[1] : Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

rahab
   insolence; pride, a poetical name applied to egypt in ps. 87:4;
   89:10; isa. 51:9, as "the proud one."
   
     rahab, heb. rahab; i.e., "broad," "large". when the hebrews
   were encamped at shittim, in the "arabah" or jordan valley
   opposite jericho, ready to cross the river, joshua, as a final
   preparation, sent out two spies to "spy the land." after five
   days they returned, having swum across the river, which at this
   season, the month abib, overflowed its banks from the melting of
   the snow on lebanon. the spies reported how it had fared with
   them josh. 2:1-7. they had been exposed to danger in jericho,
   and had been saved by the fidelity of rahab the harlot, to whose
   house they had gone for protection. when the city of jericho
   fell 6:17-25, rahab and her whole family were preserved
   according to the promise of the spies, and were incorporated
   among the jewish people. she afterwards became the wife of
   salmon, a prince of the tribe of judah ruth 4:21; 1 chr. 2:11;
   matt. 1:5. "rahab's being asked to bring out the spies to the
   soldiers josh. 2:3 sent for them, is in strict keeping with
   eastern manners, which would not permit any man to enter a
   woman's house without her permission. the fact of her covering
   the spies with bundles of flax which lay on her house-roof 2:6
   is an 'undesigned coincidence' which strictly corroborates the
   narrative. it was the time of the barley harvest, and flax and
   barley are ripe at the same time in the jordan valley, so that
   the bundles of flax stalks might have been expected to be drying
   just then" geikie's hours, etc., ii., 390.
   

[2] : Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's)

rahab, proud; quarrelsome applied to egypt

[3] : Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's)

rahab, large; extended name of a woman

Rahab >> R Words
Rahab, definition of term: Rahab
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