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?
English Standard Version (ESV)
James doesn't just point to Rahab's actions; he highlights her specific deed of sending the spies out another way. This wasn't just a helpful gesture, but a deliberate, risky act that directly defied her city's safety and revealed her profound shift in allegiance, proving her faith was more than just words. Her justification wasn't about erasing her past as a "harlot," but about demonstrating a present, active faith that reoriented her entire life.
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?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following the example of Abraham, James now turns to Rahab, a Gentile woman known for her past profession and her critical role in Jericho's fall. He highlights her act of secretly sheltering and helping the Israelite spies escape as proof of her faith, demonstrating that genuine belief always results in tangible actions. This contrasts with a mere intellectual assent to truth, which, like the demons' belief, offers no real justification or salvation.
James brings up Rahab, a woman from Jericho, after talking about Abraham. Why her? What can her story teach us about genuine faith?
James uses Rahab as a second example to show that true faith isn't just an internal feeling; it's proven by outward actions. Her act of hiding and helping the Israelite messengers demonstrated that her belief in God was real and active.
The way Rahab sent the spies away wasn't just discreet; it was urgent. What does that haste reveal about her state of mind and the power of her faith?
The Greek word used here for 'sent them out' can imply a sense of urgency or even 'thrusting them forth.' This wasn't a leisurely farewell; it was a hurried escape fueled by fear and a desperate hope.
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Understand the original words
pornē · Greek Noun
A person who engages in sexual relations for payment. Rahab’s inclusion highlights that God’s grace and the requirement for active faith extend to all people, regardless of their past.
By highlighting Rahab, a Gentile prostitute, James shows that genuine faith isn't limited by social status or past sins. Her decisive action to protect God's messengers, despite the risk, demonstrated a living faith that led to her justification and inclusion in Israel's lineage, even that of the Messiah.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Encamped East of the Jordan
The Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, were encamped in the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, preparing to enter the Promised Land.
c. 1400 BC
Joshua Sends Spies to Jericho
Joshua sent two spies from the Israelite camp to scout the land, particularly Jericho, the first major city beyond the Jordan.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Rahab Hides the Spies
The spies lodged at the house of Rahab, a prostitute, in Jericho. When the city authorities sought them, Rahab hid the spies on her roof.
c. 1400 BC
Rahab Helps Spies Escape
Rahab lied to the authorities, claiming the spies had left the city. She then helped them escape by lowering them out of her window with a rope.
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Jericho
Following God's instructions, the Israelites marched around Jericho for seven days, and on the seventh day, the city walls miraculously fell.
c. 1400 BC
Rahab and Her Family Saved
Rahab and her entire household were saved during the destruction of Jericho because she had protected the Israelite spies. She then joined the people of Israel.
c. 50 AD
Rahab in Matthew's Genealogy
Rahab is listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, married to Salmon and becoming the mother of Boaz, highlighting her significant place in salvation history.
This passage also highlights Rahab's faith and actions, calling her 'justified by faith' when she welcomed the spies, showing a consistent biblical perspective on her example.
Joshua 2:1-21This Old Testament account provides the narrative context for Rahab's actions, detailing how she hid the Israelite spies and helped them escape, which James uses as evidence of her faith.
Matthew 1:5This verse reveals Rahab's significant place in history as an ancestress of King David and Jesus Christ, underscoring the profound impact of her act of faith beyond her immediate salvation.
Romans 4:3Similar to James's use of Abraham, Paul uses Abraham's faith being credited as righteousness to illustrate justification by faith, creating a theological dialogue between the two apostles.
barnesJames 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?"
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works? - In the same sense in which Abraham was, as explained above - showing by her act that her faith was genuine, and that it was not a mere cold and speculative assent to the truths of religion. Her act showed that she truly believed God. If that act had not been performed, the fact would have sh…
vincentJames 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?"
RahabAlso referred to in Hebrews 11:31, among the examples of faith. Dante places her in the third heaven:"Thou fain wouldst know who is within this lightThat here beside me thus is scintillating,Even as a sunbeam in the limpid water.Then know thou, that within there is at restRahab, and being to our order joined,With her in its supremest grade 'tis s…
James doesn't just point to Rahab's actions; he highlights her specific deed of sending the spies out another way. This wasn't just a helpful gesture, but a deliberate, risky act that directly defied her city's safety and revealed her profound shift in allegiance, proving her faith was more than just words. Her justification wasn't about erasing her past as a "harlot," but about demonstrating a present, active faith that reoriented her entire life.
Following the example of Abraham, James now turns to Rahab, a Gentile woman known for her past profession and her critical role in Jericho's fall. He highlights her act of secretly sheltering and helping the Israelite spies escape as proof of her faith, demonstrating that genuine belief always results in tangible actions. This contrasts with a mere intellectual assent to truth, which, like the demons' belief, offers no real justification or salvation.
Following the example of Abraham, James now turns to Rahab, a Gentile woman known for her past profession and her critical role in Jericho's fall. He highlights her act of secretly sheltering and helping the Israelite spies escape as proof of her faith, demonstrating that genuine belief always results in tangible actions. This contrasts with a mere intellectual assent to truth, which, like the demons' belief, offers no real justification or salvation.
"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 doesn't just point to Rahab's actions; he highlights her specific deed of sending the spies out another way. This wasn't just a helpful gesture, but a deliberate, risky act that directly defi…
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Last reviewed October 2026