Esther’s Story (2): For Such a Time as This
Young Esther is taken to the harem in the palace and later taken to the king’s bed. What does the Bible reveal about her thoughts and actions?
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Tag: Old Testament Women
Esther’s Story (1): Setting the Scene
In this 3-part series, I provide commentary on the book of Esther, focussing on the heroine at the centre. What kind of story is Esther’s story?
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4 obscure OT passages sometimes used to diminish women
In this article, I look at four passages from the Hebrew Bible: Leviticus 27, Numbers 30, Ecclesiastes 7:28 and Isaiah 3:12. These verses are sometimes brought up in comments that diminish women.
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Women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting
In Exodus 38:8 and in 1 Samuel 2:22, we are told that women served at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Who were these women and what did they do? Did their service involve religious rituals?
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Jealousy and Bitter Water (Numbers 5:11-31)
Numbers 5:11-31 outlines the ordeal of bitter water designed to test the fidelity of a wife who was suspected by her jealous husband of being unfaithful. Just how fair was this trial?
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Periods of Purification after Childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8)
Why does Leviticus 12 say a new mother is unclean for 7 days after the birth of a son but she is unclean for 14 days after the birth of a daughter? Why the difference?
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Gender Roles & Gendered Activities in the Old Testament
Does the Old Testament teach that husbands are to be the leaders of their wives, or that men have authority over women? Are some roles forbidden to women? This is part 1 of a series on gender roles in the Bible.
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The Witch of Endor, the Dead Prophet, the Doomed King
It is remarkable that the witch of Endor, who dealt in the occult, is portrayed in a sympathetic light in 1 Samuel 28. What is going on here? Did she really conjure up the prophet Samuel? And is it simply a coincidence that the story of Abigail and the story of the witch of Endor are both prefaced with similar statements about Samuel’s death?
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Huldah’s Public Prophetic Ministry
Was there a difference between the ministries of male and female prophets in the Bible? Did male prophets minister publicly and female prophets privately? This is what the authors of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood assert. Does this view do justice to the memory of Huldah’s influential ministry?
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Deuteronomy 22:28-29 and Marrying your Rapist
Though it sounds harsh and heartless, even preposterous, to modern westerners, the Deuteronomy 22:28-29 law about a rapist marrying his victim was for the benefit of the raped woman. Here’s why.
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Two Brave Women in 2 Samuel 17
This post is about two brave unnamed women mentioned in 2 Samuel 17 who each risked their lives to help King David’s, and God’s, cause.
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What’s in a Name? Deborah, Woman of Lappidoth
Was Deborah the wife of Lappidoth, or from a town called Lappidoth? Or does “lappidoth” signify something quite different? And where does the name “Deborah” come from?
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