Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
a. ASV: And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]
b. YLT: And in like manner also Rahab the harlot -- was she not out of works declared righteous, having received the messengers, and by another way having sent forth? [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]
c. Classic Amplified: So also with Rahab the harlot—was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route? [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]
d. Peshitta Eastern Text: Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot, justified by works, when she welcomed the spies, and sent them out another way? [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]
e. NLT: Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]
1. “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works…”
a. Likewise [Strong: 3668 homoíōs, hom-oy'-oce; adverb from G3664; similarly:—likewise, so.]
b. also [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]
c. [was] not [Strong: 3756 ou, oo; a primary word; the absolute negative (compare G3361) adverb; no or not:—+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]
d. Rahab [Strong: 4460 Rhaáb, hrah-ab'; of Hebrew origin (H7343); Raab (i.e. Rachab), a Canaanitess:—Rahab.]
e. the [Strong: 3588. [hē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé hē, hai, tas.]
f. harlot [Strong: 4204 pórnē, por'-nay; feminine of G4205; a strumpet; figuratively, an idolater:—harlot, whore.]
g. justified justified [Strong: 1344 dikaióō, dik-ah-yo'-o; from G1342; to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent:—free, justify(-ier), be righteous.]
h. by [Strong: 1537 ek, ek; a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):—after, among, × are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, × hereby, + very highly, in, …ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, × thenceforth, through, × unto, × vehemently, with(-out).]
i. works [Strong: 2041 érgon, er'-gon; from a primary (but obsolete) ἔργω érgō (to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act:—deed, doing, labour, work.]
2. “...when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”
a. [when she had] received [Strong: 5264 hupŏdĕchŏmai, hoop-od-ekh'-om-ahee; from G5259 and G1209; to admit under one's roof, i.e. entertain hospitably:—receive.]
b. the [Strong: 3588. [tous] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tous] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé hē, hai, tas.]
c. messengers [Strong: 32 ággelos, ang'-el-os; from ἀγγέλλω aggéllō (probably derived from G71; compare G34) (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor:—angel, messenger.]
d. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]
e. [had] sent them out [Strong: 1544 ekbállō, ek-bal'-lo; from G1537 and G906; to eject (literally or figuratively):—bring forth, cast (forth, out), drive (out), expel, leave, pluck (pull, take, thrust) out, put forth (out), send away (forth, out).]
f. another [Strong: 2087 héteros, het'-er-os; of uncertain affinity; (an-, the) other or different:—altered, else, next (day), one, (an-)other, some, strange.]
g. way [Strong: 3598 hodós, hod-os'; apparently a primary word; a road; by implication, a progress (the route, act or distance); figuratively, a mode or means:—journey, (high-)way.]
1). Joshua 2:1-21 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.
2:2 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.
2:3 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.
2:4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
2:5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
2:6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
2:7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
2:8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
2:10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
2:11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
2:13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
2:14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
2:16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
2:17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
2:18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
2:19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
2:20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
2:21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
2). Scripture says faith was the motivator in Rahab’s behavior. Further in this chapter we will see plainly that was reaching out to the One true God.
a). Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
(1) It says here that Rahab perished not with them that “believed not”. The Greek word used here is “apeitheo” [Strong: 544], and it means “not to allow one's self to be persuaded, to refuse or withhold belief, to refuse belief and obedience, not to comply with”. What a commentary on these people, they refused to be persuaded. Refused to be persuaded of what? that they were going to be conquered? No! They knew that was going to happen, they were terrified of the inevitable. What they refused to be persuaded of was what Rahab confessed to the spies, “…for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” There will be more of this later in the chapter, but Rahab knew that the God of the Israelites was the one true God, and the rest of the city refused to believe it.
a). James 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
b). [Classic Amplified Bible] So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by good deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?
3). Rahab not only protected the spies but also sent them to an area where they would not be captured.
a). Joshua 2:15, 16 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
2:16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
4). The LORD had told Moses that He would do this to the people of Canaan. The reason for this was for the event to have the same effect on the rest of the nations as it did on Rahab. There is a similar use of language in Joshua 5 that needs to be looked at more closely.
a). Joshua 5:1 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.
5). The use of the phrase “that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more”, is similar to the phrase used in 1 Kings 10:5 in referring to the effect of Solomon’s godly administration upon the Queen of Sheba.
a). 1 Kings 10:1-5 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
10:2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
10:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
10:4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
10:5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
b). Most of the other translations read, “there was no more spirit in her”. The NIV says “she was overwhelmed”, while the Amplified Bible says, “she was breathless and overcome.” The similar aspect of these two passages is the use of the phrase “there was no more spirit”. There was no more spirit in the Canaanite and Amorite kings and there was no more spirit in the Queen of Sheba, and there was no more spirit in Rahab. All of these examples use the same Hebrew words. They were all hopeless at what was facing them. The most important aspect of these similarities is the fact of how each responded to their situation. The Queen of Sheba and Rahab got right with the one true God, while the Canaanite and Amorite kings went to war against Israel.
(1). Jesus said in Matthew 12:42 the queen of the south (Sheba) would rise in judgment against the generation that rejects Jesus and as the Apostle Paul relates in 1 Corinthians 6:2, that only the saints shall judge the world.
c). I conclude that God’s desired effect was the nations to hear of His great power and accept Him as the one true God.
(1). Romans 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
(2). Romans 10:12-14 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
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