Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And the men said unto her,.... Some think that this discourse, which passed between the spies and her, was while in the house before she let them down, or otherwise they would have been in danger of being overheard, and so the whole affair discovered; but as it was on the other side of the house, and under the wall of the city, and without it, they might with the greater safety converse together:

we will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear; that is, they would most faithfully and punctually keep it, it should be sacred to them, and she should have no occasion to lay any blame upon them in the least.

Geneva Study Bible

(h) We will be released from our oath if you perform this condition that follows for so shall you and yours be delivered.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

Said — Or, had said; namely, before she let them down; it being very improbable, either that she would dismiss them before the condition was agreed on; or that she would discourse with them, or they with her, about such secret and weighty things after they were let down, when others might overhear them.

Blameless — That is, free from guilt or reproach if it be violated, namely, if the following condition be not observed.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 2:17 And the men said unto her, We [will be] blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

Ver. 17. We will be blameless of this thine oath,] q.d, Great haste though we have, yet will we clear up the terms whereunto we have sworn, to prevent the danger or rebut the suspicion of perjury. An oath is not to be taken but with a great deal of caution and circumspection, [Genesis 24:3-5] not in jest, but in judgment, [Jeremiah 4:2 Isaiah 48:1] not rashly and unadvisedly, [Leviticus 5:4 1 Samuel 14:39; 1 Samuel 14:44] as those that swear in heat and choler, when they should with fear, [Deuteronomy 10:20] discerning the nature of an oath, the necessity, the conditions and circumstances.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

The men said, or, had said; namely, before she let them down; it being very improbable, either that she would dismiss them before the condition was expressed and agreed; or that she would discourse with them, or they with her, about such secret and weighty things after they were let down, when others might overhear them; or that she should begin her discourse in her chamber, and not finish it till they were gone out of her house.

Object. They spoke this after they were let down; for it follows, Joshua 2:18, this-thread which thou didst let us down by.

Answ. Those words may be thus rendered, which thou dost let us down by, i.e. art about to do it; it being frequent for the pretertense to be used of a thing about to be done, by an enallage of tenses, as Joshua 10:15.

Blameless of this thine oath, i.e. free from guilt or reproach if it be violated, namely, if the following condition be not observed.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

‘And the men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made us swear.” ’

In such a case as this constant reassurance was required, for it was a matter of life and death. Their assurance was that they would not let her down. They would fulfil their part in the oath. They were promising that when all was done they would so act that no guilt would be able to be laid at their door.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

17.We will be blameless of this thine oath — That is, released from the oath which we have taken, provided you do not fulfil the following conditions.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

Joshua 2:17. The men said — Or, had said; namely, before she let them down; it being very improbable either that she would dismiss them before the condition was agreed on, or that she would discourse with them, or they with her, about such secret and weighty things after they were let down, when others might overhear them. Blameless — That is, free from guilt or reproach if it be violated; namely, if the following condition be not observed.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

20; Genesis 24:3-8; Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:11,12; Numbers 30:2; 2 Samuel 21:1,2,7