Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the door of thy house into the street,.... After they have been taken in, and when the Israelites were come into the city:

his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless; if he is killed by any person, his death will be owing to himself, and no blame to be laid on us; nor shall we reckon ourselves guilty of the breach of the oath taken:

and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him: if anyone within doors is killed by an Israelite entering in, the guilt of the blood shall lie upon us, and we will be answerable, according to the tenor of the oath, "our life for yours", Joshua 2:14.

Geneva Study Bible

(i) He shall be guilty of his own death.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

Upon his head — The blame of his death shall rest wholly upon himself, as being occasioned by his own neglect of the means of safety.

Our head — We are willing to bear the sin, and shame, and punishment of it.

Be upon him — So as to kill him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

His blood shall be upon his head; the blame of his death shall rest wholly upon himself, as being occasioned by his own neglect or contempt of the means of safety.

His blood shall be on our head; we are willing to bear the sin, and shame, and punishment of it.

If any hand be upon him, to wit, so as to kill him, as this phrase is used, Esther 6:2 Job 1:12.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

19.[

His blood shall be upon his head — A technical formula of retribution indicating the punishment of death when justly brought upon one’s self, and equivalent to, Let the guilt of his death fall back upon himself. See note on Acts 18:6.]

If any hand be upon him — That is, to injure or to slay.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

Joshua 2:19. Upon his head — The blame of his death shall rest wholly upon himself, as being occasioned by his own neglect of the means of safety. Our head — We are willing to bear the sin, and shame, and punishment of it. If any hand be upon him — So as to kill him.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. His blood shall be upon his head, [ daamow (Hebrew #1818)]. The word, being in the singular, implies that the relative of Rahab who breaks the stipulated terms by venturing abroad at the time of the impending siege, shall be himself, and no one else, the cause of his own death. Daamiym (Hebrew #1818), in the plural, bloods, is used by David to the Amalekite in reference to his blood-guiltiness if he were to kill Saul (2 Samuel 1:16).]

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) Whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head.—Comp. Exodus 12:22 (the account of the Passover), “Ye shall. . . . strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood that is in the bason: and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning; for the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians.” What the blood was to the houses of Israel in Egypt, that the scarlet line in the window was to the house of Rahab. Both alike prefigured “the precious blood of Christ.”

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

whosoever

Exodus 12:13,23; Numbers 35:26-28; 1 Kings 2:36-42; Matthew 24:17; Acts 27:31; Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 10:29; 1 John 2:27,28

street, his blood

Leviticus 20:9,11; 2 Samuel 1:16; 3:28,29; Ezekiel 33:4,5; Matthew 27:24,25; Acts 18:6; Acts 20:26

house, his blood

14; 2 Samuel 4:11; 1 Kings 2:32; Matthew 27:25