Scripture Reference Window
    Browser "Back" or "Alt+Left_Arrow" to return.

Joshua2:12-21 & 6:20-25 below ruler lines...
The Scarlet Cord
These Bible verses introduce us to Rahab. Everyone alive should know her! The Bible accounts how Rahab and all who belonged to her Father's house were saved by her faith; demonstrated by her hanging a Scarlet Cord from her window. The Scarlet Cord prefigured the faith the Bible encourages we should have in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the son of the God of Israel. Jesus (and his sacrifice) is the theme of the Bible; running through from Genesis to Revelation. Rahab's family's salvation was God's gift to her because she showed faith, by hiding his people's spies and then helping them escape. Her paying attention to what the true God was doing, and her faith in that reality, preserved her alive. Her hope and faithful actions would surely have been foolishness or even badness to her neighbors. Jesus being the Bible theme begins with the introduction and first knowledge of him in Gen 3:15, and then, like a cord, runs all the way through to the Revelation of Christ as King of God's Kingdom. (1 Cor 15:12-28)
The Scarlet Cord thus seems one of God's Cords of Love drawing us to him. (Hos 11:3-4)
Fun facts about the Canaanite harlot Rahab, and the Moabite woman Ruth. As women who became Jewish Proselytes, Rahab married a Jewish Man named Salmon and their son Boaz married Ruth. So... Rahab was mother-in-law to Ruth. In the midst of a Jewish nation sometimes known to be judgmentally prejudice, the two foreign women were together to comfort each other... And, both women were used by God as ancestress's of Jesus Christ. (Mat 1:1-6)

Joshua 2:12-21 & 6:20-25 GNB [Rahab speaking:] Now swear by him (the God of Israel) that you will treat my family as kindly as I have treated you, and give me some sign that I can trust you. (13) Promise me that you will save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families! Don't let us be killed!" (14) The men said to her, "May God take our lives if we don't do as we say! If you do not tell anyone what we have been doing, we promise you that when the LORD   () gives us this land, we will treat you well." (15) Rahab lived in a house built into the city wall, so she let the men down from the window by a rope. (16) "Go into the hill country," she said, "or the king's men will find you. Hide there for three days until they come back. After that, you can go on your way." (17) The men said to her, "We will keep the promise that you have made us give. (18) This is what you must do. When we invade your land, tie this red [scarlet] cord to the window you let us down from. Get your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's family together in your house. (19) If anyone goes out of the house, his death will be his own fault, and we will not be responsible; but if anyone in the house with you is harmed, then we will be responsible. (20) However, if you tell anyone what we have been doing, then we will not have to keep our promise which you have made us give you." (21) She agreed and sent them away. When they had gone, she tied the red cord to the window.
Joshua 6:20-25 GNB So the priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard it, they gave a loud shout, and the walls collapsed. Then all the army went straight up the hill into the city and captured it. (21) With their swords they killed everyone in the city, men and women, young and old. They also killed the cattle, sheep, and donkeys. (22) Joshua then told the two men who had served as spies, "Go into the prostitute's house, and bring her and her family out, as you promised her." (23) So they went and brought Rahab out, along with her father and mother, her brothers, and the rest of her family. They took them all, family and slaves, to safety near the Israelite camp. (24) Then they set fire to the city and burned it to the ground, along with everything in it, except the things made of gold, silver, bronze, and iron, which they took and put in the LORD 's  ( יהוה ) treasury. (25) But Joshua spared the lives of the prostitute Rahab and all her relatives, because she had hidden the two spies that he had sent to Jericho. (Her descendants have lived in Israel to this day.)
Joshua 2:12-21 & 6:20-25 GW Please swear by the LORD  ( יהוה ) that you'll be as kind to my father's family as I've been to you. Also give me some proof (13) that you'll protect my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and their households, and that you'll save us from death." (14) The men promised her, "We pledge our lives for your lives. If you don't tell anyone what we're doing here, we'll treat you kindly and honestly when the LORD  () gives us this land." (15) So she let them down by a rope from her window since her house was built into the city wall. (She lived in the city wall.) (16) She told them, "Go to the mountains so that the men who are pursuing you will not find you. Hide there for three days until they return to Jericho. Then you can go on your way." (17) The men told her, "We will be free from the oath which you made us swear, if you tell anyone what we're doing here. (18) When we invade your land, tie this red cord in the window through which you let us down. Also, gather your father, mother, brothers, and all your father's family into your house. (19) Whoever leaves your house will be responsible for his own life. We will be free from that responsibility. But we will take responsibility if anyone inside your house is harmed. (20) If you tell anyone what we're doing here, we will be free from the oath which you made us swear." (21) "I agree," she said. So she let them go and tied the red cord in the window.
Joshua 6:20-25 GW So the troops shouted very loudly when they heard the blast of the rams' horns, and the wall collapsed. The troops charged straight ahead and captured the city. (21) They claimed everything in it for the LORD  ( יהוה ). With their swords they killed men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys. (22) But Joshua said to the two spies, "Go to the prostitute's house. Bring the woman out, along with everything she has, as you swore you would do for her." (23) The spies went and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, everything she had, and even all of her relatives. They gave them a place outside the camp of Israel. (24) Then Israel burned the city and everything in it. But they put the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron into the LORD  ( יהוה )'S treasury. (25) Joshua spared the prostitute Rahab, her father's family, and everything she had. She still lives in Israel today because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to look at Jericho.
Joshua 2:12-21 & 6:20-25 NWT 12 And now, please, swear to me by Jehovah  ( יהוה ) that, because I have exercised loving-kindness toward YOU, YOU also will certainly exercise loving-kindness toward the household of my father, and YOU must give me a trustworthy sign. 13 And YOU must preserve alive my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters and all who belong to them, and YOU must deliver our souls from death.” 14 At that the men said to her: “Our souls are to die instead of YOU people! If YOU will not tell about this matter of ours, it must also occur that when Jehovah  () gives us the land, we also shall certainly exercise loving-kindness and trustworthiness toward you.” 15 After that she had them descend by a rope through the window, for her house was on a side of the wall, and it was on the wall that she was dwelling. 16 And she proceeded to say to them: “Go to the mountainous region, that those in pursuit may not come in contact with YOU; and YOU must keep hid there three days, until those in pursuit have come back, and afterward YOU may go in YOUR own direction.” 17 In turn the men said to her: “We are free from guilt respecting this oath of yours that you have made us swear. 18 Look! We are coming into the land. This cord of scarlet thread you should tie in the window by which you have had us descend, and your father and your mother and your brothers and all the household of your father you should gather to yourself into the house. 19 And it must occur that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the open, his blood will be upon his own head, and we shall be free from guilt; and everyone who continues with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads if a hand should come upon him. 20 And if you should report this matter of ours, we shall also have become free from guilt respecting this oath of yours that you have made us swear.” 21 To this she said: “According to YOUR words so let it be.” With that she sent them off, and they went their way. After that she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
Joshua 6:20-25 NWT 20 Then the people shouted, when they proceeded to blow the horns. And it came about that as soon as the people heard the sound of the horn and the people began to shout a great war cry, then the wall began to fall down flat. After that the people went up into the city, each one straight before him, and captured the city. 21 And they went devoting all that was in the city, from man to woman, from young man to old man and to bull and sheep and ass, to destruction by the edge of the sword. 22 And to the two men who had done the spying on the land, Joshua said: “Go into the house of the woman, the prostitute, and bring out of there the woman and all who belong to her, just as YOU have sworn to her.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Ra´hab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all who belonged to her, yes, all her family relationship they brought out; and they proceeded to set them down outside the camp of Israel. 24 And they burned the city with fire and everything that was in it. Only the silver and the gold and the articles of copper and iron they gave to the treasure of Jehovah  ( יהוה )’s house. 25 And Ra´hab the prostitute and the household of her father and all who belonged to her, Joshua preserved alive; and she dwells in the midst of Israel down to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent out to spy on Jer´i·cho.

Use browser "Back Arrow" or "Alt + Left_Arrow" keys to previous page. | Home


You will note the reference windows often include more than one translation of the Bible. The reason is to strive to gain the best possible understanding of the original Hebrew and Greek. Since we don't speak those languages, we rely on those who have come before and made the effort to translate those texts into English for us. Considering several translations gives the benefit of the understanding of several translation committees or individuals.
The Translations we quote are:

ALT - Analytical Literal Translation

ASV - American Standard Version (by the American revision committee in 1897).

BBE - 1965 Bible in Basic English

Bishops - 1568 Bishop's Bible

Calvin - 1856 by Calvin Translation Society

CEV - Contemporary English Version

Coverdale - 1535 Miles Coverdale Bible

Darby - 1889 Darby Bible

DRB - 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible

ESV - English Standard Version

GNB - Good News Bible

GW - God's Word Bible

ISV - International Standard Version

KJV - 1769 King James Version

KJV-1611 - Old King James Version from 1611

LitNT - Literal New Testament

LITV - Literal Translation of the Holy Bible

MKJV - 1962 Modern King James Version

Murdock - 1851 James Murdock New Testament

MWT - Modern World Translation

NWT - New World Translation

RV - Revised Version

Webster - 1833 Webster Bible

WTNT - 1525-26 William Tyndale New Testament

Wycliffe - 1394 Wycliffe Bible

YLT - 1862/1898 Young's Literal Translation

Scripture Reference Window
    Browser "Back" or "Alt+Left_Arrow" to return.