Harlet

Harlotry

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Harlot > Hh)

Harlot. Woman guilty of illicit sexual relationships, figuratively, one who worships an idol. The term “harlot” translates four different words found in the Bible.

One : type of harlot was the man or woman, married or unmarried, who committed immoral acts (Gn 34:31; Jgs 19:2; Prv 23:27).

Two: A different harlot was the temple prostitute of heathen religions in which fornication was part of the worship (Gn 38:21, 22; Dt 23:17; Hos 4:14). Such prostitution was forbidden by the Law of Moses (Lv 19:29; 21:9).

Three: The “strange woman” was another harlot (1 Kgs 11:1; Prv 5:20; 6:24; 7:5; 23:27). There are different opinions why that name was given to harlots. One explanation is that it referred to a man leaving his own wife for another, who ought to be a stranger to him (Prv 5:17, 18, 20). It may also have referred to a foreign woman (Nm 25:1; Jos 23:13).

Four: “Harlot” also refers to any woman, married or single, who practices unlawful sexual indulgence, whether for lust or gain (Mt 21:31, 32; Lk 15:30; 1 Cor 6:15, 16; Heb 11:31; Jas 2:25).Harlotry appeared early in Israel’s life and continued throughout biblical history. Most biblical passages strongly condemn the practice of harlotry in any form. The priestly law of Leviticus 21:9 provided that a priest’s daughter who practiced harlotry was to be burned to death. A priest could not marry a harlot (Lv 19:29) and the wages of harlotry could not be used to pay vows in the temple (Dt 23:18). These prohibitions served to keep the worship of the Lord free from the practice of cult harlotry.The sons of Jacob killed Hamor and his son Shechem, justifying their act by saying: “Should he treat our sister as a harlot?” (Gn 34:31). Amaziah’s wife was to become a harlot (Am 7:17) as punishment for his treatment of the prophet Amos.In the 1st century harlots and tax collectors were equally detested by the Jews (Mt 21:32). According to Paul, the body of a Christian belongs to Christ, and should not be joined to a prostitute’s (1 Cor 6:15, 16). Proverbs is replete with warnings to those who would go in to harlots.A number of biblical passages do, however, seem to accept the harlot as a member of the community. Tamar temporarily served as a temple harlot to remind her father-in-law of his promise to her (Gn 38:14, 15), and Rahab the harlot had a special place in Hebrew history because she had befriended the Hebrew spies (Jos 2:4–16; Heb 11:31).The words “harlot” and “harlotry” were used figuratively for idolatry, especially in the prophetic books (Is 1:21; Jer 2:20; Rv 17:1, 5, 15, 16; 19:2). This figurative use was based on the marriage-like relationship of the Lord and the nation of Israel (Jer 3:20). When the people gave their allegiance to idols rather than God he charged that they “went a whoring after” other gods (KJV) or “played the harlot after” other gods (Jgs 8:33). The same idea is found in the NT (Rv 17). These condemnations are directed toward that inner harlotry which is a rejection of the Redeemer.

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Rahab (Person))

RAHAB (PERSON) [Heb rāḥāb (רָחָב)]. The story of Rahab is told in the first part of Joshua 2 and the latter part of Joshua 6. In its present context, this narrative is embedded in the account of the Israelite conquest of Jericho. Rahab is introduced as a “harlot” (Hebrew zônâ) in Josh 2:1 (so also 6:17, 25; in 2:3 and 6:23, only the name Rahab appears). Two spies, dispatched from Shittim by Joshua, enter her house. She hides them from the ruler of Jericho, thus saving their lives. She acknowledges the power of the Lord and extracts from the spies the promise that she and her family will be saved when the Israelites overwhelm her city. She is told to hang a scarlet cord from her window as a sign that her household is to be spared. Several verses in chap. 6 relate that Joshua kept this agreement. At the time of Jericho’s conquest, Rahab and her family, alone of the city’s inhabitants, are spared. They were taken outside of the camp. A final note (6:25) records that “she dwelt in Israel to this day.”

Rahab’s name comes from a root meaning “to be wide or broad.” It appears to be the shortened form of a theophoric name (cf., for example, Rehabiah, 1 Chr 23:17; 24:21). The exact nature of Rahab’s occupation has been the subject of considerable controversy. Most interpretators now see her as a “secular” prostitute without any cultic or sacred connections. Not only is this in keeping with the biblical description, but there was a Hebrew term (qĕdēšâ) available to the author had he wanted to highlight her status as a “sacred” prostitute. The use of the term “innkeeper” in certain Jewish traditions may be seen as an attempt to improve upon her professional standing, but that is not necessarily the case.The story as it stands contains no indication of what motivated Rahab to risk her life on behalf of the Israelite spies. We are probably meant to connect this action with her affirmation of Yahweh’s power. That affirmation, found in Josh 2:8–11 and thoroughly Deuteronomistic in language and theology, is widely regarded as a late element in what otherwise seems to be fairly early material. In a pre-Deuteronomistic stage, Rahab and her family may have been identified with that segment of the Jericho population that opposed the royal establishment and could be expected to respond positively to the invading Israelites.The survival of Rahab and her family “to this day” suggests that there is an etiological element in the origin and subsequent development of this story. Perhaps, a well-defined group of her descendants could be singled out for some time among the Israelites. That group would obviously have a large stake in preserving Rahab’s exploits.Other elements can also be detected in the diverse traditions that have gone into this account. For example, the narrative concerning Rahab has been identified as one of several spy stories that the OT contains. Moreover, Rahab’s role must be seen in light of the type of warfare Israel was waging. It was holy war, under divine command. Rahab’s statement was as much an affirmation to Israel as to herself: with God on their side, the Israelites could not fail to be victorious. For her assistance, the absolute ban (ḥērem) on Jericho could be waived.According to some, the essence of the Rahab story is contained in chap. 2, while the verses in chap. 6 form a not wholly consistent afterthought. It is noted, for example, that her house, although “built into the city wall” (2:15), somehow still stood after the walls fell (see 6:22). However, the entire Rahab narrative exhibits many unexpected features—not the least of which is the aid provided by the prostitute herself—and the dramatic and humorous effect of the story taken as a whole survives (and perhaps even thrives on) architectural and other incongruities.The relatively few verses devoted to Rahab in the OT stimulated an amazingly rich exegetical tradition in both Judaism and Christianity. She was widely depicted as a proselyte or convert to the monotheistic faith of Israel. In Judaism, she could then be portrayed as one of the most pious converts—a worthy wife of Joshua and the ancestor of prophets.A parallel, but distinctly Christian development, is found in Matt 1:5 where a Rahab is identified as the wife of Salmon and the mother of Boaz. This accords to Rahab a prominent position in the genealogy of “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Inasmuch as Matthew does not specifically link “his” Rahab with the harlot of the book of Joshua, and while the Greek text of Matthew preserves a distinctive spelling of the proper name (rachab, raab elsewhere), it is possible that this is another Rahab. However, the appearance and identity of three other women from the OT (Tamar, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah [i.e., Bath-sheba]) in the genealogy of Jesus make it virtually certain that we are dealing with only one Rahab in both Testaments. This is clearly the case in the other two NT references to “Rahab the harlot”: Heb 11:31, where Rahab’s survival is credited to her faith, and Jas 2:25, in which Rahab exemplifies the dictum that “man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (so v 24).The role Rahab plays in Jewish and Christian exegetical traditions (many other examples could be cited) is larger than that attributed to her in the OT itself. This is not to say that she is an unimportant figure in the Bible; by her actions, she both preserved her own family and epitomized the sort of faith that the Israelites themselves would have to display to preserve the land and heritage God had promised them