“Rahab” in the Hebrew lexicons actually covers two closely related but distinct words: one for the woman of Jericho (usually spelled רָחָב, Rachav) and one for the cosmic/poetic figure and symbolic name (רַהַב, Rahav). Each carries its own set of meanings and theological overtones.

Core Lexicon Snapshot

  • Rāḥāḇ (רָחָב, often transliterated Rachab/Rahab):
    • Basic sense: “wide, broad, spacious”.
* Proper name: the woman of Jericho who sheltered the Israelite spies, later incorporated into Israel and into the Messianic genealogy.

* Lexical notes: often treated as related to a root meaning “to be wide, spacious, or to enlarge,” emphasizing openness or breadth.
  • Rahav (רַהַב):
    • Noun, often translated as: “breadth, arrogance, storm, tumult,” and as a mythic sea monster or symbolic name for Egypt in poetic texts.
* Root verb sense: “to act stormily/boisterously, to be proud, insolent, to embolden or overbear.”

* In theology and poetry: used for a primordial sea-dragon/chaos monster and as an emblematic title for Egypt as a proud, turbulent power.

Mini Lexicon: Forms and Meanings

1. Proper Name: Rahab of Jericho

  • Form: רָחָב (Rāḥāḇ) – Strong’s H7343.
  • Basic glosses in major lexicons:
    • “Wide, broad” as base idea for the name.
* “Proud” also appears in some Strong-style summaries.
  • Usage:
    • A Canaanite woman in Jericho who hides the spies (Joshua 2, 6).
* Later presented as an ancestor of David and of the Messiah, and cited in the New Testament as an example of active faith.

2. Noun: Rahav as Chaos / Egypt

  • Form: רַהַב (Rahav) – Strong’s H7294.
  • Lexical senses (Brown–Driver–Briggs and Strong-type data):
    • “Breadth” (base concrete image).
* “Storm, arrogance” (especially in names or poetic contexts).

* “Mythical sea monster” – a chaos-creature opposed to God.

* “Emblematic name of Egypt” – a poetic title stressing pride and turbulent power.
  • Theological/literary function:
    • Used in Psalms, Job, and Isaiah for a primeval sea monster or dragon defeated by God, closely overlapping with Leviathan language.
* Used as a nickname for Egypt, portraying it as arrogant and ultimately powerless before the God of Israel.

3. Verb: rāhab – To Act Proud or Stormy

  • Form: רָהַב (rahab) – Strong’s H7292.
  • Core verbal meanings:
    • “To behave proudly, act stormily or boisterously, behave arrogantly.”
* Qal: to act insolently, to storm against, to beset or importune others.

* Hiphil: to disturb, alarm, awe, confuse, or make someone bold/proud.
  • Conceptual tie-in:
    • This verb provides the underlying idea for the noun “Rahav” as a turbulent, proud force (whether cosmic monster or imperial power).

Short Theological/Interpretive Notes

  • Some modern word studies highlight the tension between “breadth” and “arrogance/storminess,” suggesting that what is broad, expansive, or mighty can shade into pride and overreach in biblical imagery.
  • The mythic Rahav as a sea-dragon reflects a broader Ancient Near Eastern pattern where deities or monsters of chaos are subdued by the creator, but in the Hebrew Bible that imagery is reworked to underscore the unique sovereignty of Israel’s God.
  • In contrast, the Jericho Rahab (רָחָב) becomes a literary counter-image: a Canaanite woman whose faithful response and hospitality place her not with the arrogant powers, but among the people who trust God, despite sharing a similar-sounding name.

Quick HTML Table (Lexicon Style)

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Form / Strong’s</th>
      <th>Basic Meaning</th>
      <th>Part of Speech</th>
      <th>Key Uses</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>רָחָב (Rāḥāḇ), H7343[web:1][web:3]</td>
      <td>“Wide, broad”; proper name Rahab of Jericho[web:1][web:3]</td>
      <td>Proper name (fem.)[web:3]</td>
      <td>Woman of Jericho who hid the spies; later in Messianic genealogy[web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>רַהַב (Rahav), H7294[web:5]</td>
      <td>“Breadth”; storm, arrogance; mythic sea monster; symbolic Egypt[web:5][web:6]</td>
      <td>Masculine noun[web:5]</td>
      <td>Chaos monster in Psalms, Job, Isaiah; poetic name for Egypt[web:5][web:6][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>רָהַב (rahab), H7292[web:9][web:10]</td>
      <td>To act proudly, stormily, insolently; to embolden, disturb[web:9]</td>
      <td>Verb (Qal, Hiphil)[web:9]</td>
      <td>Used of arrogant, tumultuous behavior; conceptual root behind Rahav imagery[web:9][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.