People

Rahab and the scarlet cord

A Canaanite woman of the lowest social standing hides Israel’s spies, confesses Israel’s God and is saved with her household when Jericho falls.

General view, Jericho, Holy Land, (i.e. West Bank)-LCCN2002724993 — Public domain. Image credits

Key verse

As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, and there wasn’t any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.

Joshua 2:11

World English Bible (public domain)

Who was Rahab?

A Canaanite prostitute in Jericho whose house was built into the city wall.

The world Rahab lived in

Inns and prostitution were often linked; spies could gather information there without suspicion. Lying to protect guests reflects a culture where hospitality bound a host's life to them.

What stands out

A pagan woman of the lowest social status confesses Israel's God and is saved with her household. She becomes an ancestor of David and Jesus.

What modern readers often miss

Her confession 'the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above' (Josh 2:11) is a full statement of faith.
The scarlet cord is often compared to the Passover blood on the doorposts.
Hebrews praises her faith; James praises her works: both describe the same living faith.
Matthew names her as the mother of Boaz (Matt 1:5).

The culture behind the text

Rahab, the scarlet cord, and the roofFlat roofs were used for drying flax, the material for linen, after harvest, which fits the season. Rahab's house in the city wall matches houses built into the casemate walls of ancient cities. A Canaanite prostitute becomes an ancestor of David and Jesus.Joshua 2:6, 2:15-21; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31

Women in the genealogyAncient genealogies usually listed only men. Matthew includes Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and "Uriah's wife," foreigners or women with scandal attached to their stories. The message is that grace includes outsiders.Matthew 1:3-6, 1:16

Betrothal and divorceJewish betrothal was a legal marriage before the couple lived together, so ending it required divorce. Joseph planned to do it quietly to spare Mary public shame.Matthew 1:18-19

Study notes

Shittim and Jericho · Joshua 2:1Shittim ("acacias") lay east of the Jordan; Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world, guarded the route into the hill country.Rahab's confession · Joshua 2:11A Canaanite woman confesses Yahweh as God of heaven and earth. She appears in Jesus' genealogy and in Hebrews and James.Rahab lived in Israel · Joshua 6:25Rahab and her family were spared and joined Israel. She is in Jesus' genealogy.

Key passages

Joshua 2:1-24Rahab hides the spies Joshua 6:22-25Rahab’s family is saved Hebrews 11:31Rahab’s faith James 2:25Rahab’s works

How the Bible connects it

Every cross-reference in Lampstead says why it’s linked. A few from this page:

Joshua 2:11 → Deuteronomy 4:39Why: Rahab confesses that Yahweh is God in heaven and earthKnow therefore today, and take it to heart, that Yahweh himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else.Joshua 2:11 → Joshua 5:1Why: Joshua 5 also says the Canaanite kings' hearts melted when God dried up the JordanWhen all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no more spirit in them, because of the children of Israel.Joshua 2:11 → Joshua 7:5Why: After Achan's sin it was Israel's heart that melted, reversing Rahab's reportThe men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them. They chased them from before the gate even to Shebarim, and struck them at the descent. The hearts of the people melted, and became like water.Joshua 2:11 → Isaiah 13:7Why: Every heart will meltTherefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone’s heart will melt.

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Sources behind these notes: Casemate wall construction at Late Bronze sites; Jericho chronology debated.; Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), "Jericho"; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706); Keil & Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (1866–91). Bible text: World English Bible (public domain).