Lexical Summary Rachab: To be wide, to be spacious, to enlarge Original Word: רָחָב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Rahab The same as rachab; proud; Rachab, a Canaanitess -- Rahab. see HEBREW rachab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rachab Definition a harlot in Jericho NASB Translation Rahab (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. רָחָב proper name, feminine harlot in Jericho; — Joshua 2:1,3; Joshua 6:17,23,25 (all J E); Ρααβ (so Hebrews 3:11; James 2:25, but Matthew 1:5 Ραχαβ). Topical Lexicon Person and SettingRahab first appears in the conquest narrative when Joshua dispatches two spies “to explore the land” (Joshua 2:1). A resident of Jericho, she lived “in a house on the wall” (Joshua 2:15), suggesting both strategic location and liminality—neither fully inside nor outside the city. Her occupation, noted five times (Joshua 2:1, 2:3, 6:17, 6:22, 6:25), underscores the unlikely choice God makes in elevating a marginalized Gentile woman to a place of honor in Israel’s story. Confession of Faith Rahab’s pivotal confession stands at the center of the narrative: “I know that the LORD has given you this land... for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:9-11). This testimony reveals: • Knowledge of God’s mighty acts—the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and victories over Sihon and Og (Numbers 21). The Israelites hear in Rahab’s words the same covenant name (YHWH) that Moses proclaimed. Her confession mirrors Deuteronomy 4:39 and anticipates the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4, situating a Canaanite within Israel’s theological center. The Scarlet Cord Rahab binds a scarlet cord in her window as the agreed sign (Joshua 2:18-21). The cord functions on several levels: 1. Identification—distinguishing Rahab’s household from Jericho’s doomed population. Rescue and Incorporation Joshua 6 records the fulfillment of the promise: “Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies—and she lives among the Israelites to this day” (Joshua 6:25). The phrase “to this day” indicates the editor’s witness that Rahab’s family continued faithfully within Israel, providing historical validation of her integration. Genealogical Legacy Although the Hebrew text mentions Rahab only in Joshua, later revelation discloses her remarkable lineage: • Matthew 1:5—“Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab.” Thus a Canaanite woman becomes a foremother of Israel’s king and Israel’s Messiah, embodying the Abrahamic promise that “all nations” will be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Canonical Witness Two New Testament writers draw doctrinal significance from Rahab: • Hebrews 11:31 places her among the heroes of faith: “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.” Faith (belief in revelation) and works (practical obedience) converge in her story, illustrating the unity of Paul’s doctrine of faith and James’s emphasis on active righteousness. Theological Themes 1. Sovereign grace—God chooses an unlikely vessel, underscoring that salvation is not bound by ethnicity, status, or past sin. Historical and Archaeological Notes Jericho’s walls, long debated in excavations, provide a plausible setting for Rahab’s house. A common feature in Late Bronze Age fortifications was casemate walls—double walls with internal chambers used as dwellings or storerooms—allowing residence “in the wall.” While archaeological conclusions vary, the biblical description aligns with known engineering practices of the period. Practical Ministry Applications • Evangelism: God often prepares hearts in unexpected places; gospel witnesses may find responsive listeners among society’s marginalized. Summary Rahab’s fivefold appearance in Joshua captures a turning point where a Canaanite prostitute becomes a paradigm of faith, a participant in Israel, and an ancestor of Messiah. Her account weaves together themes of judgment and mercy, faith and works, and Israel and the nations, bearing lasting relevance for doctrine, mission, and Christian living. Forms and Transliterations רָ֠חָב רָחָ֖ב רָחָ֣ב רָחָ֨ב רחב rā·ḥāḇ raChav racho rāḥāḇLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 2:1 HEB: זוֹנָ֛ה וּשְׁמָ֥הּ רָחָ֖ב וַיִּשְׁכְּבוּ־ שָֽׁמָּה׃ NAS: whose name was Rahab, and lodged KJV: house, named Rahab, and lodged there. INT: an harlot's name was Rahab and lodged there Joshua 2:3 Joshua 6:17 Joshua 6:23 Joshua 6:25 5 Occurrences |
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