Interesting Facts About Rahab in the Bible

The story of Rahab has fascinated Bible students and laypersons for centuries. Her story appears in a mere two chapters in the Old Testament book of Joshua, and the events are curious right from the start. The book opens with the God of Israel commissioning Joshua to lead God’s people after the death of their leader Moses. Yet no sooner do the people come to the edge of the Promised Land just outside the city of Jericho, than God puts the whole drama on hold to tell us the story of a Canaanite prostitute. This interruption of the conquest story is not an accident, and it gives us our first glimpse into the theological significance of Rahab’s story.

When we come to the New Testament, Rahab’s faith holds a surprisingly prominent position in several key passages. Not only that but she is listed in the lineage of Jesus! She even marries a prince! The prostitute marries a prince! The heartbeat of the Bible is God’s passionate pursuit of His adulterous bride—and I have a secret to share with you: Rahab’s story is our story. 

It’s a story centered on three key themes: faith, grace, and salvation. Here is a woman who witnessed no miracles and knew none of God’s laws. She merely heard of God’s power and, in reverent fear, believed. Today, let’s explore some interesting facts about Rahab in the Bible.

Who Was Rahab in the Bible?

Some of the people whom God would choose to weave into the lineage of Christ are the last people we might expect—like the harlot Rahab. Though she is named in three New Testament books, her story is actually found in the Old Testament book of Joshua, after God delivered His people from Egypt and miraculously divided the water of the Red Sea in the Exodus. These events propelled God’s people toward the Promised Land. When God’s people reached the edge of the Jordan River and set up camp, only one thing stood in their way: Jericho.

The city of Jericho was a thriving, militarily strategic city situated in a desert oasis in the land of Canaan–and it is also where Rahab lived.

Rahab’s Life in Jericho

The Bible tells us that Rahab lived in the city wall, which often housed poorer families due to its vulnerability to attack. Apart from the location of Rahab’s house, her name and occupation, we are told little about her background. 

Living in the wicked city of Jericho meant that Rahab was surrounded by Canaanite “gods and goddesses” who were primarily concerned with sex (fertility) and war. To appease the “gods,” the Canaanites engaged in human sacrifice (often children) and cult prostitution.

Despite their wickedness, however, God’s reasons for destroying the city of Jericho may come as a surprise: it was not about punishing the inhabitants for sin. If it were, all the inhabitants of Earth (including the Israelites!) deserved the same fate (Rom. 3:23). Rather, it was ultimately about demonstrating God’s power and proving His sovereignty as the One and only True God (Deut. 12:1–5). 

Rahab’s Profession as a Prostitute

In the Bible, there are two Hebrew words that can be translated as prostitute in English. One is zona. This word refers to a street, or common, prostitute. The other word is qadesh, which refers to a temple (or shrine or cult) prostitute.  An examination of the text in the original Hebrew bible describes Rahab as a zona.

Nevertheless, Rahab sold her body to survive. We are never told what led her to such a fate. Was she forced into prostitution to help pay off family debt? Had she been married and then abandoned? Was she a young widow who turned to prostitution as her only means of survival? Whatever her circumstances, when we get our first glimpse into Rahab’s life, we see hints of a woman with remarkable courage.

Rahab in the Book of Joshua

Rahab is introduced in Joshua chapter 2. Curiously, throughout the biblical account, we are never told the names of the Israelite spies, the king of Jericho, the king’s informants, nor the soldiers at Rahab’s door. We are given only one name: Rahab.

The Role of Rahab in the Story of Jericho

Rahab and the Israelite Spies

Recognizing the men as Israelite spies, the Bible teaches that Rahab hid the men on her roof under stalks of flax. Then she convinces the king’s soldiers to pursue them quickly before the city gates are shut. Rahab’s actions and quick thinking revealed her as a wise and resourceful woman.

Rahab’s Negotiation for Her Family’s Safety

Once the soldiers are gone, she says to the spies, “I know that the Lord has given you the land.” Just that one statement would rival the faith of many Israelites back at the camp. Rahab revealed where her loyalty lies and so now it’s time to present her request. She protects the spies and in turns, asks the men to give her a sign, the scarlet cord, that they promise to save her entire family. 

The Importance of the Scarlet Cord

The symbolism of the scarlet cord is a sign of salvation. Verse 15, “Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. 

It’s important to recognize that the Hebrew word for the strong rope used by the spies to escape in verse 15 (hebel) was not the same as the scarlet cord mentioned in verses 18 and 21 (that Hebrew word is tiqwat), which literally means “scarlet cord of thread.” Nevertheless, because of Rahab’s faith and courage, rather than escaping with the spies that night, she risked her life to save her entire family. For Rahab, the simple act of placing the scarlet cord in her window was an outward sign of her internal faith. 

Curiously, this is not the first time in biblical history where a scarlet cord of thread appears in the Bible; rather, it is the second – and the events are no less intriguing. Briefly, it’s the story of Tamar, the Canaanite daughter-in-law of Judah who disguised herself as a prostitute (are you beginning to notice a theme?). She became pregnant by Judah, and at the birth of her twin sons, a scarlet thread is tied on the wrist of the boy assumed to be the firstborn.

The point here is that in both cases, the scarlet thread is a symbol of salvation. Spiritually speaking, it points to the redemption we have in the shed blood of Jesus, “the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:29).

Why Did Rahab Help the Israelite Spies?

Rahab’s Knowledge of the God of Israel

All her life, Rahab had been surrounded by darkness. Then she heard of the God of Israel. How he conquered kingdoms and delivered His people from slavery. He was nothing like any god she had ever known. Rahab recognized the One True God, saying “the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”

Rahab’s Faith in Action

But Rahab was not the only one who heard of God’s power over nature and nations. She told the Israelite spies that every man in the city was in fear of them because of what they had heard. Yet, in the entire city of Jericho, only one person responded in faith: Rahab.

Through her daring faith, Rahab hid enemy spies, defied her king, risked her life, and found the living God. 

Rahab’s Transformation Through Faith

Rahab’s bold confession of faith and her courageous protection of the spies are evidence that Rahab recognized and was drawn to the one true God. Rahab knew judgment was coming. She may not have understood everything—or much at all—about God’s reasons for destroying the surrounding nations. But rather than shrinking back in fear, something within her spirit, which can only be explained as a gracious gift from God, compelled her to seek refuge in Him.

As a result, Rahab is named among the Bible’s infamous “heroes of faith” in Hebrews 11.

Rahab’s Role in the Genealogy of Jesus

Rahab’s Marriage to Salmon

But before we reach the New Testament, we are given a tiny glimpse into her future: Rahab’s marriage to an Isrealite. And not just any Israelite: a prince! She marries Salmon, the son of Nahshon, a “prince of the sons of Judah” (1 Chron. 2:10; Ruth 4:20). The prostitute married a prince! This is the stuff of Hollywood movies and romance novels. Truly, Rahab’s story reflects the heartbeat of the entire Bible—God’s passionate pursuit of His adulterous bride.

What a testimony of God’s grace that the harlot Rahab—the first convert in God’s people’s conquest for the Promised Land—married a prince of Judah and became one of the ancestors of Jesus.

Rahab as the Mother of Boaz

In time, Rahab would raise up a son named Boaz whose marriage to Ruth becomes one of the greatest pictures of God’s love for His people, His Bride. Rahab’s background as a Canaanite prostitute and the fact that she risked her life to seek refuge in the God of Israel God would have played a significant role in Boaz’s view of foreigners, prostitutes, and women in general. It is no coincidence that God would choose Boaz, whose mother was both a foreigner and a prostitute, to protect and redeem Ruth, a foreigner who, like Rahab, sought refuge in the One True God. From their union, the genealogy leads to the hope of Israel’s beloved future King David—a genealogy that would not exist had it not been for Rahab’s faith and God’s amazing grace. 

Rahab’s Place in Jesus’ Genealogy

God’s Word is filled with amazing facts. Even the genealogies are rich with insights as God chooses the most unlikely people to weave into the lineage of Jesus. Such as Tamar, Judah’s Canaanite daughter-in-law who disguised herself as a prostitute, then Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute whom God likewise blessed with the honor of being ancestors of Jesus. The first two women listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, and both had a past tainted by prostitution? Is this merely a coincidence? No. This is how God works. Their stories reflect the very heartbeat of the Bible: God’s passionate pursuit of His adulterous bride.

Rahab in the New Testament: A Hero of Faith

As if being in the lineage of Christ were not honor enough, Rahab’s true faith is called out in key “faith” passages in the New Testament—not once, but twice! The theological significance has not been lost on biblical scholars. 

Rahab’s Mention in Hebrews 11 and the Book of James

In Hebrews 11, God chose only two women to call out by name among the Bible’s heroes of faith, and one of these was the Canaanite prostitute Rahab. Even if Rahab’s name only appeared here in the New Testament, she would still hold a very distinguished place among God’s people.

But God has more great things to teach us about the story of Rahab. She serves as an example of faith because her choice to protect the Israelite spies—even at the risk of her own life—reveals that her confession of faith was not merely words, but faith in action. This is what the writer of Hebrews was getting at. The audience he was writing to was facing persecution, and the writer was exhorting them to follow Rahab’s example of faith. Similar to their hero Moses facing the king of Egypt, Rahab was not afraid of defying the king of Jericho.

In the book of James, the writer chose to specifically mention Rahab’s occupation as the harlot Rahab, because it serves as a testimony to the transforming power and grace of God. Not only that, but in James chapter 4, the writer admonishes believers, calling them “you adulterous people” (James 4:4)! Rahab’s story challenges all of us to turn from our rebellion and embrace the good news, not only to save ourselves, but our whole family.

Conclusion of Interesting Facts About Rahab in the Bible

Scripture teaches that believers are the bride of Christ. In love, God made a covenant to betroth us to Him forever. Before God saved us, we were like Rahab: a prostitute living in a wicked city doomed to destruction. Just as God saved the prostitute Rahab, in love, He saves us out of a wicked world doomed to destruction. In astonishing grace, He takes the harlet’s scarlet robe upon Himself and, in exchange, clothed His beloved bride with bright, pure linen (Matt. 27:28; Rev. 19:6–9).

Shadia is a passionate Bible teacher, award winning author, and speaker who has a heart for seeing lives transformed by the power of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is the author of several books and Bible studies, including HAGAR, TAMAR, LEGION, Worthy of Love and her newest study, RAHAB: Rediscovering the God Who Saves Me!