ACC ~ Matthew 1 v4

RAHAB WHO LOVED ISRAEL A FIGURE OF THE CHURCH

ANONYMOUS: “Nahshon brought forth Salmon.” The name Salmon is interpreted “take the vessel.” Salmon married Rahab. This Rahab is said to have been a harlot from Jericho, who took in spies and envoys from the children of Israel. And when the king of Jericho sought the spies so that he might put them to death, Rahab hid them on the roof of her house and kept them safe from harm. Hearing of the deeds of the children of Israel, she loved Israel more than her own people. And this fact seems to be doubly credible to me. Since Salmon was considered noble among the children of Israel and was of the tribe of Judah and the son of the prince, he saw the faithful Rahab thus converted to goodness and beloved by God and led from Jericho at God’s command and counted among the daughters of Israel. Such a wonderful woman surely deserved to become Salmon’s wife.

I therefore believe, in terms of a spiritual mystery, that Rahab the harlot was a figure of the church. Though a harlot among the people and defiled by the worship of idols, she received the messengers (i.e., the apostles) of Jesus Christ into the home of her heart because of their words. She hid them on top of the storehouse of her mind, so that the prince of the world, the devil, might not find them nor put to death those who with the sign of the scarlet cord had also been lowered down through the window. It was as though saved by the mark of the Lord’s passion, led out of the world and made chaste, that she became the bride of Christ.

This Rahab, after she married Salmon, was named Rachab, [1] which is interpreted “ascent.” Indeed, just as Rahab ascended bodily, having been made one of the daughters of Israel and dignified by marriage to that man, she also ascended spiritually. For although the church was once a worshiper of idols, she became the companion of angels, the bride of Christ and the daughter of God. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 1. [2]

[1] Latin Raab to Rachab.

[2] PG 56:618.