1 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
housea, named
aRahab, and lodged there.
2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
3 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.
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1a an harlot's house ~ Or ~
'an innkeeper's house?' That is the question though even then some suggest
that a woman's profession of 'innkeeper' amounted to the same thing as a
house of prostitution and the distinction if there be any, was difficult to
determine. Yet there are some who would make that distinction in respect to
Rahab. The Hebrew/Aramaic word 'zanah' has been translated 'prone'
indicating prositution. But others including certain Rabbis and even Josephus
indicate Rahab was a 'host' or 'innkeeper' of a 'bed and breakfast' type
inn and some have translated the word 'zanah' as 'to feed' and be a 'host'.
Certainly Martha and Mary's hospitality to the Savior and his disciples was
not of a seedier matter, but they did host our Lord at their home. Either be
the fact of the matter, where there is no law there is no sin is what Paul
taught and when Rahab converted to the religion of Israel she was forgiven
under the salvation and grace of God, her sins were forgiven her and she was
in Israel no longer anything of what she may have been before her conversion
to the gospel.
As for Rahab's disposition in Israel, the Book of Ruth chapter 4 and the
Matthew genealogy would make Rachab to be the wife of Salmon and mother of
Boaz, but as the time removal from the days of Jericho, Joshua and Rahab to
the days of Boaz and Elimelech of some two to three hundred years (1405 the
time of Jericho to 1150 the time of Boaz and Ruth's marriage), makes
this unlikely. Jewish tradition according to the Jewish Encyclopedia makes
Rahab the wife of Joshua and perhaps it is a 'daughter' of Rahab-Rachab who is
the actual mother of Boaz and that maternal connection which makes cousin/brothers
of Elimelech of the house of Ephrathim or Ephraim and the Jewish house of
Boaz, descendant of Salmon (see Messiah
ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph).
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