Joshua 2:20

Study note

Setting — Rahab addresses the two Israelite spies inside her Jerusalem dwelling after they have concealed themselves and before she secures the scarlet cord to her window. She establishes a conditional clause governing her family's protection based on her prior agreement in Joshua 2:19.

The words — The text relies on תַּגִּ֖ידִי (ta.Gi.di), literally "you will tell," and נְקִיִּ֔ם (ne.ki.Yim), literally "free" or "innocent." Rahab declares that if the spies disclose their mission, the spies will be released from the oath she previously bound them to swear.

The thread — The tension between disclosure and confidentiality runs through Proverbs 11:13, which contrasts a gossip who reveals secrets with a trustworthy person who guards a confidence.

Why it lands — The verse requires readers to acknowledge that sworn agreements in covenant contexts carry explicit conditions regarding information control. It demands precise attention to how sworn commitments are activated or nullified by human action.

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.