Joshua 2 · Verse 14

Joshua 2:14

And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
Joshua 2:14, King James Version

Joshua 2:14 in other translations

BSB“Our lives for your lives!” the men agreed. “If you do not report our mission, we will show you kindness and faithfulness when the LORD gives us the land.”
WEBThe men said to her, “Our life for yours, if you don’t talk about this business of ours; and it shall be, when the LORD gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”
ASVAnd the men said unto her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business; and it shall be, when Jehovah giveth us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
YLTAnd the men say to her, ‘Our soul for yours--to die; if ye declare not this our matter, then it hath been, in Jehovah's giving to us this land, that we have done with thee kindness and truth.'
DARBYAnd the men said to her, Our lives shall pay for yours, if ye do not make this our business known; and it shall be when Jehovah shall give us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
BBEAnd the men said to her, Our life for yours if you keep our business secret; and when the Lord has given us the land, we will keep faith and be kind to you.
WebsterAnd the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

What does Joshua 2:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 Our life for yours - "May our life be destroyed if we suffer yours to be injured!" This is what was anciently called in our country pledging - staking, a man's life for that of his neighbor or friend.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 2:8-21

Rahab had heard of the miracles the Lord wrought for Israel. She believed that his promises would certainly be fulfilled, and his threatenings take effect; and that there was no way of escape but by submitting to him, and joining with his people. The conduct of Rahab proved that she had the real principle of Divine faith. Observe the promises the spies made to her. The goodness of God is often expressed by his…

Read the full comment on Joshua 2:8-21 →

Joshua 2:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּvai.Yo.me.ruand they saidH559
לָ֣הּlahto <the> her
הָאֲנָשִׁ֗יםha.'a.na.Shimthe menH582
נַפְשֵׁ֤נוּnaf.She.nulife ourH5315
תַחְתֵּיכֶם֙tach.tei.Khemfor youH8478
לָמ֔וּתla.Mutto dieH4191
אִ֚ם'imifH518
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תַגִּ֔ידוּta.Gi.duyou will tellH5046
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דְּבָרֵ֖נוּde.va.Re.nubusiness ourH1697
זֶ֑הZehthisH2088
וְהָיָ֗הve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
בְּתֵת\־be.tet-when givesH5414
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לָ֙נוּ֙la.nuto <the> us
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
וְעָשִׂ֥ינוּve.'a.Si.nuand we will doH6213
עִמָּ֖ךְ'i.Makhwith youH5973
חֶ֥סֶדChe.sedloyaltyH2617
וֶאֱמֶֽת\׃ve.'e.Metand faithfulnessH571

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 2:14

  • Matthew 5:7

    Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

  • Judges 1:24-25

    And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy. And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.

  • Proverbs 18:24

    A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

  • Genesis 24:49

    And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

  • 1 Samuel 20:8

    Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

  • 2 Samuel 9:1

    And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?

  • 1 Kings 20:39

    And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

  • Joshua 6:17

    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 6:25

    And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

  • Numbers 10:29-32

    And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel. And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred. And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
for your's. Heb. instead of you to die.
1Ki 20:39
when the Lord.
6:17,25; Ge 24:49; Nu 10:29-32; Jud 1:24,25; 1Sa 20:8; 2Sa 9:1
Pr 18:24; Mt 5:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 2:13

    And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

  • Joshua 2:14

    And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

  • Joshua 2:15

    Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

Read all of Joshua 2

Joshua 2:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y ellos le respondieron: Nuestra alma por vosotros hasta la muerte, si no denunciareis este nuestro negocio: y cuando Jehová nos hubiere dado la tierra, nosotros haremos contigo misericordia y verdad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et les hommes lui dirent: Nos vies paieront pour vous, si vous ne divulguez pas notre affaire, et il arrivera que, lorsque l’ Éternel nous aura donné le pays, nous userons de bonté et de vérité envers toi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und die Männer sprachen zu ihr: Unsere Seele soll an eurer Statt sterben, wenn ihr diese unsere Sache nicht verratet; und es soll geschehen, wenn Jehova uns das Land gibt, so werden wir Güte und Treue an dir erweisen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Qui responderunt ei: Anima nostra sit pro vobis in mortem, si tamen non prodideris nos: cumque tradiderit nobis Dominus terram, faciemus in te misericordiam et veritatem.