Two biblical families and their differences
The stories in Genesis 30—31 and 1 Samuel 1 strongly resemble one another: in both a husband prefers his barren wife, who is eventually to bear a son destined for greatness. Initially, the point of both authors appears to be the same: love conquers all. However, the aims of the two authors are not i...
| Published in: | Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion |
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| Subtitles: | על שתי משפחות במקרא ועל מה שביניהן |
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | Hebrew |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
College
2010
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| In: |
Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
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| IxTheo Classification: | BH Judaism HD Early Judaism |
| Further subjects: | B
Discrimination
B Orthodox Judaism B Judaism B Early Judaism B Post-war period B The Modern B Antisemitism B Liberalism |
| Summary: | The stories in Genesis 30—31 and 1 Samuel 1 strongly resemble one another: in both a husband prefers his barren wife, who is eventually to bear a son destined for greatness. Initially, the point of both authors appears to be the same: love conquers all. However, the aims of the two authors are not identical. While the latter presents us a harmonious web of love-relationships, the author of the Genesis story does not focus on deep love but rather on Jacob's mistakes, themselves an inseparable part of the lifelong web of relationships binding Jacob to his family. By contrast, the newly-introduced Elkanah is presented as loving Hannah totally in spite of her barrenness, while managing not to hurt Peninah. Jacob's love is portrayed as complex, due to issues from his birth and youth. This will impact on Jacob's later relationships with Joseph and his other sons. The central female protagonists also show different orientations: Hannah prays to God, rather than involve Elkanah. Rachel, in contrast, blames Jacob for her predicament. She is incapable of bearing her sorrow alone. These differences reveal the fundamentally different nature of love described in each story: only that between Hannah and Elkanah is unconditional. |
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| ISSN: | 0360-9049 |
| Contains: | In: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
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