Ῥαάβ
Rhaáb
G4460 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun: Rahab, a personal name referring to a woman of Canaanite origin known from biblical narratives. Typically designates an inhabitant of Jericho (Canaanite city), closely associated with the narrative of aiding Israelite messengers. In later contexts, the name is associated specifically with the ancestor of certain prominent lineages.
Semantic Range
personal name, woman of Jericho, listed ancestor in genealogies, referent for Canaanite participant in biblical narrative
Root / Etymology
Derived directly from Hebrew רָחָב (Raḥāv), a theophoric and/or descriptive personal name common in biblical Hebrew. The Greek Ῥαάβ is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew name found in the Septuagint and New Testament. See also the orthographic variant Ῥαχάβ (Rhacháb), which occurs in some Greek manuscripts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name Ῥαάβ appears in the Septuagint (Josh. 2) and twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25), referring to the Canaanite (Jerichoan) woman who assists Israelite spies. In the Gospel geneaologies (Matthew 1:5), a variant form Ῥαχάβ is found. The usage in Second Temple and New Testament texts reflects the established transliteration tradition. LXX and NT contexts emphasize geographic and cultural background (Canaanite city-dweller), while later tradition introduced the association with 'prostitute' or 'innkeeper,' but the Greek text itself focuses on her role as a Jerichoan and her actions in the narrative. English translations often use the form 'Rahab' based on this Greek rendering, but the Greek term is a straightforward personal name transliterated from Hebrew, not a word with additional semantic content beyond this referential function. There is no confusion with the mythological 'Rahab' (the chaos monster) of Hebrew poetic tradition, which in Greek would typically be rendered differently.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (רָחָב); Raab (i.e. Rachab), a Canaanitess:--Rahab. See also Ῥαχάβ.
Root Family
Ῥαάβ (Rhaab) — personal name, proper noun
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4460-01 |
Ῥαὰβ | raab | N NOM F SG |
Rahab | Rahab | Rhaab | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4460-01 |
Hebrews 11:31 | Ῥαὰβ | raab | N NOM F SG |
Rahab | Rahab | Rhaab |
G4460-01 |
James 2:25 | Ῥαὰβ | raab | N NOM F SG |
Rahab | Rahab | Rhaab |