יהושע, פרק ו׳, פסוק כ״א

The fall of Jericho brought an absolute and uncompromising end to the city, leaving no survivors behind. The Israelites completely destroyed the area [ביאור שטיינזלץ], wiping out every creature with the breath of life, man and beast alike [מלבי״ם]. Everything was put to the sharp edge of the sword [מצודת ציון]. Amidst this total annihilation, a single exception was made for Rahab [מלבי״ם]. Joshua dispatched the spies to fulfill the solemn oath they had sworn to her, and these men went even beyond their original commitment by ensuring the safety of all her extended family members as well [אברבנאל].

This rescue presents a complex practical dilemma: since Rahab's house was built directly into the city wall, how could her home remain standing when the defenses collapsed? One approach suggests that the destruction of the wall was not entirely uniform. According to this view, only the section of the wall directly facing the Israelite camp crumbled to the ground, while the opposite side, where Rahab lived, remained completely intact [רד״ק, מובא באברבנאל].

Another perspective challenges this idea, arguing that because the Israelites encircled the entire city, the wall must have collapsed completely in a full circle. In this scenario, the spies had to prepare in advance. During the days they marched around the city, before the walls ever fell, they spotted the scarlet thread hanging from Rahab's window and carefully memorized its exact location. Once the walls finally fell and the nation surged into the city, the spies navigated straight to that pre-marked spot to pull her safely from the ruins of her broken home [אברבנאל].