Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Contemporary English Version

Joshua 2:12

Please promise me in the Lord 's name that you will be as kind to my family as I have been to you. Do something to show

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Hospitality;   Kindness;   Oath;   Reconnoissance;   Treaty;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Head;   Oaths;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Rahab;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Family Life and Relations;   Israel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Architecture in the Biblical Period;   Joshua, the Book of;   Kindness;   Mercy, Merciful;   Sign;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hoshea;   Jericho;   Joshua;   Rahab;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Rahab ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jericho;   Rahab, Rachab ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jericho;   Rahab;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Shittim;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jer'icho;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Kindness;   Token;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Oath;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Now please swear to me by the Lord that you will also show kindness to my father’s family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
Hebrew Names Version
Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a true token;
King James Version
Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord , since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
Lexham English Bible
So then please swear to me by Yahweh, because I have shown loyalty to you, and you will also show loyalty to my family. You must give me a sign of good faith,
English Standard Version
Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign
New Century Version
So now, promise me before the Lord that you will show kindness to my family just as I showed kindness to you. Give me some proof that you will do this.
New English Translation
So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the Lord 's name. Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family. Give me a solemn pledge
Amplified Bible
"And now, please swear [an oath] to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's household (family), and give me a pledge of truth and faithfulness,
New American Standard Bible
"Now then, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now therefore, I pray you, sweare vnto me by the Lord; that as I haue shewed you mercie, ye will also shewe mercie vnto my fathers house, and giue me a true token,
Legacy Standard Bible
So now, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have shown lovingkindness to you, that you also will show lovingkindness to my father's household and give me a pledge of truth,
Complete Jewish Bible
So, please, swear to me by Adonai that, since I have been kind to you, you will also be kind to my father's family. Give me some evidence of your good faith,
Darby Translation
And now, I pray you, swear to me by Jehovah, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye will also deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a certain sign,
Easy-to-Read Version
So now, I want you to make a promise to me. I was kind to you and helped you. So promise me before the Lord that you will be kind to my family. Please tell me that you will do this.
George Lamsa Translation
Now therefore, swear to me by the LORD, because I have showed you kindness, that you also will show kindness to me and to my fathers household, and give me a true sign;
Good News Translation
Now swear by him that you will treat my family as kindly as I have treated you, and give me some sign that I can trust you.
Literal Translation
And now, please swear to me by Jehovah, since I have dealt with you in kindness, that you will also deal with my father's house in kindness, and shall give to me a true token;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Sweare now then vnto me euen by the LORDE (for so moch as I haue dealte mercifully with you) that ye wyl also shewe mercy vpon my fathers house: and geue me a true token,
American Standard Version
Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by Jehovah, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a true token;
Bible in Basic English
So now, will you give me your oath by the Lord, that, because I have been kind to you, you will be kind to my father's house,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Nowe therfore, I pray you sweare vnto me by the Lorde, that as I haue shewed you mercie, ye shall also shewe mercie vnto my fathers house, and geue me a true token:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye also will deal kindly with my father's house--and give me a true token--
King James Version (1611)
Now therfore, I pray you, sweare vnto me by the Lord, since I haue shewed you kindnesse, that ye will also shew kindnesse vnto my fathers house, and giue me a true token:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And now swear to me by the Lord God; since I deal mercifully with you, so do ye also deal mercifully with the house of my father:
English Revised Version
Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a true token:
Berean Standard Bible
Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Now therfor swere ye to me bi the Lord God, that as Y dide merci with you, so and ye do with the hows of my fadir; and yyue ye to me a veri signe,
Young's Literal Translation
`And now, swear ye, I pray you, to me by Jehovah -- because I have done with you kindness -- that ye have done, even ye, kindness with the house of my father, and have given to me a true token,
Update Bible Version
Now therefore, I pray you, swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a true token;
Webster's Bible Translation
Now therefore, I pray you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have showed you kindness, that ye will also show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token:
World English Bible
Now therefore, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a true token;
New King James Version
Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token,
New Living Translation
"Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that
New Life Bible
Now I have shown you kindness. So I beg of you, promise me by the Lord that you will show kindness to those of my father's house. Give me something to show that you will be faithful.
New Revised Standard
Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, therefore I pray you, swear unto me by Yahweh, since I have dealt with you in lovingkindness, that, ye also, will deal with the house of my father in lovingkindness, and will give me a token of faithfulness,
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now, therefore, swear ye to me by the Lord, that as I have shewed mercy to you, so you also will shew mercy to my father’s house: and give me a true token.
Revised Standard Version
Now then, swear to me by the LORD that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign,
THE MESSAGE
"Now promise me by God . I showed you mercy; now show my family mercy. And give me some tangible proof, a guarantee of life for my father and mother, my brothers and sisters—everyone connected with my family. Save our souls from death!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth,

Contextual Overview

8 Rahab went back up to her roof. The spies were still awake, so she told them: 9 I know that the Lord has given Israel this land. Everyone shakes with fear because of you. 10 We heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea so you could leave Egypt. And we heard how you destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River. 11 We know that the Lord your God rules heaven and earth, and we've lost our courage and our will to fight. 12 Please promise me in the Lord 's name that you will be as kind to my family as I have been to you. Do something to show 13 that you won't let your people kill my father and mother and my brothers and sisters and their families. 14 "Rahab," the spies answered, "if you keep quiet about what we're doing, we promise to be kind to you when the Lord gives us this land. We pray that the Lord will kill us if we don't keep our promise!" 15 Rahab's house was built into the town wall, and one of the windows in her house faced outside the wall. She gave the spies a rope, showed them the window, and said, "Use this rope to let yourselves down to the ground outside the wall. 16 Then hide in the hills. The men who are looking for you won't be able to find you there. They'll give up and come back after a few days, and you can be on your way." 17The spies said: You made us promise to let you and your family live. We will keep our promise, but you can't tell anyone why we were here. You must tie this red rope on your window when we attack, and your father and mother, your brothers, and everyone else in your family must be here with you. We'll take the blame if anyone who stays in this house gets hurt. But anyone who leaves your house will be killed, and it won't be our fault.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

swear: Joshua 9:15, Joshua 9:18-20, 1 Samuel 20:14, 1 Samuel 20:15, 1 Samuel 20:17, 1 Samuel 30:15, 2 Chronicles 36:13, Jeremiah 12:16

that ye will: 1 Samuel 20:14-17, 1 Samuel 24:21, 1 Samuel 24:22, Esther 8:6, 2 Timothy 1:16-18, James 2:13

my father's: Joshua 2:13, Genesis 24:3, Genesis 24:9, Romans 1:31, 1 Timothy 5:8

give me: Joshua 2:18, Exodus 12:13, Ezekiel 9:4-6, Mark 14:44

Reciprocal: Genesis 9:12 - General Genesis 21:23 - swear Genesis 40:14 - show Exodus 20:7 - guiltless Deuteronomy 6:13 - shalt swear Joshua 6:22 - as ye sware unto her Judges 1:24 - we will 2 Thessalonians 3:17 - the token

Cross-References

Exodus 28:20
and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount the stones in delicate gold settings
Exodus 39:13
and a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper were in the fourth row. They were mounted in a delicate gold setting,
Numbers 11:7
The manna was like small whitish seeds
Job 28:16
or precious stones.
Ezekiel 28:13
You lived in the garden of Eden and wore jewelry made of brightly colored gems and precious stones. They were all set in gold and were ready for you on the day you were born.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord,.... Which being a religious action, and done by men that feared the Lord, she knew it would be binding upon them: the Targum is,

"swear to me by the Word of the Lord:''

since I have showed you kindness; by receiving them with peace into her house, and hiding them when inquired for and demanded of her; in doing which she risked her own, life, had this treachery to her country, as it would have been deemed, been discovered;

that you will also show kindness unto my father's house; she mentions not herself and household, for if this was granted that would be implied and included; and this she presses for by the law of retaliation and friendship, for since she had shown kindness to them, it was but reasonable it should be returned:

and give me a true token; that she and her father's house would be saved by them when the city should be taken and the inhabitants destroyed; a token that would not deceive her, on which she might depend, and would be firm and sure.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A true token - literally, “a sign” or “pledge of truth; “something to bind them to keep their promise faithfully. The “token” was the oath which the spies take Joshua 2:14.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 2:12. Swear unto me by the Lord — This is a farther proof that this woman had received considerable instruction in the Jewish faith; she acknowledged the true God by his essential character Jehovah; and knew that an oath in his name was the deepest and most solemn obligation under which a Jew could possibly come. Does not this also refer to the command of God, Thou shalt fear the Lord, and shalt swear by his name? Deuteronomy 6:13.


 
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