And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

JOSHUA 2:24KJV
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Joshua 2:24 (KJV)

What does Joshua 2:24 mean?

Joshua 2:24 reports that the spies sent by Joshua return and tell him that the LORD has truly given them the whole land, because the people living there are terrified of the Israelites. This verse shows the spies’ confidence that God is making a way for Israel to take possession of Canaan.

The speakers in Joshua 2:24 are the two Israelite spies who had just returned from Jericho. They are speaking to Joshua, their leader, after hearing from Rahab and seeing firsthand that the people of the land are fearful. Their report confirms that God’s promise to give Israel the land is becoming a reality, and the fear among the inhabitants is a sign of Israel’s coming victory.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 2:24

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, emphasizing that it is specifically their God who is acting on their behalf, not just a generic deity.
  • delivered (נָתַן, natan): This word often means “to give” or “to hand over.” The spies are saying that God has already, in effect, handed the land over to Israel, even before any battle has taken place.
  • faint (מוּג, mug): This word means to melt or lose courage. The verse points out that the inhabitants’ hearts are melting with fear, highlighting the psychological impact Israel’s approach is having on them.

Why Joshua 2:24 matters

  • Joshua 2:24 clarifies that the Israelites’ confidence is not based on their own strength, but on what God has already done to prepare the way for them.
  • The verse connects directly to Rahab’s earlier words about the fear of the LORD spreading among the people, showing that her testimony was accurate and trustworthy.
  • This report sets the stage for the conquest of Canaan, showing that the people’s fear is a sign of God’s work and a fulfillment of His promises to Israel.

Where else these words appear

“faint” Hebrew H4127 · used in 17 verses

  • Exodus 15:15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
  • Psalms 65:10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
  • Jeremiah 49:23 Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

“Truly” Hebrew H3588 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
  • Exodus 13:17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
  • Joshua 2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: