The Social Construction of Motherhood in the Hebrew Bible Público
Duke-Barton, Rebecca (2008)
Published
Abstract
4 ABSTRACT Societies construct motherhood based on the needs of that society, the sources of authoritative knowledge, and the view of children. Combining literary and sociological methodologies, I will investigate the work of mothers and the symbolic value placed on motherhood in the Hebrew Bible. Utilizing scholarship in motherhood studies across cultures, I focus on the ways in which the biblical texts construct motherhood, through managing the household, becoming a mother (conception, pregnancy, childbirth), and mothering young children (lactation, socialization). Many of the women who rise to prominence in the Hebrew Bible do so because they are mothers: Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Samson's mother, and Hannah. The phrase "mother in Israel" describes a woman (Judg 5:7) or a city (2 Sam 20:19) that deserved special honor. Mothers manage the household, engaging in productive and reproductive labor that was vital for the household (Prov 31). In the legal and wisdom traditions, mothers emerge as figures with authority over their children, serving as teachers to young children and as promoters of the interests of their offspring, both minor and adult (Prov 8:1; Deut 21:15). A competing construction of motherhood exists alongside this version, however, where mothers are vulnerable or missing. A common prophetic metaphor envisions a woman in childbirth experiencing fear and helplessness; in these texts, childbirth represents loss of control rather than the strength and joy of the mother (Hos 13:13; Isa 26:18). Mothers are missing when the lives of their children are in danger, making them appear insignificant compared to the authority of the father (Gen 22; Judg 11). This mixed construction of motherhood reflects an ambivalence: motherhood is a powerful institution, but in the patriarchal culture of the Bible, the role is occupied by a woman.
6 Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction..........................................................................1 Chapter 2 The House of the Mother, the House of the Father......................26 Chapter 3 Becoming A Mother................................................................51 Chapter 4 Mothering Young Children.......................................................110 Chapter 5 Conclusion...........................................................................156 Bibliography.......................................................................................167
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction....................................................................................1
Chapter 2 The House of the Mother, the House of the Father................................26
Chapter 3 Becoming A Mother..........................................................................51
Chapter 4 Mothering Young Children.................................................................110
Chapter 5 Conclusion.....................................................................................156
Bibliography.................................................................................................167
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