Easton's Bible Dictionary Insolence; pride, a poetical name applied to Egypt in Psalm 87:4; 89:10; Isaiah 51:9, as "the proud one." Rahab, (Hebrews Rahab; i.e., "broad, " "large"). When the Hebrews were encamped at Shittim, in the "Arabah" or Jordan valley opposite Jericho, ready to cross the river, Joshua, as a final preparation, sent out two spies to "spy the land." After five days they returned, having swum across the river, which at this season, the month Abib, overflowed its banks from the melting of the snow on Lebanon. The spies reported how it had fared with them (Joshua 2:1-7). They had been exposed to danger in Jericho, and had been saved by the fidelity of Rahab the harlot, to whose house they had gone for protection. When the city of Jericho fell (6:17-25), Rahab and her whole family were preserved according to the promise of the spies, and were incorporated among the Jewish people. She afterwards became the wife of Salmon, a prince of the tribe of Judah (Ruth 4:21; 1 Chronicles 2:11; Matthew 1:5). "Rahab's being asked to bring out the spies to the soldiers (Joshua 2:3) sent for them, is in strict keeping with Eastern manners, which would not permit any man to enter a woman's house without her permission. The fact of her covering the spies with bundles of flax which lay on her house-roof (2:6) is an `undesigned coincidence' which strictly corroborates the narrative. It was the time of the barley harvest, and flax and barley are ripe at the same time in the Jordan valley, so that the bundles of flax stalks might have been expected to be drying just then" (Geikie's Hours, etc., ii., 390). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia RAHAB ra'-hab: (1) (rachabh, "broad"; in Josephus, Ant, V, i, 2, 7, Rhachab; Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25, Rhaab): A zonah, that is either a "harlot," or, according to some, an "innkeeper" in Jericho; the Septuagint porne, "harlot"). The two spies sent by Joshua from Shittim came into her house and lodged there (Joshua 2:1). She refused to betray them to the king of Jericho, and when he demanded them, she hid them on the roof of her house with stalks of flax that she had laid in order to dry. She pretended that they had escaped before the shutting of the gate, and threw their pursuers off their track. She then told the spies of the fear that the coming of the Israelites had caused in the minds of the Canaanites-"Our hearts did melt.... for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath"-and asked that the men promise to spare her father, mother, brothers and sisters, and all that they had. They promised her to spare them provided they would remain in her house and provided she would keep their business secret. Thereupon she let them down by a cord through the window, her house being built upon the town wall, and gave them directions to make good their escape (Joshua 2:1-24). True to their promise, the Israelites under Joshua spared Rahab and her family (Joshua 6:16 the King James Version); "And," says the author of Josh, "she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day." Her story appealed strongly to the imagination of the people of later times. Hebrews 11:31 speaks of her as having been saved by faith; James, on the other hand, in demonstrating that a man is justified by works and not by faith only, curiously chooses the same example (James 2:25). Jewish tradition has been kindly disposed toward Rahab; one hypothesis goes so far as to make her the wife of Joshua himself (Jew Encyclopedia, under the word). Naturally then the other translation of zonah, deriving it from zun, "to feed," instead of zanah, "to be a harlot," has been preferred by some of the commentators. (2) (Rhachab): Josephus, Ant, V, 1, 2, 7, so spells the name of (1) Septuagint and New Testament contra). The wife of Salmon and mother of Booz (Boaz) according to the genealogy in Matthew 1:5. Query, whether there was a tradition identifying (1) and (2); see Lightfoot, Horae Hob on Matthew 1:5. (3) (rahabh, literally, "storm," "arrogance"): A mythical sea-monster, probably referred to in several passages where the word is translated as a common noun "pride" (Job 9:13), "the proud" (Job 26:12; compare Psalm 89:10). It is used in parallelism with tannin, "the dragon" (Isaiah 51:9). It is most familiar as an emblem of Egypt, `the boaster that sitteth still' (Isaiah 30:7 Psalm 87:4; compare Psalm 89:10). The Talmud in Babha' Bathra' speaks of rahabh as sar ha-yam, "master of the sea." See also ASTRONOMY. Nathan Isaacs

Multi-Version Concordance Rahab (14 Occurrences) Matthew 1:5 Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse. (WEB WEY ASV BBE YLT NAS RSV NIV) Hebrews 11:31 By faith, Rahab the prostitute, didn't perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace. (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) James 2:25 In like manner wasn't Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 2:1 Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, including Jericho." They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 2:3 The king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all the land." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 6:17 The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 6:23 The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Joshua 6:25 But Rahab the prostitute, her father's household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Job 9:13 "God will not withdraw his anger. The helpers of Rahab stoop under him. (WEB JPS ASV BBE NAS RSV NIV) Job 26:12 He stirs up the sea with his power, and by his understanding he strikes through Rahab. (WEB JPS ASV BBE DBY NAS RSV NIV) Psalms 87:4 I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me. Behold, Philistia, Tyre, and also Ethiopia: "This one was born there." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Psalms 89:10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, like one of the slain. You have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Isaiah 30:7 For Egypt helps in vain, and to no purpose; therefore have I called her Rahab who sits still. (WEB ASV BBE NAS RSV NIV) Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of Yahweh; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Isn't it you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the monster? (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)