Paragraph 6:22–25

6:22a

Meanwhile, Joshua told: Joshua told the two men to go and rescue Rahab. This is something he had previously told them to do. There are several ways to make this clear:

• Use the past perfect tense or the equivalent in your language: For example:

Joshua had told the two men who had spied out the land

• Use a word or particle that indicates that this action happened previously.

• Supply the implied information that Rahab and her family were not killed in verse 6:21b. For example:

They killed everyone, men and women, young and old, everyone except Rahab and the others in her house. (Contemporary English Version)

Choose a way that is most natural in your language.

the two men who had spied out the land: This phrase refers to the two men who went to find out things about the town of Jericho in Chapter 2.

the land: The phrase the land refers to Jericho and the country around it.

6:22b

Go into the house of the prostitute: The phrase the house of the prostitute refers to the house of Rahab the prostitute. If it is not appropriate in your language to use the term prostitute repeatedly, it is possible to translate this as:

go into Rahab’s house

bring out the woman: It may be more natural in some languages to use either the proper name Rahab, or else refer to her by a pronoun. For example:

bring Rahab out
-or-
bring her out

6:22c

and all who are with her: The phrase all who are with her refers to Rahab’s family members who were with her in the house.

6:22d

just as you promised her: The clause just as you promised her states the reason that the men must go into Rahab’s house and rescue her. They had promised her that they would do this.

promised: The word promised can also be translated as “swore.” The men promised to Rahab in 2:12–14 that they would rescue her and her family when they conquered the town.

General Comment on 6:22

In some languages it may be more natural to reorder the parts of this verse. For example:

22a Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, 22d “Keep your promise. 22b Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, 22c along with all her family.” (New Living Translation (2004))

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