Joshua 2:15

Jos 2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house [was] upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

Ver. 15. For her house was upon the town wall.] In an obscure nook, among the poorer sort of people: for this harlot Rahab had not got such an estate as Phryne had, who offered at her own charge to repair the ruined walls of Thebes, if these words only might have been inscribed on them, "Alexander overturned these walls, and Phryne set them up again." {a}

And she dwelt upon the wall.] Where Providence had placed her for such a purpose as this: for it is God that appointeth the bounds of men’s habitations. {Act 17:26}

{a} O μεν Aλεξανδρος κατεσκαψε, η δε φρυνη ανωκοδο μησεν.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jos 2:15-16. Her house was upon the town-wall — Which gave her the opportunity of dismissing them when the gates were shut. She dwelt upon the wall — Her particular dwelling was there; which may possibly be added, because the other part of her house was reserved for the entertainment of strangers. Get you to the mountain — That is, to some of the mountains wherewith Jericho was encompassed, in which also there were many caves where they might lurk. Three days — Not three whole days, but one whole day, and part of two days.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:15 Because Rahab’s house stood on the town wall, she could hide the men on the flat roof of her house (2:6) and let them out through the window, down the outer side of the wall.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

her house was upon the town wall--In many Oriental cities houses are built on the walls with overhanging windows; in others the town wall forms the back wall of the house, so that the window opens into the country. Rahab's was probably of this latter description, and the cord or rope sufficiently strong to bear the weight of a man.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 15. Then she let them down by a cord c.] The natural place of this verse is after the first clause of Jos 2:21 for it is certain that she did not let them down in the basket till all those circumstances marked from Jos 2:16-20 inclusive had taken place.

She dwelt upon the wall.] That is, either the wall of the city made a part of her house or her house was built close to the wall, so that the top or battlements of it were above the wall with a window that looked out to the country. As the city gates were now shut there was no way for the spies to escape but through this window; and in order to this she let them down through the window in a basket suspended by a cord, till they reached the ground on the outside of the wall.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(15) Her house was upon the town wall—Happily for the two spies. Perhaps, indeed, they selected it for this reason, as it enabled them to leave the town without passing the gate.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. she let them down by a cord] Comp. the escape of St Paul from Damascus (Act_9:25).

her house was upon the town wall] i.e. her chamber was in the upper story of the house, which rose above the wall, as may be seen even now in old cities along the Rhine.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then she let them down by a cord through the window,.... Which must be large, and the cord strong, as well as she herself a masculine woman, to let down two men by it, unless she employed any of her servants in the affair; though this being so great a secrecy, it is probable she trusted none of her domestics with it as little as possible: in like manner the Apostle Paul was let down by the wall of Damascus in a basket, Act 9:25; Jarchi supposes it was the same cord and window, by means of and in at which her gallants used to come and go:

for her house was upon the town wall; in a suitable and convenient place to receive her guests and gallants: and it is observed, that harlots have had their houses on or under walls: Martial speaks of harlots whom he calls (l) Summoenianae, whores that plied under the walls and in the suburbs of cities:

and she dwelt upon the wall; that part of the house in which she particularly dwelt was built on or over the wall, and the rest towards the city was for the entertainment of persons that resorted to her house.

(l) Epigram. l. 3. Ep. 62.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Upon the town wall - The town wall probably formed the back wall of the house, and the window opened therefore into the country. (Compare Paul’s escape, 2Co 11:33).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Which gave her the opportunity of dismissing them when the gates were shut.

She dwelt upon the wall; her particular dwelling was there; which may possibly be added, because the other part of her house was reserved for the entertainment of strangers.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. Then she let them downs by a cord — [Many interpreters are of opinion that there is a confusion in the order of verses here, and that this verse should follow the first sentence of Jos_2:21. For it is improbable, they urge, that Rahab and the spies continued to converse after the latter were let down from the window, inasmuch as such conversation would have led to their detection and exposure. But against such an opinion are the words, Thou didst let us down, (Jos_2:18;) and as for the confusion of verses, Keil well remarks that “the Hebrews often connect together the principal circumstances attending any particular event, and, after fully describing these, proceed to fill up the details of minor importance. This, however, is nor, a confusion in the order of events, but an anticipation of the result consequent upon a well-arranged division of the subject-matter.”] Some have thought that it was impossible that she could let them down alone, and they have furnished her with “friends or domestics” to assist her. But there is no need of this assistance. By fastening the cord to something within the room they could descend, sailor-like, even without aid from within. Paul was let down in a basket. (2Co_11:33.)

Her house was upon the town wall — בקיר החומה, in the depth of the wall. Her house was so constructed that the city wall formed also the back wall of the house.

She dwelt upon the wall — For her house was built on the wall, and projected beyond its outer edge, so that from one of its outer windows the men could be let down beyond the walls of the city. (See note on Act_9:25.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then she let them down. The conversation which is related afterwards, no doubt occurred afterwards, as is proved by the use of the perfect WnTedrwOh in ver. 18. There is no reason to suppose the window by which she let them down. to have been so distant from the ground as to preclude a conversation, and it is quite possible that Rahab"s house may have been in a situation in which such a conversation could be carried on without interruption. There are continental cities now surrounded by walls, in which such a conversation would involve no difficulty whatever, especially if the house from which such a conversation was carried on happened to stand a little apart from other houses. And though the spies sent by Moses described the walls of the Phoenician cities in hyperbolical language, it is highly improbable that their fortifications were stronger than those of mediaeval times. The little town of Ahrweiler, in the valley of the Ahr, near Remagen, may serve as an instance in point. It would once have been called a strongly fortified town, but the walls are of no great height, and the houses are built upon them. The same may be seen at Bacharach and Oberwesel, and other well known places where the fortifications have not been modernised. With the escape of the spies we may compare the escape of St. Paul from Damascus, as recorded in Act_9:25, and 2Co_11:32, 2Co_11:33.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Town-wall - Which gave her the opportunity of dismissing them when the gates were shut. Upon the wall - Her particular dwelling was there: which may possibly be added, because the other part of her house was reserved for the entertainment of strangers.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Rahab then let them down by a rope through the window, namely, into the open country; for her house stood against or upon the town wall, so that she lived upon the wall, and advised them to get to the mountains, that they might not meet the men who had been sent out in pursuit of them, and to hide themselves there for three days, when the pursuers would have returned.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

General Information:

The Israelite spies continue to talk to Rahab.

if you do not do this

This expresses a condition for the promise the spies had made to Rahab. The word, "this," refers to "tie this scarlet rope in the window" in Joshua 2:18. (See: Hypothetical Situations)

translationWords

house

promise

oath

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Then she lowered them down with the rope. With the same rope and through the same window her admirers would use to come up to her. She said: “Master of the World with these I have sinned, with these forgive me.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.