Chapter XII.—The Rewards of Faith and Hospitality.  Rahab.

On account of her faith and hospitality, Rahab the harlot was saved.  For when spies were sent by Joshua, the son of Nun, to Jericho, the king of the country ascertained that they were come to spy out their land, and sent men to seize them, in order that, when taken, they might be put to death.  But the hospitable Rahab receiving them, concealed them on the roof of her house under some stalks of flax.  And when the men sent by the king arrived and said, “There came men unto thee who are to spy out our land; bring them forth, for so the king commands,” she answered them, “The two men whom ye seek came unto me, but quickly departed again and are gone,” thus not discovering the spies to them.  Then she said to the men, “I know assuredly that the Lord your God hath given you this city, for the fear and dread of you have fallen on its inhabitants.  When therefore ye shall have taken it, keep ye me and the house of my father in safety.”  And they said to her, “It shall be as thou hast spoken to us.  As soon, therefore, as thou knowest that we are at hand, thou shalt gather all thy family under thy roof, and they shall be preserved, but all that are found outside of thy dwelling shall perish.”61    Josh. ii; Heb. xi. 31.  Moreover, they gave her a sign to this effect, that she should hang forth from her house a scarlet thread.  And thus they made it manifest that redemption should flow through the blood of the Lord to all them that believe and hope in God.62    Others of the fathers adopt the same allegorical interpretation, e. g., Justin Mar., Dial. c. Tryph., n. 111; Irenæus, Adv. Hær., iv. 20.  Ye see, beloved, that there was not only faith, but prophecy, in this woman.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΒ’. ∆ιὰ πίστιν καὶ φιλοξενίαν ἐσώθη Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη. Ἐκπεμφθέντων γὰρ ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ τοῦ Ναυὴ κατασκόπων εἰς τὴν Ἱεριχὼ ἔγνω ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς γῆς ὅτι ἥκασιν κατασκοπεῦσαι τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐξέπεμψεν ἄνδρας τοὺς συλλημψομένους αὐτούς, ὅπως συλλημφθέντες θανατωθῶσιν. Ἡ οὖν φιλόξενος Ῥαὰβ εἰσδεξαμένη αὐτοὺς ἔκρυψεν εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον ὑπὸ τὴν λινοκαλάμην. Ἐπισταθέντων δὲ τῶν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ λεγόντων· ‘Πρὸς σὲ εἰσῆλθον οἱ κατάσκοποι τῆς γῆς ἡμῶν· ἐξάγαγε αὐτούς, ὁ γὰρ βασιλεὺς οὕτως κελεύει’, ἡ δὲ ἀπεκρίθη· Ἐἰσῆλθον μὲν οἱ ἄνδρες, οὓς ζητεῖτε, πρὸς μέ, ἀλλ' εὐθέως ἀπῆλθον καὶ πορεύονται τῇ ὁδῷ’, ὑποδεικνύουσα αὐτοῖς ἐναλλάξ. Καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας· ‘Γινώσκουσα γινώσκω ἐγὼ ὅτι κύριος ὁ θεὸς παραδίδωσιν ὑμῖν τὴν γῆν ταύτην· ὁ γὰρ φόβος καὶ ὁ τρόμος ὑμῶν ἐπέπεσεν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν αὐτήν. Ὡς ἐὰν οὖν γένηται λαβεῖν αὐτὴν ὑμᾶς, διασώσατέ με καὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου’. Καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ· ‘Ἔσται οὕτως, ὡς ἐλάλησας ἡμῖν. Ὡς ἐὰν οὖν γνῷς παραγινομένους ἡμᾶς, συνάξεις πάντας τοὺς σοὺς ὑπὸ τὸ στέγος σου, καὶ διασωθήσονται· ὅσοι γὰρ ἐὰν εὑρεθῶσιν ἔξω τῆς οἰκίας, ἀπολοῦνται.’ Καὶ προσέθεντο αὐτῇ δοῦναι σημεῖον, ὅπως ἐκκρεμάσῃ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτῆς κόκκινον, πρόδηλον ποιοῦντες ὅτι διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ κυρίου λύτρωσις ἔσται πᾶσιν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν καὶ ἐλπίζουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν. Ὁρᾶτε, ἀγαπητοί, ὅτι οὐ μόνον πίστις, ἀλλὰ καὶ προφητεία ἐν τῇ γυναικὶ γέγονεν.