Old Testament · character
Rahab
The scarlet cord on Jericho's wall — a Gentile woman saved by faith.
Rahab was a prostitute of Jericho who believed in the God of Israel and hid the spies. When the city fell she alone was saved, and her name reached the genealogy of Jesus.
- Era
- Time of the conquest of Canaan (c. 15th–13th century BC)
- Role
- Prostitute of Jericho → wife of Salmon
- Region
- Jericho → Israel
- Family
- Husband Salmon; son Boaz — great-great-grandmother of David
Relationships
See the full Bible family tree →Timeline at a glance
- Hiding the SpiesUnder the flax on her roof (Josh 2:1–7)
- Confession"The Lord your God is God in heaven above" (Josh 2:11)
- The Scarlet CordThe sign tied in the window (Josh 2:17–21)
- Jericho FallsHer house alone is preserved (Josh 6:22–25)
- The GenealogyWife of Salmon, mother of Boaz (Matt 1:5)
A House on the Wall, the Lowest of Names
The two spies Joshua sent found shelter in the house of Rahab the prostitute, built into the wall of Jericho (Joshua 2:1). Scripture does not hide her occupation. A woman of a pagan city, bearing its most despised name — in the least likely place imaginable, the only story of faith in Jericho begins.
Faith That Came by Hearing Only
After hiding the spies under stalks of flax on her roof and turning away the king's men, Rahab made a remarkable confession — "The Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below" (Joshua 2:11). All she had were forty-year-old rumors of the Red Sea and news of victories beyond the Jordan. Israel had seen those miracles with their own eyes and still grumbled in the wilderness; Rahab heard only reports and confessed the Lord as the true God. Faith is not a quantity of information but a response to the word that is heard.
The Scarlet Cord in the Window
The spies made her a promise: tie this scarlet cord in the window, and everyone inside the house will live (Joshua 2:18). On the day the city fell, what marked out Rahab's house was not a list of good deeds but a single scarlet cord in the window. Like the lamb's blood on the doorposts that set Israel apart at Passover, those who trusted the sign and stayed within it were saved.
The Day the Walls Fell
On the seventh day the people shouted, and the wall of Jericho collapsed. But the house of Rahab, built into that wall, stood, and Joshua kept the promise, sparing her and all her family (Joshua 6:22–23). In the midst of judgment, one house of faith survived. Scripture adds, "She lives among the Israelites to this day" (Joshua 6:25). Rahab did not merely survive — she came inside, into the people of God.
Rahab in the Genealogy
The genealogy of Matthew 1 records an unexpected name — "Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab" (Matthew 1:5). The prostitute of Jericho became the wife of Salmon of Judah, the mother of Boaz who married Ruth, and the great-great-grandmother of David. Hebrews places her in the roll of faith (Hebrews 11:31), and James cites her as one whose deeds proved her faith (James 2:25). Three times the New Testament calls her by name — and it all began with one act of faith: a scarlet cord tied in a window.
Redemptive history
How this figure points to Christ
Rahab's story spells out the grammar of grace. Salvation did not hinge on bloodline (a Gentile), status (a prostitute), or past (deception and sin), but only on faith in the Lord as the true God. The scarlet cord in her window, like the Passover blood on the doorposts, was the sign that made judgment pass over — a shadow of the blood of Christ. And Rahab was not merely spared; she was grafted into the Messiah's own genealogy, showing that God does not just pardon sinners but makes them family and channels of redemption. "Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab" (Matthew 1:5) — the line that ran from a prostitute of Jericho reached the manger of Bethlehem.
Related verses
- Joshua 2:11"The Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below."
- Hebrews 11:31"By faith the prostitute Rahab ... was not killed with those who were disobedient."
Frequently asked questions
Who was Rahab in the Bible?
A prostitute of Jericho who confessed the God of Israel as the true God and hid the Israelite spies (Joshua 2). When Jericho fell she and her family were saved through the promise of the scarlet cord, and she was brought into the people of Israel.
Is Rahab in the genealogy of Jesus?
Yes. Matthew 1:5 records, "Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab." As the mother of Boaz she became an ancestor of David, and from that line Jesus was born.
Does the Bible approve of Rahab's lie?
Scripture praises Rahab not for the lie but for her faith and the action that flowed from it (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). The Bible often honors faith exercised in weakness without endorsing every act of the person.