Bible Strands
Joshua 2:24
“The LORD has surely delivered the entire land into our hands,” they said to Joshua. “Indeed, all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of us.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Two Israelite spies address Joshua son of Nun immediately after descending from the hill country and crossing the Jordan River. They report that Yahweh has transferred the land to their control and that all residents are paralyzed with terror.
The words — נָתַן (na.Tan) translates literally to "he has given," and בְּ/יָדֵ֖/נוּ (be./ya.De./nu) means "in our hand." These terms frame the spies' report as a declaration of divine transfer of authority rather than human military achievement.
The thread — The theme of divine land delivery and resident terror recurs in Exodus 15:15 and Exodus 23:31, while Numbers 13:32 contrasts this by describing the land devouring its inhabitants and the scouts' own fear rather than the Canaanites' melting fear.
Why it lands — It requires the reader to recognize that the reported fear of the inhabitants stems from Yahweh's prior action, not from Israel's strength. The text demands a shift from relying on human intelligence to trusting the stated divine transfer.
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
King James Version
And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.
Cross-references
- Exodus 23:31 And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
- Exodus 15:15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; those who dwell in Canaan will melt away,
- Numbers 13:32 So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land that they had spied out: “The land we explored devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw there are great in stature.
- Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.
- Joshua 2:9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you.
- Joshua 5:1 Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.
- Joshua 21:44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
- Psalms 48:5 They saw and were astounded; they fled in terror.
- Proverbs 25:13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.
- Revelation 6:16 And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.