This individual study guide draws directly from the sermon “9AM Worship Service” so you can keep engaging with the message all week. Read, reflect, and share it with your small group or friends.

In-Depth Bible Study Guide

From Harlot to Hero: The Radical Grace of God in the Story of Rahab

Primary Text: Joshua 2:1–11; 6:15–17 | Supporting: Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31

1. Introduction & Overview

This sermon confronts one of Scripture's most surprising inclusions: a Canaanite prostitute named Rahab, who appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ and in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. The pastor's message, preached as part of a series on faith from Hebrews 11, argues that Rahab's journey from harlot to hero is not an anomaly but a demonstration of God's unconditional love, unforgettable mercy, and amazing grace — available to anyone, regardless of their past. The central claim is that faith, destiny, and divine favor conspired to transform the most unlikely candidate into one of Scripture's most celebrated heroes.

Key Passages: Joshua 2:1–11; 6:15–17; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31 (with supporting references to Romans 10:9–13; Isaiah 55:6–7; Matthew 11:28)

Study Objectives: By the end of this study, the serious learner will be able to (1) understand the historical and literary context of Rahab's story within the conquest narrative, (2) explore the theological significance of her inclusion in Matthew's genealogy and Hebrews 11, (3) engage with key Hebrew and Greek terms that illuminate her story, and (4) articulate how Rahab's story shapes a biblical theology of grace, faith, and redemption.

Estimated Study Time: 2.5–3 hours

Why This Passage Matters: Rahab's story sits at the intersection of several major biblical themes — divine sovereignty, saving faith, the inclusion of Gentiles in God's redemptive plan, and the transforming power of grace. Her story is not a footnote; it is a theological statement embedded in the conquest narrative, the Messianic genealogy, and the New Testament's greatest chapter on faith.

How This Guide Builds on the Sermon: The pastor powerfully traced Rahab's arc across three texts. This guide deepens that journey with word studies in Hebrew and Greek, historical background on Canaanite culture and the city of Jericho, engagement with scholarly debates about the nature of Rahab's faith, and a fuller exploration of how her story anticipates the gospel.

2. Exegetical Analysis

Literary Structure and Genre

Joshua 2 belongs to the narrative literature of the Former Prophets (Joshua through Kings in the Hebrew canon). It functions as a reconnaissance account — a spy narrative — but the author's theological purpose far exceeds military intelligence. The chapter is structured chiastically around Rahab's confession of faith (vv. 9–11), making her declaration the literary and theological centerpiece of the entire episode.

The broader book of Joshua divides into two major sections: the conquest of the land (chapters 1–12) and the distribution of the land (chapters 13–24). Chapter 2 serves as a theological prologue to the conquest, establishing that Israel's victory will come not by military might but by divine action — and that God's grace extends even to Canaanites who believe.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Joshua 2:1 — Joshua sends two spies "secretly" to view the land, especially Jericho. The Hebrew word translated "secretly" (bəlaṭ) suggests stealth and discretion. Critically, the spies go directly to the house of Rahab, identified as a zonah (prostitute). This is not incidental — the author intends the reader to feel the social and moral weight of this detail immediately. Some ancient interpreters (notably Josephus and some Targums) attempted to soften zonah to mean "innkeeper," but the overwhelming consensus of scholarship is that the term means prostitute. The narrative does not sanitize Rahab's past; it celebrates what grace does with it.

Joshua 2:2–7 — The king of Jericho receives intelligence about the spies and demands Rahab surrender them. Her response is remarkable: she hides the spies under stalks of flax on her roof and lies to the king's messengers, sending them on a false trail. This raises an important interpretive question addressed in Section 6: Was Rahab's deception morally justified? Regardless of one's answer, the text does not condemn her for it. The narrative presents her action as courageous loyalty to the God of Israel.

Joshua 2:8–11 — This is the theological heart of the chapter. Before the spies sleep, Rahab ascends to the roof and delivers what amounts to a confession of faith. She demonstrates knowledge of God's acts (the Exodus, the defeat of Sihon and Og) and draws a theological conclusion: "The LORD your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth beneath" (v. 11). This is a remarkable statement from a Canaanite woman — virtually a creedal affirmation parallel to Israel's own confessions (cf. Deuteronomy 4:39).

Joshua 6:15–17 — At the fall of Jericho, Joshua commands that the city be "devoted to destruction" (ḥerem) — a total consecration of the city and its contents to God's judgment. The single exception: "Only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers that we sent." The scarlet cord she hung from her window (2:18–21) serves as the sign of her deliverance — a detail with profound theological resonance explored in Section 5.

Matthew 1:5 — In the genealogy of Jesus, "Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab." This is one of five women mentioned in Matthew's genealogy (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary), each with a story that defies conventional expectation. Rahab's inclusion is a theological statement: the Messiah's lineage runs through a redeemed Gentile prostitute.

Hebrews 11:31 — "By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies." The Greek term pistei (by faith) places Rahab in the same grammatical and theological category as Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Her faith, not her moral resume, is the defining feature.

3. Historical & Cultural Context

Jericho in the Late Bronze Age

Jericho is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, situated in the Jordan Valley approximately 800 feet below sea level. Archaeological excavations, particularly those led by Kathleen Kenyon in the 1950s, revealed extensive Late Bronze Age occupation layers. While the archaeology of the conquest period remains debated among scholars, the city's strategic importance as a fortified gateway to Canaan is well established. Any military campaign into Canaan would necessarily reckon with Jericho first.

The Social Status of a Prostitute in Canaanite Society

Prostitution in the ancient Near East occupied a complex social space. Women who practiced prostitution often lived on the margins of society, yet in some contexts their homes served as gathering places and inns for travelers. The location of Rahab's house "on the city wall" (Joshua 2:15) is archaeologically plausible — poorer residents and those of lower social status often inhabited structures built into or against the city wall. This detail also explains how she could lower a rope from her window to the outside of the city.

There is ongoing scholarly discussion about whether zonah might also carry cultic connotations (a "cult prostitute" associated with Canaanite fertility worship), but the Hebrew term used here is the standard word for a common prostitute, not the term qedeshah (cult prostitute). Rahab was a woman of the lowest social rung, with no ethnic, moral, or religious credentials that would recommend her to the God of Israel.

The Ḥerem and Canaanite Destruction

The command to destroy Jericho falls under the category of ḥerem — sacred destruction or "the ban." This was an ancient Near Eastern practice in which conquered cities and their contents were wholly consecrated to the deity as an act of holy war. For Israel, ḥerem functioned as both a judgment on Canaanite wickedness (Genesis 15:16; Deuteronomy 9:4–5) and a safeguard against Israel absorbing pagan practices. Rahab's exemption from ḥerem is therefore theologically extraordinary — she is carved out of divine judgment by her faith.

The Flax Stalks

The detail that Rahab hid the spies "under stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof" (Joshua 2:6) is a historically accurate detail. Flax was harvested in the spring (March–April) and laid on rooftops to dry before being processed into linen. This places the story in early spring, consistent with the Passover timing of Israel's crossing of the Jordan (Joshua 3–4). The scarlet thread she later hangs from her window (2:18) may itself be made of flax — a thread of the very material that sheltered the spies now marking her house for salvation.

4. Word Studies

"Harlot" (Hebrew, zonah, זוֹנָה)

Meaning: A woman who engages in sexual relations outside of marriage for payment or otherwise. The root zanah means "to commit fornication" or "to be a harlot." It carries both literal and metaphorical weight in the Old Testament.
Etymology: Related to the broader Semitic root denoting sexual immorality. Distinct from qedeshah (often translated "cult prostitute"), though the two are sometimes conflated in translation history.
Biblical Usage: The term appears in Genesis 38:15 (Tamar mistaken for a zonah); Judges 11:1 (Jephthah, son of a prostitute); Proverbs 7:10 (the seductive woman); and metaphorically throughout the prophets for Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness (Hosea 1–3; Ezekiel 16). The word is never softened in the Hebrew text of Joshua.
Theological Significance: The repeated use of zonah in connection with Rahab — she is never allowed to forget what she was — makes her redemption all the more striking. God does not erase her history; he redeems it.
Translation Considerations: Most modern translations (ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB) render it "prostitute." The KJV uses "harlot." Some ancient interpreters preferred "innkeeper," but this rendering has no lexical support.

"Faith" (Hebrew, emunah, אֱמוּנָה)

Meaning: Faithfulness, steadfastness, reliability, trust. The root aman gives us the word "Amen" — that which is firm, sure, and trustworthy.
Etymology: Derived from aman (to be firm, to be established). Closely related to emet (truth, reliability). Biblical faith is not primarily intellectual assent but active, relational trust.
Biblical Usage: Habakkuk 2:4 ("the righteous shall live by his emunah") — the foundational text for Paul's theology of justification by faith (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11). Deuteronomy 32:4 uses the root to describe God himself as a "God of faithfulness."
Theological Significance: Rahab's faith (emunah) is not merely cognitive — she acts on what she believes. She hides the spies, she makes a covenant, she hangs the scarlet cord. This active dimension of faith is precisely what the author of Hebrews celebrates and what James points to in James 2:25.

"By faith" (Greek, pistei, πίστει)

Meaning: The dative form of pistis (faith, trust, belief). In Hebrews 11, it functions as the refrain that structures the entire chapter — a grammatical drumbeat of divine commendation.
Etymology: From peithō (to persuade, to be convinced). Pistis in Greek carries connotations of trust, confidence, and fidelity.
Biblical Usage: Hebrews 11 uses pistei eighteen times, applying it to Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab. The repetition is deliberate — it creates a rhetorical and theological pattern in which Rahab is unmistakably included.
Theological Significance: That Rahab receives the same grammatical construction as Abraham ("by faith Abraham..."; "by faith Rahab...") is a profound statement of equality before God. Her faith, though expressed differently and from a radically different starting point, is recognized by God as genuine.

"Devoted to destruction" (Hebrew, ḥerem, חֵרֶם)

Meaning: Sacred destruction; the total consecration of something to God, often involving its complete annihilation. It denotes something irrevocably set apart — either for God's exclusive use or for destruction.
Etymology: Related to the Arabic ḥaram (forbidden, sacred). The root conveys the idea of something placed beyond ordinary use.
Biblical Usage: Leviticus 27:28–29 (things devoted to the LORD); 1 Samuel 15 (Saul's failure to execute ḥerem against the Amalekites); Joshua 7 (Achan's sin of taking ḥerem items).
Theological Significance: Rahab's exemption from ḥerem is not a loophole — it is a theological statement. God's saving grace can carve out a sanctuary of mercy even within the most severe expression of divine judgment. As the pastor noted, when the dust settled over Jericho, only Rahab's house was still standing.

"Perished / Did not perish" (Greek, apollymi, ἀπόλλυμι)

Meaning: To destroy utterly, to lose, to perish. In Hebrews 11:31, the author says Rahab "did not perish" (ou synaplōleto) with the disobedient.
Biblical Usage: John 3:16 ("should not perish but have eternal life"); Luke 15 (the lost sheep, coin, and son — all using apollymi); 2 Peter 3:9 (God not wishing any to perish).
Theological Significance: The word connects Rahab's physical deliverance from Jericho's destruction to the broader New Testament theme of salvation from eternal destruction. Her rescue from apollymi is a type — a foreshadowing — of the salvation available to all who call on God by faith.

5. Cross-References & Biblical Theology

Parallel Passages and Thematic Connections

Joshua 2:9–11 → Deuteronomy 4:39

"Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other."

Rahab's confession in Joshua 2:11 virtually quotes Israel's own creedal affirmation from Deuteronomy 4:39. A Canaanite prostitute speaks Israel's theology back to Israel's spies. This is a remarkable moment of Gentile inclusion in biblical theology.

Joshua 2:18 → Exodus 12:7, 13 (The Scarlet Thread and the Passover)

The scarlet cord Rahab hangs from her window as a sign of protection echoes the blood of the Passover lamb smeared on doorposts. Both are visible signs that mark a household for deliverance when judgment passes through. Many patristic interpreters (Justin Martyr, Origen) saw the scarlet thread as a type of Christ's blood.

Hebrews 11:31 → James 2:25

"And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?"

James and the author of Hebrews both appeal to Rahab as a paradigm case, but with different emphases — Hebrews emphasizes her faith, James emphasizes her works. This is not contradiction; it is complementarity. Rahab's works were the expression of her faith. As John Calvin observed, James is not opposing Paul's doctrine of justification but opposing a dead, inert "faith" that produces no action.

Matthew 1:5 → Ruth 4:13–22 (Rahab, Ruth, and the Messianic Line)

Matthew places Rahab immediately before Ruth in the genealogy. Both are Gentile women who enter the covenant community through faith and loyalty. Both become ancestors of David and, ultimately, of Jesus. The pairing is theologically intentional — the Messiah's lineage is marked by grace extended to outsiders.

Romans 10:9–13 → Joshua 2:11 (Confession and Salvation)

The pastor quoted Romans 10:9–13 in application. The connection runs deeper than application: Rahab's confession — "The LORD your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth beneath" — is structurally parallel to the Pauline formula of confessing Jesus as Lord. Both involve verbal acknowledgment of who God is and what he has done, resulting in salvation.

Isaiah 55:6–7 → Joshua 2:8–11 (Seeking and Finding)

Isaiah's invitation — "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near" — describes exactly what Rahab does. She acts on the window of opportunity when the spies arrive. She does not wait for better circumstances or a more respectable moment.

Luke 19:1–10 (Zacchaeus) → Joshua 2 (Rahab)

Both Zacchaeus and Rahab are social outcasts whom Jesus/God's representatives visit in their own homes. Both respond with immediate, decisive action. Both experience salvation as a result of an encounter they did not fully initiate.

John 4:1–42 (Woman at the Well) → Joshua 2 (Rahab)

Both stories feature women of questionable moral reputation who encounter God's representatives, make remarkable theological confessions, and become instruments of witness to their communities. The woman at the well brings her entire village; Rahab brings her entire household into the covenant.

6. Interpretive Considerations

Was Rahab's Lie Morally Justified?

The most significant interpretive challenge in Joshua 2 is Rahab's deception of the king's messengers (vv. 4–6). She explicitly lies: "The men came to me, but I did not know where they were from." Three major positions exist in Christian ethics and biblical interpretation:

The Graded Absolutism View (associated with Norman Geisler): When moral absolutes conflict, the lesser obligation yields to the greater. Protecting innocent life outweighed truth-telling to a murderous regime. God commends Rahab not for the lie but despite it, and her deception is not the focus of divine praise.

The Situational/Conflicting Duties View (associated with many Reformed and evangelical scholars): In a fallen world, genuine moral dilemmas exist where all available options involve some moral cost. Rahab chose the lesser evil. She is not praised for lying but for the faith that motivated her protective action.

The Moral Approval View (held by some): Rahab's deception of enemy combatants is morally analogous to wartime deception and is not condemned because it was not a violation of the moral law in this context.

Significantly, neither Hebrews 11:31 nor James 2:25 mentions the lie at all. Both texts celebrate her reception of the spies and her faith. The narrative itself does not moralize about the deception — it moves forward. Serious students should note that the text's silence on condemnation is not the same as explicit approval.

Is Rahab's Story Primarily About Individual Salvation or Covenant Inclusion?

Some scholars (particularly those in the tradition of biblical theology, such as Christopher Wright) emphasize that Rahab's story is primarily about the inclusion of Gentiles in the covenant community — a foreshadowing of the Great Commission. Others read it primarily through the lens of individual conversion and salvation. The sermon appropriately holds both together: Rahab's personal faith leads to her household's inclusion in Israel and ultimately to her place in the Messianic genealogy.

The "Fate" Language in the Sermon

The pastor used the language of "fate" and "destiny" to describe the spies' arrival at Rahab's house. Theologically, this is better understood as divine providence and sovereignty — God's purposeful ordering of events toward redemptive ends. The Reformed tradition speaks of this as concursus (God working through secondary causes). The sermon's instinct is theologically sound: it was not coincidence but divine appointment.

7. Theological Implications

The Doctrine of Divine Sovereignty and Saving Grace

Rahab's story is a case study in what theologians call prevenient grace — the grace that goes before, that seeks out the lost before they seek God. The spies did not go to Rahab's house because she was worthy; they went because God, in his sovereign providence, directed them there for her salvation. As the pastor powerfully stated, God will go to the crack house, the jail house, and the unlikely places if salvation is the result. This is not a sentimental observation — it is rooted in the biblical doctrine of God's sovereign, initiating grace.

Justification and the Unexpected Elect

Rahab's presence in Hebrews 11 alongside Abraham raises a profound theological question: What constitutes saving faith? The author of Hebrews answers by example rather than definition. Saving faith is not dependent on ethnic heritage (Rahab is Canaanite), moral history (she is a prostitute), or theological sophistication (she knows only what she has heard about the Exodus). It is a genuine trust in the God who acts, expressed in courageous, costly action.

Typology and Christological Foreshadowing

The scarlet cord of Joshua 2:18 has been read by Christians since the second century as a type of the blood of Christ. Justin Martyr (c. 155 AD) wrote that "the scarlet thread which the spies... told Rahab to bind in the window, by which she and all her house were to be saved, was a symbol of the blood of Christ." Whether one accepts this specific typological reading or not, the structural parallel is undeniable: a visible sign of blood marks a household for salvation when divine judgment passes through.

The Genealogy of Grace

Matthew's inclusion of Rahab in the genealogy of Jesus is a theological manifesto. The Messiah does not come from an unbroken line of the morally pure and ethnically homogeneous. He comes through Tamar (who seduced her father-in-law), Rahab (a Canaanite prostitute), Ruth (a Moabite), and Bathsheba (implicated in adultery). As commentator R.T. France notes, Matthew's genealogy deliberately signals that Jesus came to save sinners — and his own ancestry is the first proof.

God's Character: The God of Another Chance

The sermon's recurring theme — God is a God of another chance — is not merely homiletical encouragement. It is a systematic theological claim about the character of God: his hesed (covenant lovingkindness), his raḥamim (compassion, from the root for "womb" — a mother's tender mercy), and his ḥen (grace, unmerited favor). These attributes are not in tension with his holiness and justice — Jericho is destroyed — but they demonstrate that divine judgment does not have the final word for those who respond in faith.

8. Practical Application

How This Scholarship Informs Living

Understanding that Rahab's story is not an exception but an illustration of how God consistently works reshapes how we think about the people around us. The historical and theological depth of her story means that God's grace reaching into the margins is not a feel-good story — it is the pattern of redemption throughout Scripture. No one is beyond the reach of divine initiative.

Specific Applications

For those carrying shame from the past: Rahab is never referred to in Scripture without her identity as a prostitute — yet she is celebrated, not condemned. God does not require you to erase your past before he can use your future. He redeems the whole story.

For those in community: Rahab did not experience salvation in isolation. She negotiated for her entire household (2:13). Biblical faith has a communal dimension — when we are saved, we become advocates for those in our household and our circle of influence.

For those in the church who are tempted to gatekeep grace: The spies went to the harlot's house. The church that refuses to go to unlikely places — or refuses to welcome those who come from unlikely places — has misread the story of Rahab entirely.

For those wrestling with whether to respond to the gospel: The pastor's altar call drew directly from Rahab's story. She acted on what she knew, when she had the opportunity, with what she had. The window of opportunity is real, and the response is urgent. As Isaiah 55:6 says, "Seek the LORD while he may be found."

For personal reflection: Where in your life have you experienced God going to an unlikely place to find you? How does Rahab's story reshape your understanding of who God can use and who God can reach?

9. Discussion Questions

Observational Questions

Read Joshua 2:1–11 carefully. What specific information does Rahab demonstrate she knows about the God of Israel (vv. 9–11)? Where would she have learned this, and what does this tell us about how God's reputation spreads?
Compare Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25. What specific aspect of Rahab's story does each author emphasize? What does each author say was the result of her faith?
In Matthew 1:1–6, identify the five women mentioned in Jesus' genealogy. What do their stories have in common? Why might Matthew have deliberately included them?

Interpretive Questions

The text says the spies "came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and lodged there" (Joshua 2:1). The sermon argued this was divine providence. How does the broader narrative of Joshua support the idea that God was sovereignly directing this encounter? What other evidence in chapters 1–6 suggests divine orchestration?
Rahab tells the king's messengers that the spies have already left, when in fact she has hidden them on the roof. How do you evaluate this deception theologically? Does the text approve, disapprove, or remain silent — and what is the significance of that silence?
The scarlet cord (Joshua 2:18) has been interpreted typologically as a symbol of Christ's blood since the early church. What are the strengths and limitations of this typological reading? What criteria should guide typological interpretation?

Theological Questions

The sermon declared that "God is a God of another chance." How does Rahab's story — along with other biblical examples like David, Peter, and Paul — support or nuance this claim? Are there limits to "another chance" theology, and how does Scripture address them?
Rahab confesses that "the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth beneath" (Joshua 2:11). This is a remarkable theological statement from a Canaanite woman. What does this suggest about the nature of saving faith? Is theological precision required for genuine faith?

Applicational Questions

The pastor said, "God will still go to some unlikely places if salvation is the result." What are the "unlikely places" in your community, your city, or your own life where God might be sending someone — or sending you? What is your response?
Rahab's faith was not private — it resulted in action (hiding the spies, making a covenant, hanging the cord) and in advocacy (negotiating for her household). How does your faith express itself in action? Who are the people in your "household" — your circle — for whom you are interceding and advocating?
The sermon was preached on Baptism Sunday, with nine people following Christ in public baptism. How does Rahab's story illuminate the meaning of baptism as a public declaration of faith and a crossing from one identity to another?

Investigative Questions

Hebrews 11 is often called the "Hall of Faith." Using a concordance or Bible software, trace the phrase "by faith" through Hebrews 11. What pattern do you observe in the kinds of people included? What does the list suggest about how God defines a "hero of faith"? How does Rahab's inclusion change your understanding of that definition?

10. Recommended Resources

Commentaries on Joshua

Accessible:

Joshua by David Howard Jr. in the New American Commentary series (Broadman & Holman). Solid evangelical scholarship with careful attention to the text and historical background. Excellent for motivated lay readers.
Joshua by Dale Ralph Davis in the Focus on the Bible series (Christian Focus Publications). Theologically rich, pastorally warm, and highly readable.

Intermediate:

Joshua by Trent Butler in the Word Biblical Commentary series (Thomas Nelson). More technical, with engagement with Hebrew text and critical scholarship. Ideal for those comfortable with theological terminology.

Advanced:

The Book of Joshua by Richard Hess in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Eerdmans). The most thorough evangelical scholarly commentary on Joshua available. Engages archaeology, ancient Near Eastern context, and Hebrew extensively.

Biblical Theology and Background

Accessible:

Craig Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (IVP Academic). Invaluable for understanding the historical and cultural context of Joshua 2. Keener's notes on Jericho, Canaanite culture, and the ḥerem are particularly helpful.

Intermediate:

Christopher J.H. Wright, The God I Don't Understand (Zondervan). Wright's chapter on the Canaanite conquest addresses the ḥerem with theological depth and pastoral sensitivity. Essential reading for anyone wrestling with the ethical dimensions of Joshua.

On Rahab Specifically and Biblical Women

Accessible to Intermediate:

Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers (Tyndale House). A novelized account of the five women in Matthew's genealogy, including Rahab. While fictional, it is theologically careful and devotionally powerful. Excellent for small group use alongside this study guide.

On Hebrews 11 and Faith

Intermediate:

Hebrews by F.F. Bruce in the New International Commentary on the New Testament (Eerdmans). Bruce's commentary on Hebrews 11:31 is a classic treatment of Rahab's faith, with careful attention to the Greek text and the relationship between Hebrews and James.

Advanced:

Hebrews by William Lane in the Word Biblical Commentary series (Thomas Nelson, 2 volumes). The most comprehensive scholarly treatment of Hebrews available in English. Lane's exegesis of Hebrews 11 is authoritative.

Online Resources

Bible Gateway (biblegateway.com): Side-by-side translation comparison for Joshua 2, Matthew 1, and Hebrews 11.
Bible Hub (biblehub.com): Interlinear Hebrew and Greek text, Strong's concordance entries, and multiple commentary excerpts — all free and searchable by verse.
The Gospel Coalition (thegospelcoalition.org): Search "Rahab" for several theologically rich articles on her story, her place in the genealogy of Jesus, and her inclusion in Hebrews 11.

This study guide is designed to be used over multiple sessions. Consider reading the primary texts (Joshua 2; 6:15–17; Matthew 1:1–6; Hebrews 11:28–31) aloud at the beginning of each session. The goal of all this scholarship is not merely to know more about Rahab — it is to know more deeply the God who redeemed her, and to trust that same God with your own story.