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.
The city will be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD—the city and everything in it. Only Rahab the prostitute will be allowed to live, along with everyone in her house, because she protected the spies we sent.
Joshua declares that Jericho will be completely destroyed except for Rahab and her family, who will be spared because she helped Israel's spies.
📚 Historical Context
This command comes just before the famous battle of Jericho, where the Israelites would march around the city walls for seven days before they collapsed. Earlier in the story, Rahab had hidden two Israelite spies on her roof and helped them escape, making a covenant that her family would be protected when Israel conquered the city. The practice of 'devoting to destruction' (herem) was a complete consecration of a conquered city to God, leaving nothing for personal gain.
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