Joshua 2:2
New International Version
The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”

New Living Translation
But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”

English Standard Version
And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.”

Berean Standard Bible
And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.”

King James Bible
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

New King James Version
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”

New American Standard Bible
But it was told to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.”

NASB 1995
It was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.”

NASB 1977
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And it was told to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.”

Amplified Bible
Now the king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to spy and search out the land.”

Christian Standard Bible
The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.”

American Standard Version
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land.

Contemporary English Version
But someone found out about them and told the king of Jericho, "Some Israelite men came here tonight, and they are spies."

English Revised Version
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The king of Jericho was told, "Some Israelites have entered the city tonight. They came to gather information about our land."

Good News Translation
The king of Jericho heard that some Israelites had come that night to spy out the country,

International Standard Version
Then the king of Jericho was told, "Look! Israeli men arrived tonight to scout out the land."

Majority Standard Bible
And it was reported to the king of Jericho: ?Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.?

NET Bible
The king of Jericho received this report: "Note well! Israelite men have come here tonight to spy on the land."

New Heart English Bible
The king of Jericho was told, "Look, men of the children of Israel came in here to spy out the land."

Webster's Bible Translation
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel, to search out the country.

World English Bible
The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it is told to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come in here tonight, from the sons of Israel, to search the land.”

Young's Literal Translation
And it is told to the king of Jericho, saying, 'Lo, men have come in hither to-night, from the sons of Israel, to search the land.

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be said to the king of Jericho, Behold, men came here this night from the sons of Israel to search out the land.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it was told the king of Jericho, and was said : Behold there are men come in hither, by night, of the children of Israel, to spy the land.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And it was reported to the king of Jericho, and it was said: “Behold, men have entered to this place in the night, from the sons of Israel, so that they might explore the land.”

New American Bible
But a report was brought to the king of Jericho: “Some men came here last night, Israelites, to spy out the land.”

New Revised Standard Version
The king of Jericho was told, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to search out the land.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came certain men here tonight from the children of Israel to spy in the country.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And it was told the King of Yerikho: “Behold men came here in the night from the sons of Israel to spy the land.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying: 'Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
An it was reported to the king of Jericho, saying, Men of the sons of Israel have come in hither to spy the land.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rahab Welcomes the Spies
1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 2And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.”…

Cross References
Hebrews 11:31
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.

James 2:25
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?

Exodus 1:15-21
Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, / “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.” / The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live. ...

1 Kings 17:9-16
“Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” / So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.” / And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.” ...

Matthew 1:5
Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

Acts 9:25
One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.

2 Samuel 17:17-21
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, for they dared not be seen entering the city. / But a young man did see them and told Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. / Then the man’s wife took a covering, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain over it so nobody would know a thing. ...

1 Samuel 19:11-17
Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!” / So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped. / Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment. ...

Matthew 21:31-32
Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. / For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Luke 7:37-50
When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. / As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume. / When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!” ...

Genesis 19:1-11
Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown, / and said, “My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” / But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. ...

Acts 16:27-34
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. / But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!” / Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ...

1 Kings 18:4
for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)

Romans 3:23-24
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, / and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Kings 6:13-17
So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” / the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city. / When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, behold, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” ...


Treasury of Scripture

And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in here to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

told the king

Psalm 127:1
A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.

Isaiah 43:13
Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

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Joshua 2
1. Rahab receives and conceals the two spies sent from Shittim
8. The covenant between her and them
23. Their return and description of events














And it was reported
The phrase indicates a communication or message that was delivered to the king. In the Hebrew text, the word used here is "נאמר" (ne'emar), which means "it was said" or "it was told." This suggests a network of informants or a vigilant watch over the city, highlighting the tension and alertness in Jericho as Israel approached. The vigilance of the city reflects the fear and anticipation of the Israelites' arrival, as their reputation had preceded them.

to the king of Jericho
Jericho was a significant city in Canaan, and its king would have been a central figure in the defense and governance of the city. The title "king" (Hebrew: "מלך", melech) indicates a ruler with authority and responsibility over the city-state. Historically, Jericho is one of the oldest inhabited cities, and its strategic location made it a key target for the Israelites. The king's involvement underscores the seriousness of the situation and the perceived threat from the Israelites.

Behold
This word is used to draw attention to the importance or urgency of the message. In Hebrew, "הנה" (hinneh) is often used to emphasize the significance of what follows. It serves as a call to focus on the critical nature of the report, indicating that the presence of the Israelite spies was a matter of great concern.

some men of Israel
The phrase identifies the individuals as belonging to the nation of Israel. The term "men" (Hebrew: "אנשים", anashim) is generic but significant, as it implies representatives or agents acting on behalf of the larger community. Israel, at this point, was a nation on the move, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham regarding the land of Canaan. The mention of "Israel" connects the spies to the larger narrative of God's covenant and the unfolding of His divine plan.

have come here tonight
The timing of the spies' arrival, "tonight," suggests stealth and urgency. The Hebrew word for "tonight" (לילה, laylah) indicates the cover of darkness, which was likely chosen to avoid detection. This reflects the strategic and covert nature of their mission. The night often symbolizes a time of uncertainty and danger, yet it is also a time when God's providence can be at work unseen.

to spy out the land
The purpose of the spies' mission is clearly stated: to gather intelligence about the land. The Hebrew verb "לרגל" (laregel) means "to spy" or "to scout," indicating a reconnaissance mission. This action is part of a larger divine strategy to take possession of the Promised Land. The act of spying underscores the need for wisdom, discernment, and preparation in fulfilling God's promises. It also highlights the tension between human effort and divine intervention in the unfolding of God's plan for His people.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And it was reported
וַיֵּ֣אָמַ֔ר (way·yê·’ā·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to the king
לְמֶ֥לֶךְ (lə·me·leḵ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Jericho:
יְרִיח֖וֹ (yə·rî·ḥōw)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3405: Jericho -- a city in the Jordan Valley captured by Joshua

“Behold,
הִנֵּ֣ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

some men
אֲ֠נָשִׁים (’ă·nā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

have come
בָּ֣אוּ (bā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

here
הֵ֧נָּה (hên·nāh)
Adverb
Strong's 2008: Hither, thither

tonight
הַלַּ֛יְלָה (hal·lay·lāh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity

to spy out
לַחְפֹּ֥ר (laḥ·pōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2658: To pry into, to delve, to explore

the land.”
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT History: Joshua 2:2 The king of Jericho was told Behold (Josh. Jos)
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