Israel.
- "melt away before you": (Hebrew: magog, מָגוּג - melt/dissolve/despair; mippneikhem, מִפְּנֵיכֶם - before you/because of you) The verb "melt away" is a powerful idiom describing a complete loss of courage, resolve, and spirit. Their hearts literally dissolve into water due to overwhelming fear, rendering them psychologically and spiritually defeated. This state of despair occurs "before" or "because of" Israel's mere presence and the LORD's perceived power associated with them. This isn't just fear, but incapacitating terror, confirming their complete inability to resist the LORD's plans.
Joshua 2 9 Bonus section
Rahab's bold declaration in Joshua 2:9 is more than just a survival tactic; it represents a theological polemic against the local Canaanite religion. By using the covenant name "YHWH" and acknowledging His exclusive power over the land, Rahab effectively declares the supremacy of Israel's God over the local polytheistic deities like Baal and Ashtoreth. This challenges the dominant worldview of her people, where different gods held sway over different lands and aspects of life. Her choice indicates that she believes YHWH's power transcends geographical boundaries and other deities. This initial spark of faith from Rahab foreshadows the inclusion of Gentiles into God's covenant plan, reaching its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament church, where people from all nations come to know and worship the One True God. Her recognition of God's sovereignty, which the rest of Jericho's inhabitants failed to act upon, secured her salvation and place within Israel.
Joshua 2 9 Commentary
Rahab's confession in Joshua 2:9 is a pivotal moment in the conquest narrative, marking her not just as a desperate individual, but as an unlikely convert whose faith precedes the city's fall. Her declaration of "I know that the LORD has given you the land" indicates a deep theological insight; she understands God's sovereignty and Israel's divine commission, viewing the conquest as a certainty, not just a military possibility. This confession demonstrates that God's renown had preceded Israel, impacting the hearts of the Canaanites, confirming God's earlier promises to cast fear and dread upon the inhabitants of the land (Exod 23:27; Deut 2:25). The widespread "melting away" of their spirit signifies complete despair and the collapse of their will to fight, contrasting sharply with Rahab's newfound courage based on faith. Her choice to believe in YHWH, even from outside the covenant community, highlights the radical grace of God and sets the stage for her inclusion into the lineage of Christ.