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.
The men chased after them toward the Jordan River, all the way to the shallow crossing places. As soon as the pursuers had left the city, the guards shut the gate behind them.
This verse shows how the king's soldiers rushed out of Jericho to chase the spies toward the Jordan River, and the city gate was immediately closed behind them.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place during Israel's preparation to conquer the Promised Land, when Joshua sent two spies to scout out Jericho. Rahab had just hidden the spies on her roof and lied to the king's men about their whereabouts. The Jordan River had shallow crossing points called fords where people could wade across during low water periods.
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