Joshua 2:5
New International Version
At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”

New Living Translation
They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.”

English Standard Version
And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”

Berean Standard Bible
At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!”

King James Bible
And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

New King James Version
And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.”

New American Standard Bible
It came about, when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”

NASB 1995
“It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”

NASB 1977
“And it came about when it was time to shut the gate, at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.”

Amplified Bible
When it was time to close the [city] gate at dark, the men left; I do not know where they went. Pursue them quickly, for [if you do] you will overtake them.”

Christian Standard Bible
At nightfall, when the city gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don’t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
At nightfall, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don’t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them!”

American Standard Version
and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I know not: pursue after them quickly; for ye will overtake them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when it was time when the gate is shut in the evening, they went out by themselves and I do not know where they went. Go out quickly after them because you will overtake them.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
but when the gate was shut in the evening, the men went out; I know not whither they are gone: follow after them, if ye may overtake them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And at the time of shutting the gate in the dark, they also went out together. I know not whither they are gone: pursue after them quickly, and you will overtake them.

English Revised Version
and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When it was dark and the gate was just about to close, they left. I don't know where they went. If you hurry, you'll catch up with them."

International Standard Version
At dusk, when it was time to close the city gates, the men left. I don't know where the men went. Go after them quickly, and you might overtake them."

JPS Tanakh 1917
and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I know not; pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.'

Literal Standard Version
and it comes to pass—the gate is to [be] shut—in the dark, and the men have gone out; I have not known to where the men have gone; pursue, hurry after them, for you overtake them”;

Majority Standard Bible
At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!”

New American Bible
At dark, when it was time to close the gate, they left, and I do not know where they went. You will have to pursue them quickly to overtake them.”

NET Bible
When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left. I don't know where they were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!"

New Revised Standard Version
And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake them.”

New Heart English Bible
It happened about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went, I do not know. Pursue them quickly; for you will overtake them."

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass about the time of shutting the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went, I know not: pursue after them quickly; for ye will overtake them.

World English Bible
About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with them.”

Young's Literal Translation
and it cometh to pass -- the gate is to be shut -- in the dark, and the men have gone out; I have not known whither the men have gone; pursue ye, hasten after them, for ye overtake them;'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rahab Welcomes the Spies
4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!” 6(But Rahab had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there.)…

Cross References
Joshua 2:4
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, "Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come from.

Joshua 2:6
(But Rahab had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there.)

1 Samuel 19:14
When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, "He is ill."


Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: where the men went I know not: pursue after them quickly; for you shall overtake them.

of shutting

Joshua 2:7
And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

Nehemiah 13:19
And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

Isaiah 60:11
Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

the men went out

Jeremiah 50:20
In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.

Romans 3:7,8
For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? …

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Catch City Close Closed Dark Doors Dusk Hasten Overtake Pursue Quickly Shut Shutting Time Way Whither Wot
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Catch City Close Closed Dark Doors Dusk Hasten Overtake Pursue Quickly Shut Shutting Time Way Whither Wot
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














Verse 5. - I wot not. Much has Been said about Rahab's falsehood which is little to the point. The sacred historian simply narrates the fact, and makes no comment whatever upon it. But the fact that Rahab afterwards became the wife of Salmon, a prince of the tribe of Judah, as the genealogy in St. Matthew informs us (though Knobel denies this, asserting that between Joshua and David there were more than three generations, forgetting that Boaz, when he married Ruth, was an old man, see Ruth 3:10), shows that neither her falsehood nor her mode of life excited much disapprobation among the Jews. Nor need this surprise us. There is no need, with Keil, to repudiate energetically the assertion of Hauff that the author of this Book regarded Rahab's deception as not only allowable, but praiseworthy, any more than we need scruple to confess that Jael's base treachery met with the approval of Deborah and Barak. The tone of feeling in Jewish society in Rahab's day must have differed enormously in many respects from what obtains in our own time, in the light of the dispensation of the Spirit. We may take, as an instance of what that tone of feeling was, even before Israel had been corrupted by their sojourn in Egypt, the narrative in Genesis 38. And we may be sure that in a Phoenician city the tone was many degrees lower still. Rahab, therefore, was no doubt absolutely ignorant that there was any sin, either in her mode of living or in the lie she told to save the men's lives. She acted from a twofold motive, and her course, both of thought and action, was a most surprising instance of faith and insight, in one brought up as she had been. She not only followed an instinct of humanity, at a time when human life was thought of little value, in preserving the lives of the men who had sought shelter under her roof, but she could discern in the wonderful successes of Israel the hand of a higher power than that of the gods whom she had been brought up to worship. In her subsequent conduct she betrayed an affection for her kindred somewhat uncommon in persons situated similarly to herself. And we may be sure, from the fact that she was chosen to be a "mother in Israel," that she forsook the sins of her country and her education as soon as she came within the range of a higher light (see Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25). From what has been said we may learn that, though Rahab's faith was "as a grain of mustard seed," her conduct showed that she possessed it; and in hers, as in every case, to walk by the light she had was a sure prelude to the possession of more. And as regards her departure from truth here, it must be shown, before she can be blamed, that she had any idea that truthfulness was a duty. Such a duty does not appear to have been clearly recognised until He who was Himself the truth came among men. "However the guilt of Rahab's falsehood may be extenuated, it seems best to admit nothing which may tend to explain it away. We are sure that God discriminated between what was good in her conduct and what was bad; rewarding the former, and pardoning the latter. Her views of the Divine law must have been exceedingly dim and contracted. A similar falsehood, told by those who enjoy the light of revelation, however laudable the motive, would of course deserve a much heavier censure" (Matthew Henry). So also Calvin in loc.," Vitium virtuti admistum non imputatur."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
At dusk,
בַּחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ (ba·ḥō·šeḵ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness

when the gate
הַשַּׁ֜עַר (haš·ša·‘ar)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8179: An opening, door, gate

was
וַיְהִ֨י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

about to close,
לִסְגּ֗וֹר (lis·gō·wr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5462: To shut up, to surrender

the men
וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים (wə·hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

went out,
יָצָ֔אוּ (yā·ṣā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

and I do not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

know
יָדַ֔עְתִּי (yā·ḏa‘·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know

which way
אָ֥נָה (’ā·nāh)
Interrogative
Strong's 575: Where?, whither?, when?, hither and thither

they
הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֑ים (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

went.
הָלְכ֖וּ (hā·lə·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

Pursue
רִדְפ֥וּ (riḏ·p̄ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

them
אַחֲרֵיהֶ֖ם (’a·ḥă·rê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

quickly,
מַהֵ֛ר (ma·hêr)
Adverb
Strong's 4118: Hastening, speedy, swift

and
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you may catch them!”
תַשִּׂיגֽוּם׃ (ṯaś·śî·ḡūm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5381: To reach, overtake


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OT History: Joshua 2:5 It happened about the time (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 2:4
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