Lexical Summary Rhachab: Rahab Original Word: Ῥαχάβ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Rachab. From the same as Rhaab; Rachab, a Canaanitess -- Rachab. see GREEK Rhaab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as Rhaab, q.v. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4477: ῬαχάβῬαχάβ, see Ρααβ. Topical Lexicon Context in the Greek New Testament Strong’s Greek 4477 appears once, in Matthew 1:5, within the legal genealogy of Jesus Christ: “Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed was the father of Jesse.” (Matthew 1:5) Rahab in Old-Testament Narrative Rahab first enters Scripture in Joshua 2, where she shelters the Israelite spies in Jericho. Despite her Canaanite background and immoral occupation, she confesses faith in the God of Israel, saying, “For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.” (Joshua 2:11) Her trust is publicly sealed by the scarlet cord hung from her window and culminates in her rescue when Jericho falls (Joshua 6:22-25). Genealogical Importance Matthew deliberately includes Rahab among the four women named prior to Mary. By situating a redeemed Gentile at so critical a juncture—between the Exodus generation and the royal line of David—the evangelist underscores God’s sovereign grace in preserving the Messianic line through unexpected vessels. Her union with Salmon produces Boaz, who in turn marries Ruth; thus Rahab stands as David’s great-great-grandmother and an ancestor of the Messiah. Faith Celebrated in the New Testament Rahab’s confession and actions become a paradigmatic example of living faith: The pairing of Hebrews and James shows perfect harmony: genuine faith produces corresponding deeds, and God honors such obedience irrespective of past sin or ethnic origin. Typological Foreshadowing 1. Deliverance through a scarlet sign anticipates redemption through Christ’s blood (Exodus 12:7; John 1:29). Grace and Inclusion Rahab’s account confirms that divine election is grounded not in human pedigree but in mercy (Romans 9:16). Her appearance among patriarchs, kings, and prophets in Matthew’s list encourages believers that redemption extends to the marginalized, the immoral, and the foreigner. Ministry Implications • Evangelism: The narrative urges outreach to societies’ outcasts, trusting that God may raise trophies of grace from unlikely quarters. Related References Forms and Transliterations Ραχαβ Ῥαχάβ Rachab Rhachab RhachábLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 1:5 NGRK: ἐκ τῆς Ῥαχάβ Βοὲς δὲ KJV: Booz of Rachab; and Booz INT: of Rahab Boaz moreover |
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