1 Samuel Women's Roles

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Recommended: Essay on the position of women in the bible

The topic I found interesting, in this week’s reading material, was the role of women in 1 Samuel. The Book of 1 Samuel contains the following, “constructing history from narratives, dialogue, focus on individual and family relationships, and cast in the ideological perspective of the Deuteronomistic Historians” (Coogan, 2011, p. 202). The head of the house was of course the father, or eldest male, that ruled over his family and property. “Life for women was much as it had been during the days of the confederation and as prescribed in the ancient legal codes” (Coogan, 2011, p. 203). The women were considered property of their father and husbands. However, the women also consider ‘spoils of war’ (Coogan, 2011). During this time period, it was not usual for men to have several wives, practice of polygyny. I could definitely understand how this could cause jealousy and rivalry amongst the wives (Coogan, 2011). Although considered property of their husbands and fathers, the women sometimes could exert initiative. For example, “Michal defies her father and rescues David. Abigail defies her husband and assists David, and, as a widow, is free to act on her own in accepting David’s offer of marriage” (Coogan, 2011, p. 205). Another interesting fact was women steadily active in public roles. “They functioned as secondary …show more content…

For instance, “Hannah, who in the final form of narrative is Samuel’s mother, is the first of these vividly portrayed women, and her story opens the book” (Coogan, 2011, p. 202). Hannah was one of Elkanah’s wives, also considered his favorite. However, she battled the issue of being childless. Hannah prayed to God for a child. “She dedicates her firstborn, Samuel, to the service of the Lord at the shrine at Shiloh, and subsequently she has five more children” (Coogan, 2011, p. 202). Hannah reveals the role of women through her story of childbearing, yet is very

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