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Rahab
Harlot Who Believed · Conquest · c. 1400 BC
Joshua Spares Rahab, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Summary
Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute who hid the Israelite spies and was saved when Jericho fell. She became an ancestor of David and Christ.
- Among the passages here, Rahab is first named in Joshua 2:1: “Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect…”
- The record places Rahab in Conquest.
- 17 verses name Rahab, in 7 books.
- 4 moments stand in order on this page, each with its verse.
On this page
Start here
When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.
Joshua 2:11→- 4 key events in order
- 17 verses name Rahab, across 7 books
In Scripture
- Verses
- 17
- Books
- 7
Rahab
- Role
- Harlot Who Believed
- Era
- Conquest
- Dates
- c. 1400 BC
- Tribe
- Canaan (then Israel)
- Father
- Unknown Canaanite
- Mother
- Unknown
- Spouse
- Salmon
- Children
- Boaz
The life in order
from the events the row records, with the first and last verse that names the person among the passages this page stands on
1Where the passages this page records open
2What the record holds, in its own order
- Hid the spiesJoshua 2:1-7Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
- Confessed faithJoshua 2:8-13Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof
- Scarlet cordJoshua 2:17-21The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear
- Saved from destructionJoshua 6:22-25Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.”
Biography
Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho who hid the Israelite spies and helped them escape. Her confession reveals remarkable faith: "The LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath." When Jericho fell, Rahab and her family alone were spared, identified by the scarlet cord in her window. She married Salmon, an Israelite, and became an ancestor of David and Christ—her name appearing in Matthew's genealogy. James holds up Rahab alongside Abraham as an example of faith demonstrated by works. Hebrews includes her in the roll call of faith. This Canaanite prostitute became a mother in Israel, demonstrating that no background is beyond God's transforming grace.
When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.
Rahab's confession of faith
More key verses
Text: Berean Standard Bible.
“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.”
“In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?”
What they got right, and what they got wrong
Strengths
Faith in God of Israel, courage to hide spies, acted on faith
Weaknesses
Former prostitute, lied to protect the spies (though this may show wisdom rather than weakness)
Lessons
No past is beyond redemption. Faith acts on belief. Outsiders can become insiders through faith. God uses unlikely people.
Spiritual significance
Rahab demonstrates that faith saves regardless of past sins or ethnic background. Her scarlet cord pictures Christ's blood that marks believers for salvation.
How Rahab points to Jesus
The scarlet cord marking Rahab's house for salvation pictures the blood of Christ marking believers for deliverance from judgment.
Rahab in Scripture
Open a book to read its mentions here. Text: Berean Standard Bible. Names repeat in Scripture, so some of these verses may speak of another person called Rahab. The two marks are drawn from the chapters this page's own references stand in.
Old TestamentNew Testamentsegment width = share of mentions
Old Testament4 books · 14 mentions
Joshua8 mentions
- Joshua 2:1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
- Joshua 2:3So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.”
- Joshua 2:6(But Rahab had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there.)
- Joshua 2:8Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof
- Joshua 2:15Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.
3 further mentions in Joshua, read them in the book.
Job2 mentions
Psalms2 mentions
Isaiah2 mentions
New Testament3 books · 3 mentions
Matthew1 mention
Hebrews1 mention
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