And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.

JOSHUA 2:16KJV
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Joshua 2:16 (KJV)

What does Joshua 2:16 mean?

Joshua 2:16 records Rahab instructing the Israelite spies to hide in the mountains for three days so that the men searching for them will give up and return, making it safe for the spies to leave. Rahab is giving practical advice to help the spies avoid capture by their pursuers.

Rahab, a resident of Jericho, is speaking to the two Israelite spies she has hidden in her house. The situation is tense—Jericho’s authorities are actively searching for these men. Rahab’s directions are specific: she tells them to escape to the nearby hills (not back toward their camp), hide for three days, and only then continue on their journey. This careful plan shows Rahab’s awareness of the danger and her willingness to protect the spies.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 2:16

  • "mountain" (הָהָר, hāhār): This word refers to the hilly or mountainous area near Jericho. Rahab’s choice of the mountains as a hiding place suggests she knew the pursuers would not search there, highlighting her practical wisdom.
  • "hide" (חָבָא, ḥāvā’): This verb means to conceal oneself. Rahab’s instruction to hide for "three days" (שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים, shelóshet yāmim) shows she expected the search to last a specific amount of time, after which it would be safe to leave.
  • "pursuers" (רָדַף, rāḏaf): Used twice in this verse, this word means those who are chasing or hunting someone. The repeated mention emphasizes the real and present danger the spies faced.

Why Joshua 2:16 matters

  • This verse shows Rahab’s active role in protecting the spies, not just hiding them but also giving them a detailed escape plan, which highlights her courage and resourcefulness.
  • The instruction to hide for three days connects to later events in the chapter, showing how Rahab’s advice directly leads to the spies’ safe return to Joshua.
  • Understanding the practical details in Rahab’s instructions helps clarify that her actions were not just impulsive but carefully thought out, showing her commitment to helping the spies succeed.

Where else these words appear

“hide” Hebrew H2247 · used in 5 verses

  • 1 Kings 22:25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
  • 2 Kings 7:12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.
  • Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

“meet” Hebrew H6293 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 23:8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
  • Joshua 19:34 And then the coast turneth westward to Aznothtabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising.
  • 1 Kings 2:34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

“pursuers” Hebrew H7291 · used in 135 verses

  • Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
  • Judges 8:5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
  • Psalms 69:26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.