Girl Old & New Testament Known
Rahab
large; extended (name of a woman)
רָחָב Ῥαάβ ra.chav
Rahab (Hebrew: רָחָב, ra.chav) means “large; extended (name of a woman)”, by traditional interpretation. Two women in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a foreigner. In 2025 it was given to 9 children in the United States. Use is rising. Appears in the same passages as Abihud.
Which Rahab?
Two women in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Rahab
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Rahab
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 8 across 4 books
- Bearers
- 2 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Both
- Era
- Judges
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 9 | Rising |
| All-time total | 42 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 9 in 2025 | Its highest year on record |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Joshua 2:1 |
| Last appears | James 2:25 |
| Cross-references | 178 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Salmon co-occurrence Appears with Salmon in Matthew 1.
- Obed co-occurrence Appears with Obed in Matthew 1.
- Ruth co-occurrence Appears with Ruth in Matthew 1.
- Abihud co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Abihud.
- Abiud co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Abiud.
- Achim co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Achim.
- Eleazar co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Eleazar.
- Eliakim co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Eliakim.
Origin & meaning
A woman living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jos.2.1;
mother of: Boaz (H1162)(?)
§ Rahab = "wide"
a harlot of Jericho who aided the spies to escape; saved from the destruction of Jericho; married Salmon, an ancestor of David and of Christ; commended for her faith in the book of James
Rahab, a Canaanite woman from Jericho, hid the Israelite spies and was spared during the city's destruction.
The biblical story
Rahab was a Canaanite woman who lived in Jericho at the time of the Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land (Jos.2.1). She is described as a prostitute who provided lodging for the two Israelite spies sent by Joshua to survey the city. When the king of Jericho ordered Rahab to hand over the spies, she hid them on her roof and misdirected the king's men (Jos.2.3-7). Rahab acknowledged the God of Israel and asked for protection for herself and her family when the city would be taken (Jos.2.8-13). The spies agreed to spare her if she would tie a scarlet cord in her window (Jos.2.14-21). During the conquest of Jericho, Rahab and her family were saved as promised (Jos.6.17, 23, 25). Rahab's faith and actions are commended in the New Testament (Heb.11.31; Jam 2.25). She is also mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, indicating that she married Salmon and became an ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ (Mat.1.5).
Key verses
Rahab appears in 8 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
Joshua 2:1 -
And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
Joshua 2:3 -
And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
Joshua 6:17 -
And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
Joshua 6:23 -
And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Joshua 6:25
Show all 8 references
Joshua (5)
- Joshua 2:1
- Joshua 2:3
- Joshua 6:17
- Joshua 6:23
- Joshua 6:25
Matthew (1)
- Matthew 1:5
Hebrews (1)
- Hebrews 11:31
James (1)
- James 2:25