1
Jos 2:1-7.
英文原文
Jos 2:1-7.
RAHAB RECEIVES AND CONCEALS THE TWO SPIES.
1. Joshua . . . sent . . . two men to spy secretly--Faith is manifested by an active, persevering use of means
(Jas 2:22);
and accordingly Joshua, while confident in the accomplishment of the divine promise
(Jos 1:3),
adopted every precaution which a skilful general could think of to render his first attempt in the invasion of Canaan successful. Two spies were despatched to reconnoitre the country, particularly in the neighborhood of Jericho; for in the prospect of investing that place, it was desirable to obtain full information as to its site, its approaches, the character, and resources of its inhabitants. This mission required the strictest privacy, and it seems to have been studiously concealed from the knowledge of the Israelites themselves, test any unfavorable or exaggerated report, publicly circulated, might have dispirited the people, as that of the spies did in the days of Moses.
Jericho--Some derive this name from a word signifying "new moon," in reference to the crescent-like plain in which it stood, formed by an amphitheater of hills; others from a word signifying "its scent," on account of the fragrance of the balsam and palm trees in which it was embosomed. Its site was long supposed to be represented by the small mud-walled hamlet Er-Riha; but recent researches have fixed on a spot about half an hour's journey westward, where large ruins exist about six or eight miles distant from the Jordan. It was for that age a strongly fortified town, the key of the eastern pass through the deep ravine, now called Wady-Kelt, into the interior of Palestine.
they . . . came into an harlot's house--Many expositors, desirous of removing the stigma of this name from an ancestress of the Saviour
(Mt 1:5),
have called her a hostess or tavern keeper. But Scriptural usage
(Le 21:7-14; De 23:18; Jud 11:1; 1Ki 3:16),
the authority of the Septuagint, followed by the apostles
(Heb 11:31; Jas 2:25),
and the immemorial style of Eastern khans, which are never kept by women, establish the propriety of the term employed in our version. Her house was probably recommended to the spies by the convenience of its situation, without any knowledge of the character of the inmates. But a divine influence directed them in the choice of that lodging-place.
2
無標題
2、3. 有人告訴耶利哥王——是哨兵告訴的；在面臨入侵之際，東部邊境必設有哨兵，他們的職責便是要將一切外鄉人到來的情形嚴格報告總部。
英文原文
2, 3. it was told the king--by the sentinels who at such a time of threatened invasion would be posted on the eastern frontier and whose duty required them to make a strict report to headquarters of the arrival of all strangers.
4
無標題
4-6. 女人將二人隱藏——原文作「他」，意即將二人分別藏在各處；這自然是在王的使者到來之前、料想到他們將迅即搜查客人之時所行。按東方的禮俗，人們對婦女的內室懷有一種近乎迷信的敬重，所以王的使者並未強行入內搜查，而是要求她把那兩個外邦人帶出來。
英文原文
4-6. the woman took the two men, and hid them--literally, "him," that is, each of them in separate places, of course previous to the appearance of the royal messengers and in anticipation of a speedy search after her guests. According to Eastern manners, which pay an almost superstitious respect to a woman's apartment, the royal messengers did not demand admittance to search but asked her to bring the foreigners out.
5
無標題
5. 關城門的時候——東方各城的城門都在日落時關閉，此後便再不能出入。
那些人出去的時候——這分明是欺哄。但異教徒中撒謊本是常見的惡習，喇合大概並不覺得這事在道德上有何罪過，何況她這樣做是為要掩護自己的客人；她或者還認為，按東方待客之道，這是她當盡的本分——那禮俗以保守一個已與自己同吃過鹽的最大仇敵為榮。按神的律法判斷，她的回答乃是有罪的權宜之計；只是她的軟弱既與信心相連，便蒙了恩赦，她的服事也蒙了悅納
(雅 2:25)。
英文原文
5. the time of shutting of the gates--The gates of all Oriental cities are closed at sunset, after which there is no possibility either of admission or egress.
the men went out--This was a palpable deception. But, as lying is a common vice among heathen people, Rahab was probably unconscious of its moral guilt, especially as she resorted to it as a means for screening her guests; and she might deem herself bound to do it by the laws of Eastern hospitality, which make it a point of honor to preserve the greatest enemy, if he has once eaten one's salt. Judged by the divine law, her answer was a sinful expedient; but her infirmity being united with faith, she was graciously pardoned and her service accepted
(Jas 2:25).
6
無標題
6. 她領他們上了房頂，用麻秸遮蔽他們——麻和別的植物，在某一季節要鋪展在東方房屋的平頂上曬乾；晾過一陣之後，便堆成無數小堆，因麻長得茂盛，這些堆可高三四英尺。喇合便把這些探子藏在這些麻堆的背後。
英文原文
6. she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax--Flax, with other vegetable productions, is at a certain season spread out on the flat roofs of Eastern houses to be dried in the sun; and, after lying awhile, it is piled up in numerous little stacks, which, from the luxuriant growth of the flax, rise to a height of three or four feet. Behind some of these stacks Rahab concealed the spies.
7
無標題
7. 那些人就追趕他們，往約旦河的渡口追去——約旦河有幾處為人熟知的渡口。第一、第二渡口緊在加利利海之下；第三、第四渡口則緊在朝聖者沐浴處的上下，正對耶利哥。
追趕的人一出去，城門就關了——這一防範之舉，是為要確保探子即便仍潛伏在城中，也必被擒獲。
英文原文
7. the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords--That river is crossed at several well-known fords. The first and second immediately below the sea of Galilee; the third and fourth immediately above and below the pilgrims' bathing-place, opposite Jericho.
as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate--This precaution was to ensure the capture of the spies, should they have been lurking in the city.
8
Jos 2:8-21.
書 2:8-21。
她與他們之間的盟約
8-13. 她上房頂到他們那裏說——喇合這番話頗耐人尋味：一面顯出迦南人普遍的驚惶恐懼
(書 24:11；
申 2:25)，
一面又顯出她堅定的信念——這信念建立在她對神聖應許的認識，以及為以色列人開通進入應許之地道路的那些驚天神蹟之上。她確信耶和華至高無上；她為親人在即將來臨的入侵之危中懇切求保全，正證明了她的信心既真誠又有力量。
英文原文
Jos 2:8-21.
THE COVENANT BETWEEN HER AND THEM.
8-13. she came up unto them upon the roof and said--Rahab's dialogue is full of interest, as showing the universal panic and consternation of the Canaanites on the one hand
(Jos 24:11; De 2:25),
and her strong convictions on the other, founded on a knowledge of the divine promise, and the stupendous miracles that had opened the way of the Israelites to the confines of the promised land. She was convinced of the supremacy of Jehovah, and her earnest stipulations for the preservation of her relatives amid the perils of the approaching invasion, attest the sincerity and strength of her faith.
14
無標題
14. 那些人對她說：我們情願以性命代替你們的，只要你們不洩漏我們這件事——這是一項莊重的保證——相當於起誓，雖然沒有提到神的名；這話是作為他們忠信的條件之外、為她安全所必要的補充——因為這一私下的協議若被洩露，她便有性命之憂。
英文原文
14. the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business--This was a solemn pledge--a virtual oath, though the name of God is not mentioned; and the words were added, not as a condition of their fidelity, but as necessary for her safety, which might be endangered if the private agreement was divulged.
15
無標題
15. 她的房子是在城牆上——東方許多城市，房子建在城牆上，窗戶向外凸出；另一些地方，城牆就是房子的後牆，窗戶開向城外曠野。喇合的房子大概是後一種，而那繩子足夠堅牢，能承受一個人的體重。
英文原文
15. her house was upon the town wall--In many Oriental cities houses are built on the walls with overhanging windows; in others the town wall forms the back wall of the house, so that the window opens into the country. Rahab's was probably of this latter description, and the cord or rope sufficiently strong to bear the weight of a man.
16
無標題
16-21. 她說——不如作「她曾說過」，因為以下所記的，必是先前對話的一部分。
你們且往山上去——北方有一道白石灰岩山脈，稱為 Quarantania（即今 Jebel Karantu），高達一千二百至一千五百英尺，山側洞穴密佈。其中有一座相鄰的山峰，為居民所熟知，俗稱「那山」。她建議往那方向逃，而非往渡口去，這一建議的審慎與得宜，由後事的發展顯明出來。
英文原文
16-21. she said--rather "she had said," for what follows must have been part of the previous conversation.
Get you to the mountain--A range of white limestone hills extends on the north, called Quarantania (now Jebel Karantu), rising to a height of from twelve hundred to fifteen hundred feet, and the sides of which are perforated with caves. Some one peak adjoining was familiarly known to the inhabitants as "the mountain." The prudence and propriety of the advice to flee in that direction rather than to the ford, were made apparent by the sequel.
21
無標題
21. 她把朱紅線繩繫在窗戶上——大概在探子離去之後不久。這線並非如有人所想像編成網狀如窗櫺，而只是簡單地順着牆垂掛起來。其紅色使之十分顯眼，於是成了喇合之家的記號和安全保證，正如當年以色列人在埃及時的房屋門楣上所抹的血記之於那一民一樣。
英文原文
21. she bound the scarlet line in the window--probably soon after the departure of the spies. It was not formed, as some suppose, into network, as a lattice, but simply to hang down the wall. Its red color made it conspicuous, and it was thus a sign and pledge of safety to Rahab's house, as the bloody mark on the lintels of the houses of the Israelites in Egypt to that people.
書 2:1-7。
喇合接待並隱藏兩個探子
1. 約書亞……打發……兩個人去窺探那地——信心表現於積極、堅忍地使用方法
(雅 2:22)；
因此約書亞既深信神的應許必成
(書 1:3)，
便採取了一切一位精明將領所能想到的防備，使入侵迦南的頭一次行動得以成功。他派出兩個探子去偵察那地，特別是耶利哥一帶；因為既打算圍攻那城，便需要充分了解其位置、通路，以及居民的性情和資源。這項任務需要絕對的機密，而且似乎也有意向以色列人自己隱瞞，免得任何不利或誇大的報告一旦公開傳開，便像摩西日子裡探子的報告那樣使百姓喪膽。
耶利哥——有人認為這名字源於意為「月牙」的字，因它所在的平原形如新月，四周山巒環抱如劇場；也有人認為源於意為「它的香氣」的字，因它為乳香和棕櫚樹的芬芳所環繞。其址長久以來被認為是泥牆小村 Er-Riha；但近年的考察則確定在以西約半小時路程之處，那裡有大型廢墟，距約旦河約六至八英里。在那個時代，它是一座設防堅固的城，是經由深邃峽谷（今稱 Wady-Kelt）進入巴勒斯坦腹地之東方隘口的鑰匙。
他們……進了一個妓女的家裡——許多解經家為要從救主的一位先祖
(太 1:5)
身上除去這稱呼的羞辱，便稱她為客店女主人或旅館主人。但聖經的用法
(利 21:7-14；
申 23:18；
士 11:1；
王上 3:16)、
七十士譯本的權威（使徒們也從之
(來 11:31；
雅 2:25)），
以及東方客棧從不由婦人經營的一貫風俗，都證明我們譯本所用的字是恰當的。她的家大概因其位置方便而被探子選中，他們對屋中人的品性一無所知。但有一種神聖的引導，引領他們選了那個落腳之處。