Joshua 2:17-20 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ver. 17-20. And the men said unto her, &c.— Before they left her house, they had answered her request with respect to her security; as they not only engaged themselves to perform it, but also settled with her about the token which was to be her safeguard, and to assist them in keeping their word. This token was a line of scarlet thread, according to our version. But it is not quite clear that שׁני shani specifies the colour of this line. The word comes from שׁנה shanah, i.e. to double; so that it may signify in this place, a double, strong, well-twisted line, the same as the spies made use of to descend from Rahab's window. Gataker is of this opinion. However, setting one conjecture against another, it must be confessed, that that founded on the most common signification of the word שׁני sheni, according to the ancient versions, seems to deserve the preference. It is certain that the LXX, Chaldee and Syriac, understand by sheni, the colour of scarlet, or, at least, red; and we may suppose that these ancient interpreters understood the language of the Old Testament a little better than our modern critics. The Hebrew word תקות tikvath, rather signifies a riband, or a web, than a line. We may judge of this by the analogy of the expression with others similar to it. Kevai, in the Chaldee, is a web: kevin, cobwebs; and mikveh, 1 Kings 10:28 seems to signify cloth. Besides, a scarlet line would not have been remarkable enough to serve as a safe-guard to Rahab. It is more natural to suppose, that there was in the apartment, where she communed with the spies, some piece of stuff of a red colour; and that it was this which they directed her to hang at the window for her security. See Le Clerc and Calmet.