For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

JOSHUA 2:10KJV
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Joshua 2:10 (KJV)

What does Joshua 2:10 mean?

Joshua 2:10 records Rahab explaining to the Israelite spies that the people of Jericho have heard about how the LORD dried up the Red Sea for Israel when they left Egypt, and how Israel defeated the two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, on the other side of the Jordan River. This verse shows that news of Israel’s God and their victories has spread, causing fear among the people of Jericho.

Rahab, a resident of Jericho, is speaking to two Israelite spies who have come to scout out the city. She tells them that the people of Jericho know about the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea and the defeat of powerful kings by Israel. This sets the scene for why the people of Jericho are afraid and why Rahab chooses to help the spies, recognizing the power of Israel’s God.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 2:10

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, emphasizing that the acts Rahab mentions are credited specifically to Israel’s covenant God, not just a generic deity.
  • Red (סוּף, suph) and Sea (יָם, yam): Together, these words refer to the "Red Sea," highlighting the specific miracle of God drying up the waters, a foundational event in Israel’s history.
  • Destroyed (חָרַם, charam): This word means to devote to destruction or completely destroy. Rahab uses it to describe what Israel did to Sihon and Og, stressing the totality of their defeat and why Jericho’s people are so fearful.

Why Joshua 2:10 matters

  • Joshua 2:10 shows that God’s actions for Israel have become widely known, shaping the attitudes and fears of other nations even before Israel arrives.
  • The verse explains why Rahab and her people are so afraid, providing context for her decision to hide the spies and seek protection.
  • This verse connects Israel’s past deliverance (the Exodus) and victories to their present situation, showing how God’s reputation goes before them and influences the unfolding story.

Where else these words appear

“Og” Hebrew H5747 · used in 22 verses

  • Numbers 21:33 And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.
  • Deuteronomy 3:11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
  • Joshua 13:12 All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.

“Red” Hebrew H5488 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
  • Numbers 33:10 And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.
  • Nehemiah 9:9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

“Sihon” Hebrew H5511 · used in 34 verses

  • Numbers 21:21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
  • Deuteronomy 2:30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.
  • Joshua 13:10 And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;

“destroyed” Hebrew H2763 · used in 48 verses

  • Exodus 22:20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
  • Joshua 10:28 And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.
  • 1 Samuel 15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.