Bible Strands

Joshua 2:18

unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all your family into your house.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The two Israelite spies deliver this conditional warning to Rahab immediately after she demands a sworn guarantee for her relatives' safety. They specify the exact actions she must complete before they will honor her oath upon crossing into Canaan.

The words — The text highlights תִּקְוַ֡ת (tik.Vat), meaning “cord,” and חוּט֩ (chut), meaning “thread,” paired with הַ/שָּׁנִ֨י (ha./sha.Ni), “scarlet.” These terms define the precise physical marker Rahab must display in her window.

The thread — Rahab executes this command by tying the cord in her window as the spies depart (Joshua 2:21), and the cord later functions as the identifying sign when the spies rescue her household (Joshua 6:23). The requirement follows directly from her initial appeal for familial mercy (Joshua 2:12).

Why it lands — The verse establishes a visible, tangible condition for covenant protection rather than leaving safety to vague assurance. It requires readers to treat the specified action as the non-negotiable boundary between preservation and judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הִנֵּ֛הhi.Nehhere!אֲנַ֥חְנוּ'a.Nach.nuweבָאִ֖יםva.'Im[are] about to comeבָּאָ֑רֶץba./'A.retzin the/ landאֶת־'et-<obj.>תִּקְוַ֡תtik.Vat[the] cord ofחוּט֩chut[the] thread ofהַשָּׁנִ֨יha./sha.Nithe/ scarletהַזֶּ֜הha./Zeh<the>/ thisתִּקְשְׁרִ֗יtik.she.Riyou will bindבַּֽחַלּוֹן֙ba./cha.lOnin the/ windowאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhichהוֹרַדְתֵּ֣נוּho.rad.Te./nuyou let down/ usב֔וֹv/oin <the>/ itוְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>אָבִ֨יךְ'a.Vi/khfather/ yourוְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>אִמֵּ֜ךְ'i.Me/khmother/ yourוְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>אַחַ֗יִךְ'a.Cha.yi/khbrothers/ yourוְאֵת֙ve./'Etand/ <obj.>כָּל־kol-allבֵּ֣יתbeit[the] household ofאָבִ֔יךְ'a.Vi/khfather/ yourתַּאַסְפִ֥יta.'as.Fiyou will gatherאֵלַ֖יִךְ'e.La.yi/khto/ youהַבָּֽיְתָה׃ha./Ba.ye.ta/hthe/ house/ towards

King James Version

Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.

Cross-references