Identity Documents
So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed them outside the camp of Israel. Joshua 6:23 NASB
Young men – Apparently the author of the book of Joshua can’t really make up his mind about the identity of these spies. In 2:1 the Hebrew term is anashim, the very odd plural of ish, that is, two men. In 6:25 (the summary verse of the story) they are called mal’akim, a word that means both messengers and angels, throwing quite an interesting light on the story. But in this verse they are referred to as ne’arim, that is, boys or lads. These are not synonyms. So, why use three different terms for the same two people?
Rashi suggests that the change in vocabulary signals changes in the actions, not a change in identity. When Joshua initiates the action, he sends two anashim, a term used for grown men who were capable of military engagement. In addition, the façade necessary to convince the city gatekeepers to let two strangers into Jericho required recognition of the sexual maturity. After all, they needed a good reason to show up at Jericho, and men in search of the renowned pleasure of Rahab fit the bill. If two lads had arrived at the gate, their presence would have caused alarm.
The second term, mal’akim, suggests something else. After the men commit Israel to the vow to save Rahab, they are described with a word that implies they were more than simply male spies. They are messengers, fulfilling some divine purpose unknown to them at the time. Whether we should view them as angels raises another set of interesting problems, but at least in terms of their function, they act as messengers for Rahab’s household. And just two verses later, we have them described as lads or boys. But here the term ne’arim is not about age. Rashi suggests it is about alacrity and expediency, something particularly noticeable in young boys. Why? Because in order to save Rahab and her household, these two had to be quick and stealthy.
What do we learn? Something important. Words in the Tanakh give us more than meaning. They also reveal purpose. Until you’ve figured out both of these aspects, you really don’t know what the text is trying to communicate. Now try applying this rule to the repetition of the verb “to bring out” (yāṣāʾ). What seems superfluous might just convey something important. Do you see that the first instance describes an action with a different purpose than the second instance? You’ll have to remove the “also” which the translators have added to the text. Once removed you’ll see that this isn’t just a simple repetition.
Now what do you think?
Topical Index: anashim, mal’akim, ne’arim, spies, men, boys, Rahab, Joshua 6:23
