And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
JOSHUA 6:17KJVWhat does Joshua 6:17 mean?
Joshua 6:17 declares that the city of Jericho and everything in it are to be set apart for destruction as an offering to the LORD, except for Rahab the harlot and those with her in her house, because she protected the Israelite messengers. This verse sets Rahab and her family apart for rescue due to her earlier act of hiding the spies sent by Joshua.
In this verse, Joshua is speaking to the Israelite people as they prepare to conquer Jericho. The instruction is that Jericho is to be "accursed"—completely devoted to destruction—except for Rahab and her household. The reason given is Rahab's earlier decision to hide the Israelite messengers, showing that her actions have earned her protection in the midst of judgment on the city.
The Hebrew behind Joshua 6:17
- "accursed" (חֵרֶם, ḥērem): This word means something devoted or set apart, often for destruction. Here, it signals that Jericho is not just being conquered but is being given over entirely to God, with nothing to be kept except what God allows.
- "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, emphasizing that the destruction and the sparing of Rahab are both acts done in obedience to God’s specific command.
- "harlot" (זוֹנָה, zonah): The word refers to Rahab’s occupation, highlighting her unlikely status as the one spared. Her background makes her rescue even more striking in the narrative.
- "hid" (חָבָא, chava): This verb describes Rahab’s action of concealing the messengers. The verse points to this specific act as the reason for her deliverance.
Why Joshua 6:17 matters
- Joshua 6:17 clarifies that the destruction of Jericho was not random violence but a specific act of devotion to God’s command, with clear exceptions made for those who aligned themselves with Israel’s God.
- The verse highlights Rahab’s faith and actions as the reason for her rescue, showing that even someone with a questionable background could find mercy by siding with God’s people.
- This verse sets up the fulfillment of the promise made to Rahab in Joshua 2, connecting her story to the larger narrative of Israel’s conquest and God’s faithfulness to individuals within that story.