Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And it was told the king of Jericho, saying,.... Who being alarmed at the near approach of the Israelites, and knowing their claim to the land of Canaan, and their design upon it, employed men to watch and observe what passed in the city, and parts adjacent, and inform him of it; or some persons of themselves, and for their own safety, and the good of their fellow citizens, gave notice to the king of it:

behold, there came men hither tonight of the children of Israel; who were known by their habit and language; or at least, being strangers, were suspected to be of that people, the terror of whom had fallen on all the inhabitants, so that every strange man they took for an Israelite; from hence it appears, that the spies came to Jericho at night, that they might not be observed: but with all their precaution they were taken notice of, and their design suspected, namely:

to search out the country; which were the proper places to attack first, and where there was the greatest probability of succeeding, as well as to find out the disposition of the inhabitants, whether fearful or fearless of them.

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

The alarm of the king of Jericho was very natural. He and his people had heard of Israel, and of the Lord being among them. Remember God's promise. Deuteronomy 2:25.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

To night — This evening.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Joshua 2:2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

Ver. 2. And it was told the king of Jericho.] Kings have long ears; their ωτακουσται, informers and intelligencers, are in all places, but especially when Hannibal est ad portas, the enemy is at hand, as now he was.

To search out the country.] As we have cause to conceive. Optimus in dubiis agur timor.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

To-night; this evening, by comparing this with Joshua 2:5.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

‘And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, there came men in here tonight of the children of Israel, to search out the land.”

Someone, possibly one of the ‘guests’ made suspicious by their questions, or possibly a watchman at the gates who noticed where they went (Rahab’s house was on the city wall), sent a report to the local king about their visit. They would be given away by their clothing, their looks, their dialect and the workings of suspicious minds. Indeed spies had probably been expected and they would be on the watch for them, for news would have come through about the total defeat of the Amorites and that a large army was waiting to cross the Jordan once the floods had subsided.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

2.It was told the king — The chief of each great city, and even of each petty clan, is in the Old Testament dignified by the appellation of king. At this time of alarm, when the invading foe was only a few miles off, a shrewd king would naturally give orders to watch closely every suspicious-looking stranger.

There came men’ to search out the country — The peculiar Hebrew physiognomy of the two spies, and perhaps, also, their entering the eastern gate, were strong grounds of suspicion.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

By night. Hebrew, "this night." (Calmet)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Behold. Figure of speech Asteriemos. App-6.

children = sons.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

It was told the king - by the sentinels who at such a time of threatened invasion would be posted on the eastern frontier, and whose duty required them to make a strict report to headquarters of the arrival of all strangers. The king was of course only a petty, though independent, ruler, each of the cities of Canaan at this period being governed by its own melek.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

told the king

Psalms 127:1; Proverbs 21:30; Isaiah 43:13; Daniel 4:35

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

2.And it was told the king, etc. It is probable that watchmen had been appointed to take notice of suspicious strangers, as is wont to be done in doubtful emergencies, or during an apprehension of war. The Israelites were nigh at hand; they had openly declared to the Edomites and Moabites that they were seeking a settlement in the land of Canaan; they were formidable for their number; they had already made a large conquest after slaying two neighboring kings; and as we shall shortly perceive, their famous passage of the Red Sea had been noised abroad. It would therefore have argued extreme supineness in such manifest danger to allow any strangers whatever to pass freely through the city of Jericho, situated as it was on the frontiers.

It is not wonderful, therefore, that men who were unknown and who appeared from many circumstances to have come with a hostile intention, were denounced to the king. At the same time, however, we may infer that they were supernaturally blinded in not guarding their gates more carefully; for with the use of moderate diligence the messengers after they had once entered might easily have been detained. Nay, a search ought forthwith to have been instituted, and thus they would to a certainty have been caught. The citizens of Jericho were in such trepidation and so struck with judicial amazement, that they acted in everything without method or counsel. Meanwhile the two messengers were reduced to such extremities that they seemed on the eve of being delivered up to punishment. The king sends for them; they are lurking in the house; their life hangs upon the tongue of a woman, just as if it were hanging by a thread. Some have thought that there was in this a punishment of the distrust of Joshua, who ought to have boldly passed the Jordan, trusting to the divine guidance. But the result would rather lead us to conclude differently, that God by rescuing the messengers from extreme danger gave new courage to the people; for in that manifestation of his power he plainly showed that he was watching over their safety, and providing for their happy entrance into the promised land.