Commentary - Joshua 2:15-21

Bird's-eye view

This passage details the practical outworking of the covenant agreement made between the Israelite spies and Rahab, a Gentile prostitute in Jericho. Having been hidden and protected by her, the spies are now making their escape. The conversation that follows is not a mere logistical arrangement; it is the formalizing of an oath that will bring salvation to a pagan family and incorporate them into the people of God. The central elements are the means of escape (the rope), the conditions of the oath, the sign of the covenant (the scarlet cord), and the boundary of salvation (the house). This is a beautiful, real-world illustration of how God's grace operates. Faith, demonstrated by Rahab's actions, lays hold of God's promised deliverance, and that deliverance is secured by a covenant sign and adhered to with covenant faithfulness. The scene is thick with gospel typology, pointing forward to the greater salvation secured by the blood of Christ.

The spies, acting as representatives of Israel, lay out the terms with legal precision. They are binding themselves, and by extension the nation, to spare Rahab and her family. But this obligation is conditional. Rahab must demonstrate her continued faith through obedience. She must display the scarlet cord, gather her family, and ensure they remain within the designated place of safety. The passage underscores the seriousness of oaths, the necessity of faith-driven works, and the corporate nature of salvation. Rahab is not just saved as an individual; she becomes the means of salvation for her entire household, a principle we see echoed throughout Scripture.

Outline

Context In Joshua

This episode occurs at the very beginning of the book of Joshua, immediately after Joshua has assumed leadership and is preparing the people to cross the Jordan and begin the conquest of Canaan. The sending of the spies into Jericho is the first act of military reconnaissance. However, the mission quickly becomes the vehicle for a remarkable story of conversion and salvation. Rahab's confession of faith in verse 11 ("the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath") is the theological center of the chapter. The negotiation of the oath in our passage is the direct consequence of that confession. This event sets a crucial precedent for the entire conquest. It demonstrates that the coming holy war is not based on ethnicity but on faith. A true Israelite like Achan can be cut off for faithlessness, while a Canaanite prostitute like Rahab can be grafted in through faith. Her story stands as a powerful counterpoint to the general destruction of the Canaanites, showing that God's judgment is always accompanied by an offer of grace to those who will repent and believe.

Key Issues

The Scarlet Cord of Covenant Faith

We are in the middle of a high-stakes espionage mission that has turned into a covenant negotiation. This is not unusual in Scripture. God's dealings with men are always covenantal. A covenant is a sworn bond, and what we have here is a formal oath that establishes a relationship of hesed, or covenant loyalty, between Israel and Rahab's house. Rahab has already shown faithfulness to Yahweh by protecting His messengers; now, the messengers, as representatives of Yahweh's people, are binding themselves to show faithfulness to her. This is how salvation works. God binds Himself by oath and promise, and we lay hold of that promise by faith, a faith that then demonstrates its reality through obedience. The entire scene is a microcosm of the gospel, a living portrait of justification by faith that works.

Verse by Verse Commentary

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall.

The logistics of the escape are straightforward, but the location is providentially significant. Her house being on the wall is what makes their escape possible. God often uses the mundane details of our lives, our address, our occupation, our place in the world, to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. Rahab used what she had, where she was, to act on her faith. The same rope that let the spies down to safety would become the instrument by which the sign of salvation was displayed.

16 And she said to them, “Go to the hill country, lest the pursuers reach you. And hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way.”

Rahab's faith is not a passive sentiment; it is active and intelligent. She not only helps them escape, but she also gives them sound tactical advice. She knows the local terrain and the likely strategy of the king's men. Her counsel to hide for three days is a practical work that flows directly from her desire to see God's plan succeed and, by extension, to secure her own deliverance. James tells us that Rahab was justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way (James 2:25). This is part of that "sending out." Her faith had feet, and it was walking in the direction of wisdom.

17-18 And the men said to her, “We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household.

Here the spies formalize the conditions of the oath. An oath is a solemn, weighty act of religious worship, calling on God as a witness. They are taking this seriously, and they need her to do the same. Their obligation is not unconditional. First, she must display the sign. The "cord of scarlet thread" is the designated token of the covenant. It is impossible for us, reading this with New Testament eyes, not to see the typology. Just as the blood of the lamb on the doorposts in Egypt marked out the houses of the faithful for the Angel of Death to pass over, so this scarlet cord marks Rahab's house for salvation when the judgment of God falls on Jericho. It is a thread of blood, a picture of atonement, marking a place of refuge. Second, she must gather her family. Salvation here is not individualistic; it is corporate, extending to her entire household. This is a consistent biblical pattern. Noah builds an ark and saves his household. Abraham is circumcised, and his whole household with him. The Philippian jailer believes, and his whole household is baptized. Rahab's faith becomes the vehicle of deliverance for her kin.

19 And it will be that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.

The spies define the boundary of salvation with stark clarity. The house is the ark of safety. To be inside the house, under the sign of the scarlet cord, is to be safe. To step outside that boundary is to forfeit the protection of the covenant and step back into the realm of judgment. If someone leaves, their death is their own responsibility ("his blood shall be on his own head"). But if someone remains inside and is harmed, the guilt falls upon the Israelites ("his blood shall be on our head"). This is the language of covenantal responsibility. The spies are pledging their lives, and the life of their nation, to uphold their end of the bargain. This emphasizes the need for those under the covenant to abide in the place of safety God provides. For us, that place is Christ. To abide in Him is life; to depart from Him is death.

20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear.”

The final condition is secrecy. Rahab's loyalty must be absolute. If she betrays their mission, the deal is off. This is a test of her allegiance. Is she truly with Yahweh and His people, or is she hedging her bets? Her faith has already led her to lie to the authorities of her own city; this condition simply requires her to maintain that posture of loyalty until the time of deliverance. The oath is a two-way street, requiring faithfulness from both parties.

21 And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they went; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

Rahab's response is one of simple, beautiful faith. "According to your words, so be it." This is the language of submission to the terms of the covenant. It is the equivalent of "Amen." And notice what she does immediately. She does not wait. She does not procrastinate. She sent them away, and then she "tied the scarlet cord in the window." Her obedience is prompt. The sign of her faith and her hope is immediately put on display for all to see, though only she and the spies understood its meaning. It was a quiet, constant declaration that she was trusting in the promise of the God of Israel. This is what living faith does. It hears the word of promise and acts on it without delay.

Application

This story is a rich mine for Christian application. First, it shows us that God's salvation is for anyone, from any background, who will turn to Him in faith. Rahab was a Gentile and a prostitute, a complete outsider. Yet by faith, she was not only saved from destruction but was grafted into the people of God and even brought into the line of the Messiah (Matt. 1:5). No one should ever think they are too far gone for the grace of God to reach them.

Second, it teaches us that true, saving faith is never a mere mental assent. It is a faith that works. Rahab's faith was demonstrated by her hiding the spies, lying to the king's men, helping them escape, and tying the scarlet cord in her window. As James argues, faith without works is dead. Our actions reveal the true nature of our trust. If we say we believe in Christ for salvation, that belief must manifest itself in a life of obedience to His word.

Third, we see the importance of the covenant signs. For Rahab, it was the scarlet cord. For us, it is baptism and the Lord's Supper. These signs do not save us, but they are the God-ordained markers of His covenant promises. They are the visible words that point us to the scarlet cord of Christ's shed blood, which alone can save us from the wrath to come. We are to cling to the reality they signify and gather our households under the protection of the covenant of grace.

Finally, we must learn to abide in the place of safety. For Rahab's family, it was her house. For us, it is Christ Himself. The world outside is under a sentence of judgment, just as Jericho was. Our only security is to be found "in Christ." This means remaining in fellowship with Him, trusting His promises, and obeying His commands. To wander outside of that fellowship is to place ourselves in mortal danger. Let us, like Rahab, hear the terms of the covenant and say, "According to your words, so be it," and then live like we mean it.