The Role of a Woman, According to the Bible
However, this is not necessarily so; in the bible, there are instances and occurrences that refute such claims, situations whereby the women were considered equal, as in the case of creation, and capable of performing in a position normally reserved for men, like in the case of Deborah.
There are also other countless incidents were the women’s brave and selfless acts definitely opposes the supposed male dominated culture of the bible; however, detailed study of Eve and Deborah is enough to show that the Old Testament is definitely not written in a totally male dominated culture.
The first time humanity was introduced to the concept “woman” was in the creation story. There are two versions of the story: the first portrays woman as being equal to man “so God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them,” while the second portrays woman to be a subordinate of man “and the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.” (Gen 2:22) This discrepancy in the two versions of the creation story has been used as validation for the two different standpoints on female subordination. Many see females as subordinate of man. However, others stress that God created Eve as Adam’s “help meet” (as the King James Version puts it) and not just a mate; God has realized that “it was not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.” (Gen 2:18, KJV) And so, he made Adam a helper as his partner, one to shoulder his burdens with him and help him with all his responsibility on earth; someone equal to him in all ramifications.
For years, it has been debated and argued that Lilith was the woman created in the first version of the creation story while Eve is Adam’s second wife. This myth found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud and then in the 8th-10th Century Alphabet of Ben Sira, is presented as a valid reason for the difference in both versions. Lilith is said to have been the woman in Genesis 1 who was created as Adams' equal but grew rebellious and left him. After leaving him, she reportedly became a witch and a temptress/succubus, which prompted God to make Eve, the Genesis 2 woman, who was supposed to be docile and second in command to Adam. However, the creation of such a myth is not needed to understand the scriptures; rather the two versions complement each other perfectly. Eve is created in God’s image alongside Adam; she is blessed and told to multiply alongside man. She is also given dominion over the earth and nature. She is made with the ability to procreate; a separate vessel in the procreation decree. God had seen that man was alone and had created a helper, one who was fit to rule alongside him. On seeing her, Adam pronounced her “the bone of his bone and the flesh of his flesh” and added “therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife and they shall become one flesh.”(Gen 2:23-24) This reinforces the uniqueness of both man and woman, and also gives credence to the fact that both man and woman are equal, as only equal complementary units can make a whole. It was not “her suitability as a helper that he celebrated, but her being the perfect catch….The two of them are made of the same stuff.” (Trevor 14) In the words of Nancy Tischler in her book Legacy of Eve:
For years, it has been debated and argued that Lilith was the woman created in the first version of the creation story while Eve is Adam’s second wife. This myth found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud and then in the 8th-10th Century Alphabet of Ben Sira, is presented as a valid reason for the difference in both versions. Lilith is said to have been the woman in Genesis 1 who was created as Adams' equal but grew rebellious and left him. After leaving him, she reportedly became a witch and a temptress/succubus, which prompted God to make Eve, the Genesis 2 woman, who was supposed to be docile and second in command to Adam. However, the creation of such a myth is not needed to understand the scriptures; rather the two versions complement each other perfectly. Eve is created in God’s image alongside Adam; she is blessed and told to multiply alongside man. She is also given dominion over the earth and nature. She is made with the ability to procreate; a separate vessel in the procreation decree. God had seen that man was alone and had created a helper, one who was fit to rule alongside him. On seeing her, Adam pronounced her “the bone of his bone and the flesh of his flesh” and added “therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife and they shall become one flesh.”(Gen 2:23-24) This reinforces the uniqueness of both man and woman, and also gives credence to the fact that both man and woman are equal, as only equal complementary units can make a whole. It was not “her suitability as a helper that he celebrated, but her being the perfect catch….The two of them are made of the same stuff.” (Trevor 14) In the words of Nancy Tischler in her book Legacy of Eve:
“In Eve, we do see the complete woman: servant of God, regent over the lower creatures, helpmeet to man. She is a creature of God; created with purpose; created in the image of God in her humanity and in her femininity; Good at the time of creation; by nature, close to man and needed by him; expected to help him in his work- to join in subduing the earth; commanded to have “dominion” over the other creatures of God; Equipped to be a source of new life, and admonished to be fruitful and multiply.”(Tischler 18)Once again the idea of equality between man and woman is prevalent in the text, Eve was meant to join Adam in subduing the earth together as equals.
It is also argued that in Adam naming Eve, he indicts woman as a lesser of the two beings. Pointing out that since Adam named the animal, and has dominion over them, in naming Eve, he is also pronouncing his dominance over her. But this is not really so; the animals were created to fill the void and “in naming them, all the man does is identify them as possible partners, or rather, since they do not fit the bill, as impossible partners.”(Trevor 15) However, when Eve was presented to Adam, he immediately found the end to his loneliness; his reaction to her is “only playfulness…And to prove it, for the first time he refers to himself as ‘man’. He is not content to be ’adam, to take his identity from the stuff, the ’adamah, from which he was made.” Instead, “he takes it from his relationship with the new creature standing before him, this woman, this ’ishshah. He knows who he is now. He is ’ish, man!” (Trevor 15) It had nothing to do with pronouncing authority or sovereignty over both the animal and Eve. God had given dominion over the animal to them together; “and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Gen1:28) And this was in the first chapter of Genesis; before the physical creation of both man and woman. God first created man as a living soul; he gave man (both male and female) equal dominance over the earth, and then created a body for them to live in. He (God) then breathes into them, and made them a living being- soul, spirit and body complete.
Another interesting woman in the bible is Deborah; she was a prophetess as well as the only female judge in Israel’s history. She was also the wife of Lappidoth, who apart from being mentioned as Deborah’s husband is apparently non-existent in the Bible, . One wonders, since the Old Testament has often been read as a justification for a male dominated culture, why more information is not supplied about him. Why did the author not consider and paint him as important in relation to his wife? One would expect the normal tone of ‘a woman is only heroic because of her man.’ But since one does not have anything about the husband to compare and link Deborah’s authority and bravery with, one can only conclude that she was an authority in her own right and does not need the presence of man to totally understand her courage and leadership skill. Deborah would “sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.” (Judges 4:5) It takes a courageous person to be able to command respect from people that they would sojourn to a certain place, whether far or near, to seek counsel from a law figure. The fact that the people of Israel left their houses and settlement to go to the palm of Deborah to inquire from her, lends credence to the notion that the Israelites considered her a great and able judge, an equal to her past and present contemporaries.
Deborah was a judge in Israel and was considered a spiritual and physical leader for the Israelites. Judges “are primarily military saviors of the Israelites” and they “appear to have gained and held authority through strength of character, not through their lineage; they were military leaders, figures with native intelligence and strength.” (Phipps 42, Tischler 95) During those days, the people of Israel would disobey God and do what was evil in the sight of God. God would punish them; “he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the powers of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.” (Judges 2:14) And the Israelites would repent and cry to God, and he would raise up judges “who delivered them out of power of those who plundered them.” (Judges 2:16) The Judges were invariably leaders and appointed savior of the people of Israel in an era that there were no kings.
Deborah fulfilled her mission as a judge well; she did not shrink in her responsibility as a leader, because she was married and probably had kids. She called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphali and told him “the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naptali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.” (Judges 4:6-7) Barak however replied to Deborah’s prophecy by saying “If you go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go,” thereby inviting her to the war. (Judges 4:8) This request is peculiar; why would Barak request a woman, even if she were the Judge- a leader at that time, to accompany him into battle? Some would say that he was not really asking much from her; he just needed her presence as a boost for confidence and that she was not required to carry a weapon, and probably shielded her eyes from the goriness of the battle. However, Deborah’s answer to Barak’s request; “I will surely go with you,” disproves such a misplaced and erroneous idea; Deborah recognized that Barak needed her help and gave herself up for the battle. She saw herself as an equal, a leader who physically saves the Israelites from their tormentors, one that was able to go to battle and come back alive.
Deborah’s zeal put enthusiasm in the hearts of Barak and his men. She “extended her sphere to encompass more than her own need or those of her family. She had become a spokesman for God and a mother to her people.” (Tischler 98) She is the Mother Courage of the Old Testament, one who could function efficiently in her duties as a wife and a leader of the Israelites. She outlined a battle strategy for Barak to use against the Canaanite king Jabin; she informs him that the Lord was going to lure Jabin’s army to Wadi Kishon, and advised him to lay in ambush at Mount Tabor. No one can deny that Deborah was as competent as any male leader, and it would definitely be injustice to consider her inferior and a lesser being. And as for Eve, she is the Mother Creation herself; she in conjunction with Adam brought forth humanity.
The totality of the Bible and especially the Old Testament is full of tales of women who worked to protect the interest of their people and themselves; Rebekah, Jael, Esther, Rahab, Mary, Salome, Judith, Rachael, Abigail, Ruth, or even Sarah. If I were to go on, this paper would turn into a book. In all, it is gross inaccuracy to read the bible as a justification for male domination, and say that it portrays women as properties and lesser beings. And the only reason why the bible was ever read as a male dominated culture is probably because although the bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and God, it was compiled by a council of men who pruned and voted on what to assemble as the bible. Hence, the bible was mostly written by men about men.
Another interesting woman in the bible is Deborah; she was a prophetess as well as the only female judge in Israel’s history. She was also the wife of Lappidoth, who apart from being mentioned as Deborah’s husband is apparently non-existent in the Bible, . One wonders, since the Old Testament has often been read as a justification for a male dominated culture, why more information is not supplied about him. Why did the author not consider and paint him as important in relation to his wife? One would expect the normal tone of ‘a woman is only heroic because of her man.’ But since one does not have anything about the husband to compare and link Deborah’s authority and bravery with, one can only conclude that she was an authority in her own right and does not need the presence of man to totally understand her courage and leadership skill. Deborah would “sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.” (Judges 4:5) It takes a courageous person to be able to command respect from people that they would sojourn to a certain place, whether far or near, to seek counsel from a law figure. The fact that the people of Israel left their houses and settlement to go to the palm of Deborah to inquire from her, lends credence to the notion that the Israelites considered her a great and able judge, an equal to her past and present contemporaries.
Deborah was a judge in Israel and was considered a spiritual and physical leader for the Israelites. Judges “are primarily military saviors of the Israelites” and they “appear to have gained and held authority through strength of character, not through their lineage; they were military leaders, figures with native intelligence and strength.” (Phipps 42, Tischler 95) During those days, the people of Israel would disobey God and do what was evil in the sight of God. God would punish them; “he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the powers of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.” (Judges 2:14) And the Israelites would repent and cry to God, and he would raise up judges “who delivered them out of power of those who plundered them.” (Judges 2:16) The Judges were invariably leaders and appointed savior of the people of Israel in an era that there were no kings.
Deborah fulfilled her mission as a judge well; she did not shrink in her responsibility as a leader, because she was married and probably had kids. She called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphali and told him “the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naptali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.” (Judges 4:6-7) Barak however replied to Deborah’s prophecy by saying “If you go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go,” thereby inviting her to the war. (Judges 4:8) This request is peculiar; why would Barak request a woman, even if she were the Judge- a leader at that time, to accompany him into battle? Some would say that he was not really asking much from her; he just needed her presence as a boost for confidence and that she was not required to carry a weapon, and probably shielded her eyes from the goriness of the battle. However, Deborah’s answer to Barak’s request; “I will surely go with you,” disproves such a misplaced and erroneous idea; Deborah recognized that Barak needed her help and gave herself up for the battle. She saw herself as an equal, a leader who physically saves the Israelites from their tormentors, one that was able to go to battle and come back alive.
Deborah’s zeal put enthusiasm in the hearts of Barak and his men. She “extended her sphere to encompass more than her own need or those of her family. She had become a spokesman for God and a mother to her people.” (Tischler 98) She is the Mother Courage of the Old Testament, one who could function efficiently in her duties as a wife and a leader of the Israelites. She outlined a battle strategy for Barak to use against the Canaanite king Jabin; she informs him that the Lord was going to lure Jabin’s army to Wadi Kishon, and advised him to lay in ambush at Mount Tabor. No one can deny that Deborah was as competent as any male leader, and it would definitely be injustice to consider her inferior and a lesser being. And as for Eve, she is the Mother Creation herself; she in conjunction with Adam brought forth humanity.
The totality of the Bible and especially the Old Testament is full of tales of women who worked to protect the interest of their people and themselves; Rebekah, Jael, Esther, Rahab, Mary, Salome, Judith, Rachael, Abigail, Ruth, or even Sarah. If I were to go on, this paper would turn into a book. In all, it is gross inaccuracy to read the bible as a justification for male domination, and say that it portrays women as properties and lesser beings. And the only reason why the bible was ever read as a male dominated culture is probably because although the bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and God, it was compiled by a council of men who pruned and voted on what to assemble as the bible. Hence, the bible was mostly written by men about men.
Work cited
Lofts, Norah. "Deborah and Jael." Women in the Old Testament: Twenty Psychological Portraits. New York: Macmillan, 1950. 66-76. Print.
Phipps, William E. "In the Judges Era." Assertive Biblical Women. Westport, London: Greenwood, 1992. 42-46. Print.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version With The Apocrypha. 4th ed. New York: Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.
Tischler, Nancy M. Legacy of EVE: Women of the Bible. Atlanta: John Knox, 1977. Print.
Trevor, Dennis. Sarah Laughed: Women’s voices in the Old Testament. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994. Print.
Annotated bibliography
Lofts, Norah. "Deborah and Jael." Women in the Old Testament: Twenty Psychological Portraits. New York: Macmillan, 1950. 66-76. Print.
The chapter is about Deborah, a judge in Israel, who prophesied the end of Sisera, a Canaanite who oppressed the people of Israel for so long, and Jael, the woman who fulfilled the prophecy by driving a tent peg into Sisera. The book has a bit of poetical feel to the words but that did not undermine the seriousness of the topic.
Norah Loft is a British best-selling author who is best known for her historical novels, many of which were set in the nineteenth century or had English history as backgrounds, though other nations and eras--including Biblical times--were represented in her writings.
Phipps, William E. "In the Judges Era." Assertive Biblical Women. Westport, London: Greenwood, 1992. 42- 46. Print.
Phipps, a Professor of Religion and Philosophy and Department Chair at Davis and Elkins College, Elkins, West Virginia, gives a detailed narrative of Deborah as a judge and her relationship to both Barak and Jael. He also quotes Norah Lofts in this chapter, about how Jael refutes the old-age belief that a woman cannot drive a straight nail. He also informs that Deborah’s stature was heightened by comparing her to those who succeeds her as judges. And that Deborah is today, one of the most popular women’s name in Israel and America.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version With The Apocrypha. 4th ed. New York: Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.
The bible is regarded as the world’s greatest literary piece; it is also seen and viewed by Christians as God’s tangible word. It is also the collections of writings and stories, including the Old and the New Testament.
Tischler, Nancy M. Legacy of EVE: Women of the Bible. Atlanta: John Knox, 1977. Print.
The book deals incisively with the roles of women as revealed in the scripture. Women are studied individually as people who fit into larger patterns described. Tischler also compares and contrasts women in parallel role in different parts of the scripture and develops her perspective observations about the nature of woman and her role in the society today. Tischler is Professor Emerita of English and the Humanities at the Pennsylvania State University.
Trevor, Dennis. Sarah Laughed: Women’s voices in the Old Testament. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994. Print.
Trevor provided an insightful analysis of Eve in The Garden of Eden; from her creation, to being ensnared by the snake and the resulting punishment thereof. He most of all emphases that Eve has been the most misunderstood and much maligned woman in the bible. He takes an original look at some of the best- know narratives in the bible from the viewpoint of women. He also exposes male bias in the telling of the women's stories, and warns against biblical women hatred in modern times.
Trevor is the Vice-Principal and Tutor in Biblical Studies at Salisbury and Wells Theological College.
Trevor, Dennis. Sarah Laughed: Women’s voices in the Old Testament. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994. Print.
Lofts, Norah. "Deborah and Jael." Women in the Old Testament: Twenty Psychological Portraits. New York: Macmillan, 1950. 66-76. Print.
The chapter is about Deborah, a judge in Israel, who prophesied the end of Sisera, a Canaanite who oppressed the people of Israel for so long, and Jael, the woman who fulfilled the prophecy by driving a tent peg into Sisera. The book has a bit of poetical feel to the words but that did not undermine the seriousness of the topic.
Norah Loft is a British best-selling author who is best known for her historical novels, many of which were set in the nineteenth century or had English history as backgrounds, though other nations and eras--including Biblical times--were represented in her writings.
Phipps, William E. "In the Judges Era." Assertive Biblical Women. Westport, London: Greenwood, 1992. 42- 46. Print.
Phipps, a Professor of Religion and Philosophy and Department Chair at Davis and Elkins College, Elkins, West Virginia, gives a detailed narrative of Deborah as a judge and her relationship to both Barak and Jael. He also quotes Norah Lofts in this chapter, about how Jael refutes the old-age belief that a woman cannot drive a straight nail. He also informs that Deborah’s stature was heightened by comparing her to those who succeeds her as judges. And that Deborah is today, one of the most popular women’s name in Israel and America.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version With The Apocrypha. 4th ed. New York: Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.
The bible is regarded as the world’s greatest literary piece; it is also seen and viewed by Christians as God’s tangible word. It is also the collections of writings and stories, including the Old and the New Testament.
Tischler, Nancy M. Legacy of EVE: Women of the Bible. Atlanta: John Knox, 1977. Print.
The book deals incisively with the roles of women as revealed in the scripture. Women are studied individually as people who fit into larger patterns described. Tischler also compares and contrasts women in parallel role in different parts of the scripture and develops her perspective observations about the nature of woman and her role in the society today. Tischler is Professor Emerita of English and the Humanities at the Pennsylvania State University.
Trevor, Dennis. Sarah Laughed: Women’s voices in the Old Testament. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994. Print.
Trevor provided an insightful analysis of Eve in The Garden of Eden; from her creation, to being ensnared by the snake and the resulting punishment thereof. He most of all emphases that Eve has been the most misunderstood and much maligned woman in the bible. He takes an original look at some of the best- know narratives in the bible from the viewpoint of women. He also exposes male bias in the telling of the women's stories, and warns against biblical women hatred in modern times.
Trevor is the Vice-Principal and Tutor in Biblical Studies at Salisbury and Wells Theological College.
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