The Meaning of Joshua 6:25 Explained

Joshua 6:25

KJV: 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.

YLT: and Rahab the harlot, and the house of her father, and all whom she hath, hath Joshua kept alive; and she dwelleth in the midst of Israel unto this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Darby: And Joshua saved alive Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all that she had, and she dwelt in the midst of Israel to this day; because she hid the messengers whom Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho.

ASV: But Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all that she had, did Joshua save alive; and she dwelt in the midst of Israel unto this day, because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Joshua 6:25 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 6:22-27 - Spared When Others Perished
It is not the amount of truth that we know which saves us, but the grasp with which we hold it. All that Rahab knew was very slight and partial, but she held to it with all the tenacity of her soul, and it was accounted to her for righteousness, Romans 4:15. Also her works approved her faith. She identified herself with Israel by the scarlet thread, gathered her kinsfolk under her roof, and waited in anticipation of deliverance, James 2:25.
She had yet to be delivered from falsehood and lying, but that God-consciousness which is the first ray of dawn had broken upon her, and would necessarily result in perfect day. Poor outcast though she was, she became incorporated with Israel and the type of Gentile sinners who are permitted to sit with Christ in heavenly places. See Ephesians 2:17-18.
The city was devoted to destruction, lest the microbe of corruption should, through Israel, infect the world. See 1 Kings 16:34, r.v. But remember Luke 19:1-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 6

1  Jericho is shut up
2  God instructs Joshua how to beseige it
12  The city is composed
17  It is accursed
20  The walls fall down
22  Rahab is saved
26  The builder of Jericho is cursed

What do the individual words in Joshua 6:25 mean?

And Rahab the harlot and household of her father all that she had spared Joshua so she dwells in Israel to day this because she hid - the messengers whom sent Joshua to spy out Jericho -
וְֽאֶת־ רָחָ֣ב הַ֠זּוֹנָה וְאֶת־ בֵּ֨ית אָבִ֤יהָ כָּל־ אֲשֶׁר־ לָהּ֙ הֶחֱיָ֣ה יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בְּקֶ֣רֶב יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַ֖ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֤י הֶחְבִּ֙יאָה֙ אֶת־ הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־ שָׁלַ֥ח יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ לְרַגֵּ֥ל יְרִיחֽוֹ פ

רָחָ֣ב  Rahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רָחָב  
Sense: a harlot of Jericho who aided the spies to escape; saved from the destruction of Jericho; married Salmon, an ancestor of David and of Christ; commended for her faith in the book of James.
הַ֠זּוֹנָה  the  harlot 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: זָנָה 
Sense: to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot.
בֵּ֨ית  household 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אָבִ֤יהָ  of  her  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לָהּ֙  she  had 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
הֶחֱיָ֣ה  spared 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙  so  she  dwells 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הַיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּ֑ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
כִּ֤י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הֶחְבִּ֙יאָה֙  she  hid 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָבָא  
Sense: to withdraw, hide.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים  the  messengers 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁלַ֥ח  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
לְרַגֵּ֥ל  to  spy  out 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: רָגַל  
Sense: to go on foot, spy out, foot it, go about, walk along, move the feet.
יְרִיחֽוֹ  Jericho 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרִחֹו 
Sense: a city 5 miles (8 km) west of the Jordan and 7 miles (.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation