John Calvin Commentary Joshua 2:1

"And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there." — Joshua 2:1 (ASV)

And Joshua the son of Nun sent, etc. (Joshua 2:1). The object of the exploration now under consideration was different from the previous one, when Joshua was sent with eleven others to survey all the regions of the land. Their mission was to bring back information to the whole people concerning its position, nature, fertility, and other properties, the magnitude and number of the cities, the inhabitants, and their customs.

The present object was to motivate those who might be inclined to be sluggish to engage with more eagerness in the campaign. And though it appears from the first chapter of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 1:22) that Moses, at the request of the people, sent chosen men to spy out the land, he elsewhere relates (Numbers 13:4) that he did it by command from God. Those twelve, therefore, set out divinely commissioned for a somewhat different purpose: namely, to make a thorough survey of the land and be the heralds of its excellence to stir up the courage of the people.

Now Joshua secretly sends two persons to ascertain whether or not a free passage could be made over the Jordan, whether the citizens of Jericho were complacent, or whether they were alert and prepared to resist. In short, he sends spies on whose report he might prepare for all dangers.

Therefore, a twofold question may be raised here: Are we to approve of his prudence? Or are we to condemn him for excessive anxiety, especially as he seems to have trusted more than was right to his own prudence when, without consulting God, he was so careful in taking precautions against danger?

But, since it is not expressly said that he received a message from heaven to order the people to collect their equipment and to publish his proclamation concerning the passage of the Jordan—although it is perfectly obvious that he never would have thought of moving the camp unless God had ordered it—it is also probable that in sending the spies he consulted God about His will in the matter. Or it may be that God Himself, knowing how much need there was for this additional confirmation, had spontaneously suggested it to the mind of His servant. However that may be, while Joshua commands his messengers to spy out Jericho, he is preparing to besiege it, and accordingly desires to ascertain in what direction it can be most easily and safely approached.

They came into a harlot’s house, etc. (Joshua 2:1). I do not see why some try to avoid the name harlot and interpret זונה (zonah) as meaning one who keeps an inn, unless it is that they think it disgraceful to be the guests of a courtesan, or wish to wipe off a stigma from a woman who not only received the messengers kindly but also secured their safety by remarkable courage and prudence.

It is indeed a regular practice with the Rabbis, when they wish to preserve the honor of their nation, to presumptuously wrest Scripture and twist its meaning with their fabrications concerning anything that seems less than reputable. But the probability is that while the messengers were seeking secrecy, avoiding observation and all public places, they came to a woman who lived in a retired spot.

Her house was next to the wall of the city; indeed, its outer side was actually situated in the wall. From this we can infer that it was some obscure corner remote from the public thoroughfare, just as persons of her description usually live in narrow lanes and secret places. It cannot be consistently supposed to have been a common inn open to all indiscriminately, because they could not have felt free to converse privately, and it must have been difficult in such circumstances to obtain concealment.

My conclusion, therefore, is that they obtained admission privately and immediately went to a hiding-place. Moreover, in the fact that a woman who had gained a shameful livelihood by prostitution was shortly after admitted into the body of the chosen people and became a member of the Church, we see a striking display of divine grace. This grace could penetrate into a place of shame and draw forth from it not only Rahab but also her father and the other members of her family. Most assuredly, while the term זונה (zonah) almost invariably means harlot, there is nothing here to compel us to depart from the received meaning.