Joshua 2:12-14

2:12 So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the Lord’s name. ¹  Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family. ²  Give me a solemn pledge ³  2:13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and rescue us ⁴  from death.” 2:14 The men said to her, “If you ⁵  die, may we die too! ⁶  If you do not report what we’ve been up to, ⁷  then, when the Lord hands the land over to us, we will show unswerving allegiance ⁸  to you.” ⁹ 

Joshua 2:17-20

2:17 The men said to her, “We are not bound by this oath you made us swear unless the following conditions are met: ¹⁰  2:18 When we invade the land ¹¹ , tie this red rope ¹²  in the window through which you let us down, and gather together in your house your father, mother, brothers, and all who live in your father’s house. ¹³  2:19 Anyone who leaves your house will be responsible for his own death – we are innocent in that case! ¹⁴  But if anyone with you in the house is harmed, we will be responsible. ¹⁵  2:20 If you should report what we’ve been up to, ¹⁶  we are not bound by this oath you made us swear.”

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¹ tn Heb “Now, swear to me by the Lord.”

sn To swear an oath in the Lord’s name would make the Lord the witness and guarantor of the promise attached to the oath. If the person making the oath should go back on the promise, the Lord would judge him for breaking the contract.

² tn Heb “with the house of my father.”

³ tn Heb “true sign,” that is, “an inviolable token or pledge.”

⁴ tn Or “our lives.”

⁵ tn The second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that Rahab’s entire family is in view.

⁶ tn Heb “Our lives in return for you to die.” If the lives of Rahab’s family are not spared, then the spies will pay for the broken vow with their own lives.

⁷ tn Heb “If you do not report this matter of ours.”

⁸ tn Heb “allegiance and faithfulness.” These virtual synonyms are joined in the translation as “unswerving allegiance” to emphasize the degree of promised loyalty.

⁹ tn The second person pronoun is feminine singular, referring specifically to Rahab.

¹⁰ tn Heb “We are free from this oath of yours which you made us swear.” The words “unless the following conditions are met” are not in the Hebrew text, but are added for clarification.

¹¹ tn Heb “Look! We are about to enter the land.”

¹² tn Heb “the cord of this red thread.”

¹³ tn Heb “and your father and your mother and your brothers and all the house of your father gather to yourself to the house.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “Anyone who goes out from the doors of your house to the outside, his blood is on his head. We are innocent.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “But anyone who is with you in the house, his blood is on our head if a hand should be on him.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “and if you report this matter of ours.”