I surely appreciate you being a part of my life on a daily blessings. This truly blessed and made me pick my Bible to read the story of Rahab again We thank God for we are justified. Your labor of love for us is definitely not in vain. Thanks again. And He can surely transform them and use them if he wants too. Her immediate ancestor is Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, who is also her great-grandfather. The Israelites were still camped on the east side of the Jordan River, approximately 15 miles away from Jericho. xliii.). Her ability to mend her ways was exemplary for ensuing generations, who used Rahabs story to request divine mercy and pardon for their actions. Your email address will not be published. There was not a prince nor a ruler that had not had relations with her; and she was therefore well informed of what was going on outside Jericho (Mek., Yitro, 'Amalek, 1; Zeb. Spiritually, Physically, and Materially! The regimen of rituals, songs and textual readings performed in a specific order on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night) of Passover. "The Choice to Serve God and Assist His People: Rahab and Yael". Paul is actually referring to those in the church that are unrepentant and misbehaving. 1, 15). The men said to her, We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your fathers household. In this exegetical account, the Israelites would disparage Ezekiel the prophet and say that he was among the descendants of Rahab the harlot. Consequently, Scripture had to specify his lineage and state(Ezek. As far as I was told, that son who left should have received a very different treatment had the Jewish law been applied to him according to that culture and time. Proof that He can and will use a vessel of any condition for His Own Glory! They obeyed God who told them to march around the city once for six days, and then march around the city seven times on the seventh day and blow horns; the walls came crashing down. What does the Bible say about Rahab? And for the Jewish nation, Rahab came to serve as a successful gentile conversion to Judaism. The Talmud legends, curiously enough, reckon eight prophets among her descendants, including Jeremiah and Baruch, but not any of the line of David. She is also the last person mentioned in any detail. [2] In the New Testament, she is lauded both as an example of a saint who lived by faith,[3] and as someone "considered righteous" for her works. God redefines you and me as well. 18:11): Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods. Naaman made an even greater admission when he proclaimed(II Kings 5:15): Now I know that there is no God in the whole world except in Israel!; and Rahab exceeded him, when she declared(Josh. A woman of Jericho who sheltered the spies sent by Joshua to search out the land. ", The rabbis viewed Rahab as a worthy convert to Judaism, and attested that Rahab married Joshua following her conversion; their descendants included the prophets Jeremiah, Hilkiah, Seraiah, Mahseiah, Baruch, Ezekiel and the prophetess Hulda,[22] although there is no report in the book of Joshua of the leader marrying anyone, or having any family life. But if we get to decide which rules we like, that makes us the rule-makers, or in other words, puts us in the place of God. Another exegesis learns from Rahab that a sincere convert, who converts for the sake of Heaven, merits having his daughter be married to akohenand his grandsons becomingkohanimthemselves, who will bless Israel. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 2:12): Now, since I have shown loyalty to you, swear to me by the Lord, and of Israel(Jer. It so easy for people too assume or judge some one. cit.). An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The crowd goes nuts, and not in a good way. [12], According to the book of Joshua,[13] 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 investigate the military strength of Jericho. God hates sin, but he loves people. II Kings xx. Pauls comments are primarily aimed at hypocrisy among believers, of which family members could be a part. Ezek. Undoubtedly, some of her traveling customers had come to her telling of the exploits of the Israelites and their mighty God. Other then Mary, Rahab is the only one mentioned again in the New Testament. She had heard enough to make her put her trust in the living God, and she made a life changing profession of faith when she said, the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. She then makes the spies swear to spare her and her whole family because of her protection and kindness. A similar tradition has Rahab declaring, "Pardon me by merit of the rope, the window, and the flaxen [the stalks of flax under which she concealed the spies]. I think after I read this about Rahab. Thank You again. The Bible, after all, is a book of truth. "the written Torah." Also, the word translated substance in the King James Bible, was also used for the legal term title-deed. See Faith Is hupostasis Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. In the midrashic account, the merit of Rahabs deeds saved the prophet Jeremiah from death. "scroll." Something went wrong while submitting the form. Among her articles are Three Oppressors and Four Saviors The Three-Four Pattern and the List of Saviors in I Sam 12,9-11, ZAW 127 (2015), 294-303, and Swords that are Ploughshares: Another Case of (Bilingual) Wordplay in Biblical Prophecy?, Biblica 98.3 (2017), 425-434. John, I asked this same question, and I went to my Hebrew concordance. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. "Crimson Cord" (2017), This page was last edited on 20 April 2023, at 13:35. Rahab's decision resulted in the conquest of the city of . COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. Themidrashcontinues this comparison by saying that whatever was written in Israels dishonor was written in Rahabs praise. According to one opinion, the prophetHuldahwas also among her offspring (Sifreion Numbers, chap. Indeed,we see an unclean genealogy but our King Jesus is born out of the unclean genealogy.We too can come out of our sins. He loves all kinds of people, especially prostitutes. [9][10][11], William L. Lyons observed that biblical interpreters have viewed Rahab as a model of hospitality, mercy, faith, patience, and repentance in her interaction with Joshua's spies. She married Salmon of the Tribe of Judah and was the mother of Boaz. Yeah I agree with you. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [7] The Hebrew zn may refer to secular or cultic prostitution, and the latter is widely believed to have been an invariable element of Canaanite religious practice, although recent scholarship has disputed this. Rex. Could she have been the madam of the whorehouse? Your comments on Pauls instructions in dealing with this issue. [8] For more on the Rabbinic sources, see David J. Zucker and Moshe Reiss,Judaisms First Converts: A Pagan Priest and a Prostitute,TheTorah.com(2017). II Peter 2:9 Gods Word Translation. cit.). We love you. What an AMAZING expose of this part of Gods Word!! In Psalm 87:4 Rahab is the name of a city; also in Psalm 89:10 and in Isaiah 51:9. Within the list of faith champions in Hebrews Chapter Eleven, Rahab is mentioned right after Moses, and instead of Joshua! Rahab: "Good girls, bad girls: the enduring lessons of twelve women of the Old Testament"By T. J. Wray Go to Page 43 to read about Rahab, "The Heroic Prostitute with a Heart of Gold". The ancient rabbis regarded Rahab as one of the most beautiful women in Jewish history. stop trying to soft peddle sin, this event needs to represent how depraved man is and how righteous God is! God redefined Rahab from a fallen woman to a chosen woman, from a bad girl to a bride, from a mess to a mother and from prostitute to progenitor of the Messiah. However, Rahab the harlot and her fathers household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. 5:2): They are sure to be swearing falsely; it is written of Rahab(Josh. Lit. R. v. 2). In James, she is shown as an example of someone justified by God and declared righteous for putting their faith into action. Obed was the father of Jesse Matthew 1:5. How can He understand the human experience if he never married or knew a woman? Why is it that every woman in the Bible had to be a wife or mother or harlot? 116b). "order." Rex. Assis, Elie (2004). See also, e.g., Hartmut N. Rsel,Joshua(HCOT; Leuven: Peeters, 2011), 95, who discusses the polemics regarding the exact position of the Rahabites, as full members of the people of Israel, or merely existing beside the camp.. **Jesus was betrothedto the church, with a wedding supper promised at the end after He comes to claim His bride. For we dont know who they will be tomorrow. We are told not to judge in the sense of executing a sentence on them, but we are also told to judge in the sense of not imitating that sinful behavior. As for me, I think I have reacted in every you listed with what do I do then. Her Ph.D. is from the Hebrew University. Our responsibility as Believers is to Restore people not reject them, or put our hands against them in any way unless they are folded in prayers for them . I remember I heard Pastor Webb say it like this, those works are more like -corresponding actions. I especially appreciated what you said about reaping the consequences of your actions, but GOD graciously took you through those consequences and out to the other side, perhaps a little bit singed, but still washed in the Blood of Heavens Lamb! [6] A number of scholars have noted that the narrator in Joshua 2 may have intended to remind the readers of the "immemorial symbiosis between military service and bawdy house". In the midrashic expansion, Jeremiah tells him: If only I had a ladder. God asks him: You want a ladder? Rahab, a pagan prostitute; Ruth, a gentile woman;Perez , son of Judah born from his own daughter in law; Solomon, born from Bathsheba who was another man s ,Uriah, whom David killed by planing that he be put in the battle front. God told Israel: I said to you[Deut. The bible seems to concentrate on the roles women were designed by God to performas wives and mothersand the most obvious corruption of that designharlotry. Was He More than an Exodus Hero? The spies stayed in Rahab's house, which was built into the city wall. David, Jesus Why did Israel need God to send them "judges" [11] Thomas Dozeman also suggests that the singularketivmay simply be a textual corruption. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when ye came out of Egypt, and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. and some day we would find out that the dates were the ones that were wrong. 15a). Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. You might think from her profession that she was destined to die an early death, to fade away into shame, the disgraced woman . By the merit of three things pardon me: the rope, the window, and the wall [pardon me for engaging in harlotry because I endangered myself when I lowered the rope for the spies from the window in the wall] (Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Masekhta de-Amalek, Yitro1). Rahab saved the two souls of the spies by means of the city wall[Josh. Wood-engraver: Antoine Piaud (1837-1866). "Rahab: Midrash and Aggadah." Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. I guess that I should say that she is commonly held to be the same woman. 1:5): And those who bow down on the roofs to the host of heaven (Pesikta de-Rav Kahanaloc. God is full of mercy and full of justice as well. ), Tikva Frymer-Kensky regards Rahab as "smart, proactive, tricky and unafraid to disobey and deceive her king". She converted and was married to Joshua, and her descendants included renowned kohanim (members of the priestly class) and prophets. In fact, sisters are mentioned only eight times in MT, and five of these occurrences haveqere-ketivissues with this word: Josh2:13**; Ezek16:51(qere)**; Ezek16:55; Ezek 16:61; Hos 2:3; Job 1:4*; Job 42:11*; 1 Chron2:16*. You wouldn't think she would have much chance of making the list, but there she is. Other traditions also include Ezekiel son of Buzi (Sifrei Zutaloc. Since the Lord did all this, he knows how to rescue godly people when they are tested. Rahab is mentioned alongside Jethro and Naaman as positive examples of the converts who joined Israel. At the conquest of that city by the Israelites, Rahab became a sincere proselyte to the cult of Yhwh. It was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land. And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land. Joshua 2:1 3. Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, is her direct descendant. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear. She said, According to your words, so be it. So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window. I believe that to follow the Ten Commandments, Beatitudes, Golden Rule and Faith covers everything in life. She was symbolically "cut" when the sea was parted in Exodus, and thus defeated in order to allow Israel to escape from Egypt. God knows our hearts. Oops! Friedmann (Ish-Shalom)], para. She is remembered in Jewish tradition as the great proselyte, as ancestress of kings and prophets, and, in the New Testament, as ancestress . But the spies were safe, for she had hid them on the roof under wet and smelly piles of rotting flax. The what do I do then or shall I say now is a new experience every time. The Rabbis deduced from the story of Rahab the superiority of repentance over prayer, for Moses prayed exceedingly, but God did not accept his entreaty to enterThe Land of IsraelErez Israel, while the repentance of Rahab the harlot was accepted, and seven kings and eight prophets issued forth from her (Lit. Especially during my rebellious times. Thank You Wendy. Let us know. 22). In the New Testament, Rahab (Greek ) of the Book of Joshua is mentioned as an example of a person of faith[3] and of good works. Keep up the goodd work. Sinners may not be unavailable in their family but at that time, they are both clean. Who was Rahab in the Bible? You shall not lack. 1:3): The word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi. The same gossip was spread about the prophet Jeremiah, and was countered by the genealogy(Jer. What we think has no bearing on what God Knows. Having arrived at Jericho, the two spies remained at Rahab's house, situated in the wall of the city and having a window on the outside (Josh. cit.). That is the context and meaning of James 2:17. Jericho was a mighty, fortified city in the land of Canaan. The mention of Rahab in Jas. window.location.replace(""); that is the problem you dont think! He has used many different people of different back grounds . Other then Mary, Rahab is the only one mentioned again in the New Testament. ; Tov . Mary Magdalene. In some situations God went beyond my expectations. If you make Jesus your shepard, youll never be in want. Thus the harlot of Jericho became a paragon of virtue. The Woman with the issue of blood Consequently,Josh. She said to them, Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Who are the descendants of Rahab? Rahab was also a Canaanite-who were the hated enemies of Israel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Yes, it is interesting that the God who knows everything still wants to be shown our faith by our actions. Believe in the gospel. [4], The King James Version renders the name as Rachab, after its literal spelling in Greek, which differs from the spelling for Rahab in James and Hebrews. Rahab, the prostitute of the Canaanite city of Jericho, ultimately is noteworthy for her great faith and for her place in the lineage of Jesus Christ. There is no turning back now. That kind of faith is inoperative and dead. Even Jesus, who claimed to be equal with God, recognized the authority of His Father over himself, only doing what His Father wanted Him to do. 1:1): The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, op cit., 13:12). I personally eat with them but I try not to enter too deeply into a common bond or camaraderie with them. And I think the answer is as infinitely as Gods will and love to provide the truths we need and seek through these investigations and reporting of them. 3-6). Boaz and Ruth were the father and mother of Obed. It was not by chance that those spies found their way to her house. In Psalm 87:4 Rahab is likened to Babylon which was destroyed in the sixth century BC. She was a prostitute who became a believer and played a key role in the Israelite conquest of Jericho. Where else would Egyptians go in Jericho. 2:25, Heb. Solomon - The wisest King of Israel, and the one who built the first temple is another descendent of Rahab. The Rabbis maintain that Rahab was mentioned in the prayer of Hezekiah. Nahmanides (Ramban) points out that when the angels tell Lot to gather everyone else he has, they mention sons-in-law, sons, and daughters (Gen 19:12), but Lot had no sons. Nahmanides suggests that this was just standard speech ( ) and was not meant to suggest that the angels thought he had sons. It is not rendered hostess, innkeeper, or the like. Rahab was a resident of Jericho, who sheltered two spies whom Joshua had sent to scout out the city. 21), are considered by the Rabbis to refer to the house of Rahab (Ruth R. ii. She was said to be one of the four great beauties, the other three being Sarah, Abigail, and Esther (Meg. The Scarlet Cord: Rahab's Bible Story & Our Story. Your grandmother Rahab used a rope, as it is written(Josh. Yes. Jennings, Jenifer. He said to God: Master of the Universe! The period of the judges was the interval between the and it lasted about 400 years. Instead[Josh. He knows how to save those that love Him and desire to serve Him. A Canaanite woman living in Jericho, Rahab is a prostitute who is also a biblical heroine. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This favorable disposition to converts is expressed in a dictum that converts who drew close to God merited being drawn closer by God. Your email address will not be published. Hooker with a heart of gold Rahab (term) References [ edit] In another exegesis, God showed Moses before his death, through the spirit of divine inspiration, the line of prophets that would issue from Rahab (Sifreion Deuteronomy, Chap.338). The Woman at the well She is one of five women mentioned in Matthew's genealogy of Christ; they are Tamar the wife of Judah, Rahab the wife of Salmon, Ruth the wife of Boaz, Bathsheba the wife of King David (after being the wife of Uriah), and Mary the Mother of Jesus. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. Who Was Rahab? The theme in this article aligns with the parable of the Prodigal Son used by Jesus himself. The story of Rahab would therefore provide an answer as to how a Canaanite group became part of Israel in spite of the Deuteronomistic injunction to kill all Canaanites and not to intermarry with them.[19][20][21]. What evidence ? Even though out of some of those moments I got just what I asked for and the consequences to go with them. . Besides, among the Canaanites harlotry was not a business of ill repute. Mary has a family and Joseph did. 6:25) that she dwelt among the Israelitesup to this day. Although Rahab was from the peoples of the land and the families of the earth, she saved the spies out of love of Israel and its God, and God rewarded her out of love (and protected her and her family from death) (Sifrei Zuta, Behaalotekha10:29). You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. Cudi I just read your comment on the Rahab article by Rex Rouis. 16:19: O Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a day of trouble, to You nations shall come from the ends of the earth. When the Lord performs miracles for Israel, the non-Jewish nations shall come to adhere to Him(Ex. But everyone in the area knew they were there and what they were about to do. 2:6): Now she had taken them up to the roof, and of Israel(Zeph. Another midrash has Rahab acting as advocate for all the nations of the world. It says in the Bible that The lord is my shepherd I shall not want. When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. historian Josephus. Rahab's name is presumably the shortened form of a sentence name rb-N, "the god N has opened/widened (the womb?)". To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. By putting your faith into action you can tell whos side youre on , Carl Thank you. "Rahab through the Ages: A Study of Christian Interpretation of Rahab", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rahab&oldid=1150855480, Christian female saints from the Old Testament, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2022, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from Easton's Bible Dictionary, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Rahab is depicted as a virtuous soul (in The Third Circle of Heaven) in, The claim of Hugh Broughton, a controversial historian, that Rahab was already "a harlot at ten years of age" is used by Humbert Humbert to explain or perhaps justify his attraction to young girls in Nabokov's. They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. As soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. [6], Josephus mentions that Rahab kept an inn but is silent as to whether merely renting out rooms was her only source of income. He is an awesome God. its not shameful, nor degrading, nor belittling, but a glorious truth that women might find liberating to acceptmy wife has. The letter read: 2 "You are in charge of the king's descendants, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, weapons, and fortified cities. and . Terrible exegesis. Gen. 15:13 God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. So proud of you Dad! She is one of five women mentioned in Matthews genealogy of Christ; they are Tamar the wife of Judah, Rahab the wife of Salmon, Ruth the wife of Boaz, Bathsheba the wife of King David (after being the wife of Uriah), and Mary the Mother of Jesus. Maybe Gods not afraid of strong women. Mother of Boaz . The inhabitants of Jericho were adversaries of the Israelites. Rahab was also a Canaanite, who were the hated enemies of Israel. Wikipedia - English So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it so long as it stands alone. In our daily dealing with human beings, we must not right off anybody, because the very person that is tagged dirty or alien can turn out to be the medium by which our future can be secured. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, THE PROPHETESSES OF ISRAEL / , Rahab: "Good girls, bad girls: the enduring lessons of twelve women of the Old Testament"By T. J. Wray, Rahab removed from Jericho on it's capture. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I think it is remarkable. 5b). Who Was Moses? especially in family relations. Thank you for writing! 2:16): Make for the hills, so that the pursuers may not come upon you. All that was hers ( ) ostensibly a synonym for her family and a phrase Rahab used about her familys family in 2:13. Executive Committee of the Editorial Board. More grace in Jesus name. One of my favorite characters is Rahab, the harlot (prostitute), of Jericho. Rahab (noise, tumult, arrogance), is a mythical sea monster, a dragon of the deep waters. 2:13): that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, and of Israel(Ezek. Rahab the monster is one of the many sea monsters in the Old Testament. Matthew calls her Rahab, mother of Boaz. This series of comparisons, only some of which appear here, emphasizes the sins of Israel, who swear falsely, make light of their parents honor, and worship stars, while Rahab conducts herself in a proper and correct manner. iv. James 2:24, 25. How far can biblical archaeology go to foster religious fiction? (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . E. G. H. M. Sel. Rahab was the Angel of the Deep and thus was an angel that was closest to children of Adam and Eve. The spies sent to Jericho were culturally Egyptian. I have found through each and every reaction that God remained faithful to me in showing me who he was. In the olden days, just as today, cities were called by the names of famous men and women. Some may discount this interpretation, but the fact that you had such a question points to the reality of my answerGod made women to be wives and mothers.