What about Rahab in the Bible?
When people think about standout characters in the Bible, they usually go for the obvious: Moses, David, Mary, Paul. But there's someone else tucked early into the narrative who deserves way more attention than she gets—Rahab. Her story is short, dramatic, and deeply significant, and it's tucked right into the opening chapters of Joshua. But Rahab’s importance doesn’t end there. She shows up in the New Testament too, and not just as a footnote—she lands in the family line of Jesus Himself.
So, who exactly was Rahab in the Bible, and why does her story keep popping up in some of the most important theological moments in Scripture?
Let’s dig into it.
Rahab’s Place in the Story of Jericho
Rahab lived in Jericho, a major Canaanite city that stood in the path of Israel as they entered the Promised Land. Jericho was fortified, intimidating, and spiritually hostile. Yet in the middle of this city, we meet Rahab—a woman referred to as a prostitute, or harlot, depending on your translation.
When Joshua sent two spies to scope out Jericho, they found shelter in Rahab’s home. This was no small thing. She hid them from the king’s soldiers, lied to protect them, and ultimately helped them escape by lowering them down the city wall on a rope. In return, she asked for mercy—for herself and her whole family—when Israel would inevitably conquer Jericho.
Why did she do it? According to Rahab herself, she had heard what the God of Israel had done. She knew about the parting of the Red Sea, the victories over kings in the wilderness, and the sheer force of His presence with His people. That knowledge moved her to believe, not just intellectually but actively. She risked her life to align herself with this foreign God and His people.
The Scarlet Cord: A Sign of Faith
As part of the agreement with the spies, Rahab was told to hang a scarlet cord from her window—the same window they had used to escape. This cord would mark her house for protection when Jericho was destroyed.
It’s impossible to miss the symbolism here. That scarlet thread hanging from her home echoed the blood on the doorposts during the first Passover. It’s a picture of trust, of covering, and of salvation. The Bible doesn’t call it out directly, but many readers see it as a foreshadowing of Christ’s blood—protection through faith for those who believe.
In the chaos of Jericho’s fall, Rahab and her family were spared. She didn’t just survive; she became part of Israel’s community.
Rahab in the Line of Christ
This is where things get even more remarkable. Rahab didn’t just fade into the background after Jericho. According to the Gospel of Matthew, she married Salmon, an Israelite, and became the mother of Boaz. Yes, that Boaz—the one who married Ruth. This places Rahab directly in the genealogy of King David, and therefore in the ancestry of Jesus Himself.
There are only a handful of women mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy, and Rahab is one of them. Think about what that says. The Bible doesn’t shy away from Rahab’s past. It doesn’t whitewash her story. Instead, it celebrates her faith, her courage, and the way God wove her into the larger story of redemption.
Rahab in the New Testament
Rahab’s legacy continues beyond Matthew. She’s highlighted twice in the New Testament as a model of true faith.
First, in Hebrews 11—what many call the “Hall of Faith”—Rahab is honored alongside Abraham, Moses, and other titans of Scripture. Hebrews 11:31 says, “By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient.” That’s not a throwaway line. It’s a statement of her full inclusion among the faithful, despite her background.
Second, in James 2:25, Rahab is used to illustrate the kind of faith that works—faith that leads to action. She didn’t just believe in her heart that God was real; she acted on it. She protected His people. She made costly decisions. Her actions validated her belief.
The Gospel Thread in Rahab’s Story
Rahab’s life might seem like just a neat story of personal transformation, but it’s more than that. Her story mirrors the heart of the Gospel itself.
She was an outsider, living among a people doomed to judgment. Yet she heard, she believed, and she was saved. Not because she cleaned herself up first. Not because she earned her way in. But because she trusted in the God she had only heard about—and threw herself on His mercy.
In that way, Rahab’s story is a prototype for Gentile inclusion in the people of God. Long before Paul would write about the dividing wall being broken down between Jew and Gentile, Rahab was living proof that faith—not nationality or moral history—is what brings a person into God’s family.
This connects to the broader sweep of Bible eschatology, too. In the end, God’s people will be made up of every tribe and tongue. The faithful remnant isn’t defined by ancestry but by belief. Rahab points us toward that vision—where former enemies become citizens of the kingdom, where the last are brought near, and where those written off by the world are written into God’s eternal story.
What Rahab Teaches the Church Today
Rahab in the Bible is more than a historical figure. She’s a mirror and a model.
She reminds the Church that God’s grace reaches far deeper than we often think. No one is too far gone. No past is too dark. When faith rises in the heart, everything changes. And Rahab doesn’t just get mercy—she becomes a vessel of legacy and blessing.
She also challenges modern believers to act. Rahab’s faith wasn’t silent. It wasn’t theoretical. It took real-world risk. It sheltered the vulnerable. It defied earthly kings for the sake of a higher one. That kind of courage is sorely needed now, especially when culture pressures the Church to stay quiet or choose safety over conviction.
Rahab and the End of the Story
If you take a step back and view Rahab's place in the full arc of Scripture, she becomes even more important. In the same way her home was marked and spared when judgment came to Jericho, believers are marked and kept by the blood of Christ. When the final judgment comes—not just over one city, but over all creation—it’s those whose faith is in the true King who will stand.
That’s not speculative theology. It’s baked into the story the Bible tells from beginning to end. And Rahab’s thread, so to speak, runs all the way through.
Final Thoughts: A Legacy of Faith
So, what about Rahab in the Bible? She’s not just a side character in someone else’s story. She’s a witness to the surprising, powerful mercy of God. She’s a testimony to faith that acts. And she’s a reminder that no background, no reputation, no location is a barrier to God’s grace.
Her name, which once stood as a symbol of shame, now stands among the names of saints. And in the grand story of Scripture, that’s exactly what God loves to do—take the least likely and turn them into vessels of glory.
Whether you’ve walked with God for years or you’re just now hearing whispers of His name, Rahab’s story is a beacon. Trust Him. Act in faith. And watch what He does.
The Other Rahab: A Dragon in the Chaos
When people hear the name Rahab, they usually think of the woman in the book of Joshua—the one who hid the spies and helped Israel take Jericho. But the Bible throws us a curveball, because Rahab shows up elsewhere too. And this time, it’s not a person. It’s a sea monster.
Seriously.
In the book of Job, Rahab isn’t a courageous woman—it’s a symbol of cosmic chaos. Job 9:13 says, “God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.” And in Job 26:12 we read, “By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab.” In these verses, Rahab is a mythical creature. Think ancient sea dragon, not innkeeper. It’s used as a poetic image to show God’s supremacy over the wild, untamable forces of nature and evil.
This version of Rahab is usually grouped with other chaos monsters from ancient Middle Eastern literature, like Leviathan. These weren’t literal beings so much as symbols of the terrifying, uncontrollable forces people saw in the world—storms, sea, destruction, war. The name Rahab, which can mean “proud” or “boisterous,” fit perfectly for that role.
Now, this imagery wasn’t just for flair. In Job’s context, talking about God shattering Rahab is a way of saying: “Look, even the darkest, most ancient forces of chaos are no match for the Creator.” It paints God as the one who brings order to disorder, who rules not just over people but over everything that threatens peace and stability. You’ll find the same poetic symbol in Psalms and Isaiah. Psalm 89:10, for instance, says, “You crushed Rahab like one of the slain.” Isaiah 51:9 echoes it again: “Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces?”
And sometimes, just to make things more layered, Rahab is even used metaphorically to represent Egypt—a proud, oppressive nation that stood in the way of God’s purposes. Isaiah 30:7 reads, “Egypt’s help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her ‘Rahab who sits still.’” In that case, Rahab isn't roaring and thrashing like a dragon, but failing to act at all—still proud, still useless.
What’s important here is recognizing that these two Rahabs in the Bible have nothing to do with each other directly. One is a woman, a convert, and a surprising hero. The other is a symbol, a poetic monster that God subdues. But there is a strange, almost poetic contrast between them.
Rahab of Jericho humbled herself. She aligned herself with Israel’s God. And because of that, she was spared, honored, and included in the Messiah’s family line. Dragon-Rahab, on the other hand, represents pride and rebellion—the kind of pride that refuses to acknowledge God, that gets shattered by His power.
This contrast quietly carries a theme you see all over Scripture: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. In that light, the two Rahabs almost become bookends of a spiritual truth. One resisted the chaos around her by trusting in the God of Israel. The other was the chaos—and ended up defeated.
And if you zoom out and think about the big picture, there’s a Gospel thread here too. The Bible consistently shows that God saves those who trust Him, even when they come from the “wrong” background, like Rahab of Jericho. At the same time, it warns of judgment against the systems and powers that rage against Him—the Rahab-dragons of the world.
This matters as we reflect on where the world is heading. In the big narrative of redemption, there’s always this tension between what God is building and what evil tries to unravel. The sea monster Rahab represents the old forces of disorder, the kind that lose every time God steps in. Meanwhile, the real human Rahab? She represents the future—an unexpected inclusion in God’s family, a foretaste of the kingdom where outsiders become insiders through faith.
Two Rahabs. Two paths. One outcome is judgment. The other is grace.
It’s one of the many ways the Bible plays with names, stories, and symbols to make bigger points. And if you’re paying attention, it’s also a reminder that God isn’t just a character in the story. He’s the Author. And every Rahab, every storm, every twist has its place in what He’s doing.
Bible Verses about Rahab
Joshua 2:1, "Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. ‘Go, look over the land,’ he said, ‘especially Jericho.’ So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there."
Joshua 2:15, "So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall."
Joshua 6:25, "But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day."
Hebrews 11:31, "By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient."
James 2:25, "In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?"
Matthew 1:5, "Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse."
Job 9:13, "God’s anger does not relent; the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet."
Job 26:12, "By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces."
Psalm 89:10, "You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies."
Isaiah 51:9, "Awake, awake, arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through?
Isaiah 30:7, "Egypt, whose help is utterly useless. Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing."
