Spies Like Them
Joshua Chapter Two, the Strange and the Spectacular
Vital Stats:
Verses: 24
Is It Read At Synagogue?: Yes; this chapter is the Haftarah (reading from the books of the Prophets) read in conjunction with the Torah portion of Shelach Lecha, which will be read this year on June 29th.
Famous Quotes/Phrases: The key term is “״רדף (rodef), meaning “pursuit.” The word, or derivations thereof, appears six times in this chapter. Everyone in this chapter is in hot pursuit of something — the Israelites want land, Rahav wants security, the spies want cooperation.
Basic Plot: Poised to conquer the city of Jericho, Joshua sends two spies across the Jordan River to do reconnaissance. They spend the night in Jericho at the home of a woman named Rahav, who lies to the local king’s messengers in order to protect the spies. Rahav tells the spies that she’s fully aware that Jericho is about to fall, so she helps them escape, asking that the Israelites protect her and her family. The spies agree, on the condition that she displays a visible sign of her loyalty (a crimson cord) from her balcony when the invasion takes place. After three more days of hiding from Jericho authorities, the spies return to Joshua, expressing their confidence that Jericho is as good as theirs.
What’s Strange: In Chapter One, God promises Joshua that they will conquer the Promised Land. So why does Joshua need more assurance that they would defeat Jericho? Perhaps these two chapters take place in reverse order — meaning, Joshua sends the spies before God’s ultimate assurance. Some scholars believe this because Joshua’s full name appears both at the start and at the end of Chapter Two, indicating that this chapter may have been written separately from other parts of the book.
What’s Spectacular: While the spies are successful in their mission, the true standout character in this chapter is Rahav. She is loyal both to the Israelite spies and to her own family.
What’s more, Rahav is knowledgeable enough to know what she is up against. In her book Joshua and the Rhetoric of Violence: A New Historicist Analysis, Lori L. Rowlett emphasizes that Rahav is pointedly aware of the Israelites’ “ability utterly to destroy opponents (Sihon and Og) in battle.” In other words, just as the Israelites engage in total war during the events of the Torah, they are ready to do so again under Joshua’s leadership. Rahav realizes that unless she makes a deal, she has no chance to survive the oncoming invasion.
The concept of total war is found throughout the Book of Joshua, which is one reason why it helps to see the text more as a parable than an instructive text. We know all too well that total war is unrealistic, as there is a human cost even in the most decisive victories. Whenever we are engulfed in conflict — whether national or personal in scope — we are most successful when we remember the numerous, loyal Rahavs found in every community.
Shabbat Shalom!