Why Not Her?: A Form and Literary-Critical Interpretation of the Named and Unnamed Women in the Elijah and Elisha Narratives

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In this book, Hye Kyung Park examines the functions and roles of the women who appear in the Elijah and Elisha narratives. The named and unnamed female characters in the Elijah and Elisha cycles frequently drive the plot of these narratives, giving a voice to important theological, historical, and social concerns that are otherwise overlooked. Consequently, this book elaborates upon the critical meaning of women’s voices through a close interpretation of the roles and functions attributed to women in 1 Kings 17:8–24; 2 Kings 4:8–37, 5, and 8:1–6. These female figures and presences include the Zarephath woman in 1 Kings 17:8–24, twenty-nine third-person feminine verbs to emphasize the Shunammite woman’s frequent appearances in 2 Kings 4:8–37, the Israelite girl as a prophetess in 2 Kings 5, and the Shunammite woman’s return in 2 Kings 8:1–6. Even though the various women in 1 Kings and 2 Kings have not been named throughout the biblical traditions, their presence and actions were crucial for advancing the prophetic narratives concerning Elijah and Elisha. Indeed, the women are crucial to the Elijah and Elisha narratives, both in terms of advancing the plot of the narratives and defining the roles of the prophets presented within. Cover Table of Contents Acknowledgments Editor’s Preface List of Abbreviations Introduction Chapter One: Methodology Form Criticism Narrative Criticism Chapter Two: The Named Prophets: Elijah and Elisha Scholarship on the Deuteronomistic History Martin Noth American School Frank M. Cross Richard Nelson Gary N. Knoppers Göttingen School Rudolf Smend Walter Dietrich Timo Veijola Mark O’Brien Marvin A. Sweeney Scholarship on the Elijah and Elisha Traditions Martin Noth Alan Hauser Steven L. McKenzie Marsha C. White Susanne Otto Chapter Three: The Named Queen: Jezebel in 1 Kings 18, 19, and 21 Introduction Historical Studies on Jezebel Jezebel and the DtrH: Why Is She Named? Jezebel in 2 Kings 9:30–39 Feminist Interpretation of Jezebel Jezebel as an Israelite Queen Jezebel as a Foreign Queen Jezebel in 1 Kings 18:1–19:21 Structure Genre Setting Intention Jezebel and Naboth’s Vineyard in 1 Kings 21 Structure Genre Setting Intention Chapter Four: The Unnamed Woman 1: The Zarephath Woman, the Foreign Prophetic Announcer, in 1 Kings 17:8–24 Introduction Structure of 1 Kings 17 Genre Setting Intention Chapter Five: The Unnamed Woman 2: The Shunammite Woman, the Narrative Leader, in 2 Kings 4:8–37 Introduction Historical Studies on the Shunammite Woman Rabbinic Tradition Feminist Interpretation Structure Genre Setting Intention Chapter Six: The Unnamed Woman 3: The Israelite Girl, as the Prophetess, in 2 Kings 5 Introduction Historical Studies on the Naaman Narrative Structure Genre Setting Intention Chapter Seven: The Unnamed Woman 4: The Shunammite Woman’s Return in 2 Kings 8:1–6 Introduction Historical Studies on 2 Kings 8:1–6 Structure Genre Setting Intention Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index