וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ הַנְּעָרִ֣ים הַֽמְרַגְּלִ֗ים וַיֹּצִ֡יאוּ אֶת־רָחָב וְאֶת־אָבִ֨יהָ וְאֶת־אִמָּ֤הּ וְאֶת־אַחֶ֨יהָ֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָ֔הּ וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחֹותֶ֖יהָ הֹוצִ֑יאוּ וַיַּ֨נִּיח֔וּם מִח֖וּץ לְמַחֲנֵ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(Joshua 6:23)
And the young men the spies came and they brought out Raḥav and her father and her mother and her brothers and all that was hers and all her families they brought out and they placed them outside the camp of Yisraʾel
The Binyanim of Rescue
The fall of Yericho ends not only in destruction, but in a carefully narrated rescue. This verse tells of the salvation of Raḥav and her family—a direct result of her faithfulness to the spies. However, the delivery is not just physical; it is grammatical. Two forms of the Hiphil binyan and one use of Qal choreograph the movement from danger to deliverance, from the inside of a doomed city to the margins of a holy camp. Let’s see how binyanim make the rescue story resonate.
Step-by-Step Verb Analysis
1. וַיָּבֹאוּ — And they came
- Root: ב־וֹ־א (“to come”)
- Binyan: Qal (wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine plural)
- Voice: Active
- Function: The spies re-enter to fulfill their oath. Qal presents their movement plainly and directly—it is the factual opening to the action.
2. וַיֹּצִיאוּ — And they brought out
- Root: י־צ־א (“to go out”)
- Binyan: Hiphil (wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine plural)
- Form: Causative — “they caused to go out” = “they brought out”
- Usage: This verb governs the extraction of Raḥav and her household
- Syntactic Flow: Direct object chain follows: Raḥav, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all she had
- Theological Implication: Hiphil stresses initiative and intentionality. This wasn’t a lucky escape—Israel made it happen. The root that often describes divine deliverance here highlights human agents faithfully executing a promise.
3. הֹוצִיאוּ — They brought out (again)
- Root: י־צ־א
- Binyan: Hiphil (perfect, 3rd person masculine plural)
- Comment: The second use, possibly poetic or emphatic, broadens the rescue to include her extended families
- Effect: Repetition of the same Hiphil root underscores completeness. No one was left behind. The double verb intensifies the act of salvation.
4. וַיַּנִּיחוּם — And they placed them
- Root: נ־ו־ח (“to rest, place, set down”)
- Binyan: Hiphil (wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine plural with object suffix)
- Form: Causative — “they caused them to rest/place them”
- Syntactic Structure: Direct object suffix ם (“them”) refers to Raḥav and her family; location: מִחוּץ לְמַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל
- Thematic Weight: The Hiphil doesn’t just mark location—it signals intentionality. The act of placing them outside the camp reflects ritual caution, separation, and liminality. They are saved—but not yet assimilated.
Visual Table: Verbs of Rescue and Transition
| Verb | Root | Binyan | Voice | Meaning | Narrative Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹאוּ | ב־וֹ־א | Qal | Active | They came | Initiates rescue |
| וַיֹּצִיאוּ | י־צ־א | Hiphil | Causative | They brought out | Main rescue action |
| הֹוצִיאוּ | י־צ־א | Hiphil | Causative | They brought out | Extended families |
| וַיַּנִּיחוּם | נ־ו־ח | Hiphil | Causative | They placed them | Outside the camp |
Discourse and Ritual: Why Hiphil Reigns
In this verse, Hiphil dominates. Why? Because every major action is a transition from one state to another—from inside Yericho to outside the camp; from Gentile to Israelite ally; from doom to survival. The Hiphil is the binyan of causation—and causation is everything here. The spies are not bystanders—they cause the escape, cause the placement, cause the story to fulfill divine justice and mercy.
How the Binyan Maps the Mercy
Joshua 6:23 is a testimony to faith kept and mercy granted—but that mercy is carried through causative verbs. Raḥav’s redemption isn’t metaphorical—it’s morphological. The Hiphil binyan maps her movement, her safety, her new place in Israel’s story.
Thus the rescue of Raḥav doesn’t just live in the narrative. It lives in the binyan.
