The Role of Women in the Old Testament

Abstract This paper discusses the role of women in the Old Testament in spite of the patriarchy of their time. Generally, Jewish women had no legal rights as free persons and are always subject to men, either their fathers or husbands. Their inferior position to men is second to none. As the property of the men, they may use them in their defence (Gen 12:12-20; 20:2; 19:8; Judges 19:24-27). In one version of the decalogue, the wife is enumerated with the property (Exod 20:17). Women apparently did not usually eat with men (Gen 18:9; Ruth 2:14) and were not accorded as much freedom as they enjoy in modern western society. Yet, several verses in the Old Testament have given guidelines on the significant role of women to the Jewish society. This paper exegetically and contextually studies the contributions of some women in the Bible. It also proffers possible lessons on why Christian women must jettison their stereotyped status as mere observers, and passive participants in the daily activities of their immediate churches and the society at large. But then, a closer examination of the women‟s activities in Israel demonstrates that some were saddled with the religious, political, socio-economic and family development of Israel. Thus, this paper strongly recommends that despite the seeming and over-bloated patriarchal influence on women, as subordinate to men, the participatory role of women to serve in the church and society should be given to them, to bring the feminine touch, as exemplified by some Jewish women and Wisdom Literature.

Keywords: Role, Women, Patriarchy.