Bible Strands
Joshua 2:7
So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes the king’s men pursuing the two spies along the road to the Jordan fords immediately after the city gate is shut behind them. This occurs at dusk, right after Rahab hides the men on her roof and the gatekeeper closes the gate.
The words — רָדְפ֤וּ (radəp̄ū) means "they pursued" and describes the king’s men chasing the spies. הַֽ/מַּעְבְּר֑וֹת (hammaʿḇrōṯ) translates literally to "the fords," indicating the river crossing points they are directed toward.
The thread — The pursuit along the Jordan fords echoes later conflicts at the same location, where Gileadites capture fugitives using the fords as a strategic choke point (Judges 12:5). The narrative also recalls earlier gate-closing tactics used to trap or delay pursuers (Joshua 2:5).
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to note how a closed gate creates a narrow window of opportunity for the hidden spies. It demands recognition that physical barriers and timed movements determine the success of covert operations.
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 the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
Cross-references
- Judges 3:28 “Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over.
- Joshua 2:5 At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!”
- Judges 12:5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,”
- Acts 5:23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards posted at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”