Women in the Heart of God (3a)

The Data From the Monarchy Literature

One: The Historical Data from the Monarchy-period narratives.

We can arrange this material under the following categories:

1. General indications of their valuation/status in the society
   

2. Passages in which they participate in the cult
   

3. Their roles as Sages
   

4. Their roles as heroes/leaders and as the 'voice and memory of the nation'

One preliminary remark should be made here. The main thematic focus of the bulk of these narrative texts will be the establishment and expansion of the Monarchy: the request for a king, the mistake of Saul, the rise of David, the flowering of the nation under Solomon. Most of the characters (although the 'extras' are few in number, due to this theme) play integral parts in this royal plotline. Therefore, it is significant when details--apparently incidental to this theme--are kept and even highlighted in this historical flow.

Accordingly, the mentions of women in the narrative portions must be given additional weight, when compared with those in the pre-monarchy narratives.

1. General indications of their valuation/status in the society
   
   • I Sam 8.13: Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
     

     Observation: Samuel tries to talk Israel out of asking for a king. One of the arguments he uses is that they will lose their daughters to royal service. Daughters were valued enough to be used in such an argument (along with sons).
     

   • I Sam 15.32-33: Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites." Agag came to him confidently, thinking, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." 33 But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women." And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal.
     

     Observation: The judgment of the cruelty of the Amalekites was couched in terms of a mother's loss!
     

   • I Sam 20.30: Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?
     

     Observation: Saul insults Jonathan's mom (his wife!), but STILL appeals to the principle of not 'shaming her'--on the same par with not 'shaming himself'. The reputation of a mother was strong enough of a value to be used as an appeal in this argument.
     

   • I Sam 25.39: Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.
     Observation: King David ASKED this women (a widow at that point) to be his wife.
     

   • 2 Sam 1.26: 26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.
     

     Observation: This moving account in the Lament of David over Saul and Jonathan shows how wonderful the love of women was held to be. In finding something 'wonderful' to base the comparison with the loyalty of Jonathan for David, David can find nothing higher than 'the love of women.'
     

   • 2 Sam 12.3: The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
     

     Observation: This passage is the famous 'thou art the man' confrontation between Nathan the prophet and David the sinner. For our purposes, we simply must note that the picture Nathan paints, of the total affection of this father for this lamb, is summarized by "it was like a daughter to him." The highest expression of a father's love was seen in his relationship to a DAUGHTER! The description in this passage is replete with terms and actions of closeness and affection. There can be no doubt that the people of Israel knew that a father had a special love for a daughter (and this is what made the passage so powerful against David). And, to a woman who calls the God of the Universe "Father," the implications should be obvious!
     

   • 2 Samuel 13--the Rape of Tamar.
     

     Observations: This sordid tale of Amnon's male treachery and violence, and the portrayal of the utmost nobility, virtue, wisdom on the part of Tamar, draws these two characters in sharpest relief. Rape was not excused--even for those in authority. Although David is outraged by this action, he is paralyzed into inaction (perhaps by his own recent heinous sin with Bathsheba). Revenge is dealt out later by Absalom. By all accounts, this passage highlights the virtue of this woman, the evil of Amnon, the absolute wickedness of this crime against a woman, and the value of a good reputation of women in the society.
     

   • 2 Sam 14.1-5: Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom. 2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don't use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. 3 Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth. 4 When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, "Help me, O king!" 5 The king asked her, "What is troubling you?"
     

     Observations: This woman from a nearby rural town was admitted into the presence of the king to make a formal/legal request! (Forget appearing at the gates--who needs that, when you can appeal to king himself?!) It is not obvious to David that she is in any way a sage--the text is clear that there is some level of disguise going on here. Women had access to the king (we can also see this in the reigns of Solomon and later kings).
     

   • I Kings 2.19: When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat down at his right hand.
     

     Observation: This incredible passage shows the value placed by the wisest king of Israel on his mother. Giving her a throne is not mere affection--it is empowerment! (Queen mothers in the ANE exerted considerable power.) He bows to her, rises to meet her, and places her at the place of highest honor ('at his right hand').
     

   • Joab and women: It is interesting to note that Joab is the main character linked to THREE wise-women: he has the main interaction with the Wise woman of Abel (2 Sam 20), he uses and recalls the story of the Patriot of Thebez (2 Sam 11), and he uses the wise woman of Abel to secure the return of Absalom to the royal city (2 Sam 14). Joab--the leading military commander of the day--apparently had quite a respect for the abilities of women in leadership/responsibility roles! And, given that he was a very violent man--I Kings 2.5-- (and perhaps therefore representative of many males in leadership roles), this may reflect a higher male respect for women in that period than is often believed. This is important to take note of--the leading military commander of the day PROBABLY reflected a 'majority view' of women, and Joab's view was one of obvious respect.
     

2. Passages in which they participate in the cult
   
   • I Sam 9.10f: "Good," Saul said to his servant. "Come, let's go." So they set out for the town where the man of God was. 11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and they asked them, "Is the seer here?" 12 "He is," they answered. "He's ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time."
     

     Observations: Although this passage does not indicate that these girls were planning to go to the sacrifice, they certainly had in-depth knowledge of the ceremony and proceedings. They knew that Samuel had arrived in the town, that the sacrifice was scheduled soon, that the sacrifice had NOT started yet, where the sacrifice was to be held, that the sacrifice would be accompanied by a feast, that the blessing must be administered by the seer BEFORE the eating could start, that participants had to be invited. This strongly suggests that they either had participated in these before, or were educated about the cultic practices.
     

   • 2 Sam 6.17-19: They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
     

     Observations: This was a public religious ceremony that accompanied the arrival of the Ark in Jerusalem. This ceremony is complete with burnt offerings, fellowship offerings, and official blessings. The food given to the men and women Israelites in vs. 19 MAY HAVE BEEN a wave or thank offering. In any case, this ceremony included both men and women equally--and both received the gifts from the king. A very public ceremony (and the women were NOT 'staying at home'!).
     

   • Psalm 68.24ff:

     Your procession has come into view, O God,
     the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
     25 In front are the singers, after them the musicians;
     with them are the maidens playing tambourines.
     26 Praise God in the great congregation;
     praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.

     Observations: Although the Psalms are not narrative lit per se, they do occasionally provide historical views of actual cultic practices of the day. In Psalm 68, called a 'psalm of David', the author described one of the major cultic processionals. It was perhaps led by the ark (and maybe the king), then the singers, the musicians, and the 'maidens'. This passage is significant because, in the description of the Davidic/Solomonic 'offices' of singers and musicians, we see no mention of women. (e.g. I Chrn 15). However, in the Psalm 68 passage we see them accompanying the men(?), and they also show up in this capacity in post-exilic times as well (e.g. Ez 2.65 points out that there were male and female singers, and then in 2.70 these get grouped in with "The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants "). What MIGHT be occurring in the I Chrn 15 passage is that David decides to model some aspects of the Levite ministry AFTER the beautiful pattern of the female ministry of song/celebration.
     

   • I Chrn 16 recounts the same event as 2 Sam 6--the movement of the Ark to Jerusalem. The only other item it adds to the data is that it records the presentation of a Psalm to the people, who respond (v.36): " Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD." This is clearly a cultic celebration that was attended by and participated in by women (eg. I Chrn 16.3).
     

   • 1 Chrn 25.5-6 identifies the 'official' participants in the Davidic-era worship:

     All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6 They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God

     The daughters of Heman are specifically mentioned (unexpectedly?), and are placed under the direction of Heman along with the sons.
     

     “God’s blessing him [Heman] with “fourteen sons” would be, to the Oriental mind, nothing short of a doubly perfect heritage of power, though the mention of his “three daughters” reminds us of the lack of discrimination in OT worship, where women shared fully in the musical services (cf. Ps 68:25). [EBC, in loc]
     

     “Each of the fourteen sons is mentioned, but the three daughters go unnamed. Nevertheless, both sons and daughters sing at the Temple (v. 6).” [AYB, in loc]
     

     CEB Women’s Bible, sidebar at 1 Chronicles 25.4, “Heman’s Daughters”: “Heman was a musician prophet. His sons, also musicians, are listed by name. His three unnamed daughters were also musicians in the temple. Musicians and singers were not just accompanists in Chronicles; they were prophets. Both men and women could be prophet-singers in God’s service” (Christine Mitchell).
     

   It should be noted that in the passages describing this period, we do not have much description of cultic activities, but where we do, women are generally present and involved significantly.
   

3. Their roles as Sages
   

   We have already seen sage-like behavior in the pre-monarchical period, but here it becomes explicit. We have two specific women who are called 'wise women' (2 Sam 14 and 20).
   

   • Let's note the summary of a respected scholar in the field first (SAIANE:187ff):
     

     "The narratives contained in 2 Samuel 14 and 20 tell the tales of two unnamed women, one from Tekoa and one from Abel, who clearly exhibit the qualities of leadership. Analysis of these stories allows the following observations about the female sage:

     1. The use of the epithet "wise woman" without any further identifying comments suggests that the role was one known at least to the original audiences of the stories.
     

     2. Allowing for some possibility that a Judean editor may have harmonized an originally more diverse picture, the fact that wise women are said to live in both a northern and a southern city suggests a commonality of experience between north and south with respect to this role.
     

     3. The use of the mother-imagery in both of these stories, though metaphorical, seems to point back indirectly to a certain social reality, namely, that the authority vested in designated wise women derives from their primary social role in the education of children and management of the patriarchal household (the bet-'ab).
     

     4. The possibility for female leadership beyond the family level is suggested by N. K. Gottwald's analysis of the tribe as "an autonomous association of segmented extended families grouped in village/neighborhood protective associations . . . functionally interlocking through inter-marriage, practices of mutual aid, common worship, and a levy of troops." In such settings, young women were the bonding elements between families and often between villages. They were intimate with at least two family groups and trained, however informally, to function as interfamilial diplomats. Such factors-combined with the pre- and early monarchic periods' decentralized leadership and its demands for the contribution of women to the survival of the community-would have expanded the scope of the wise mother's potential authority.
     

     5. The use of proverbs (2 Sam 14:14, 20:18) by these women as part of their negotiating strategy mirrors one of the defining activities of the sage as seen both in the wisdom literature and in narrative texts portraying counselors (e.g., 2 Sam 16:23; 17:8, 10-12). From this verbal acumen, and from the overall skill and authority with which the women accomplish their sensitive tasks, we should infer a significant degree of training and experience in positions of leadership.
     

     6. The stories about the wise women provide two of the clearest representatives of what has been called clan or family wisdom. Their performances suggest that the distinction between the educative wisdom of the familial patriarchs and matriarchs and the political wisdom of diplomats is not absolute, nor is politics the exclusive domain of sages in the royal court. As Carole Fontaine has shown throughout her "Traditional Sayings in the Old Testament", we must be alert to inter- and intra-tribal negotiation and conflict as possible Sitze im Leben for specific sapiential genres.
     

     7. The narrative presentation of the two women shows an overlap with narratives concerning other types of Israelite leaders. The parable enacted by the wise woman of Tekoa parallels that told by the prophet Nathan to David on another occasion (2 Samuel 12). The positioning and verbal strategies of the wise woman of Abel are identical to those used by military leaders in three different incidents (2 Sam 2:18-23, 24-28; 2 Kgs 18:17-36). Although these comparisons may be more the result of literary stylization than historical representation, there is another feature of their roles that cannot be ignored. These women, especially she of Abel, seem to be doing what we would expect elders to do, in particular, representing their people in national political military situations. It is at least possible that the wise woman of Tekoa has a personal interest in the restoration of Absalom, given his popularity among the people (cf. 2 Sam 15:2-6). As for the wise woman of Abel, although the storyteller focuses on her surrendering Sheba to Joab, there is an elliptical suggestion that her negotiations have the equally important purpose of protecting the rest of the rebel's followers (cf. 2 Sam 20:1, 14, 21-22). She, too, seems to have a discreet hand in national politics.
     

     8. The concerns voiced by the wise women reveal that they were active tradents of the Yahwistic covenantal values of land and inheritance (2Sam 14:16, 20:19). This latter point should caution against arbitrary division of a so-called secular wisdom tradition from 'religious' Yahwism."

     .....................................................................................
     

     The above analysis highlights the fact that the sage-role was NOT peculiar to females, nor limited to a certain geography or political alignment.
     

   • 2 Samuel 14: (1) Joab sent away to get this women (apprx 11 miles). (2) She has theatrical abilities. (3) She strongly confronts the king with all the 'uppity' of the matriarchs! (cf. vs 13: The woman said, "Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son? ). (4) She points out the king's inconsistency. (5) Her soteriology is superb! (vs. 14: But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. ) (5) She is very familiar with the legal system (vs. 11).
     

     This woman was a master of many arts. She masterfully engineers and controls the conversation, with the desired outcome achieved--a true Sage.
     

   • 2 Sam 20:14ff:

     Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him. 15 All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down, 16 a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him." 17 He went toward her, and she asked, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. She said, "Listen to what your servant has to say." "I'm listening," he said. 18 She continued, "Long ago they used to say, `Get your answer at Abel,' and that settled it. 19 We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the LORD's inheritance?" 20 "Far be it from me!" Joab replied, "Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I'll withdraw from the city." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown to you from the wall." 22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

     Observations: (1) This woman gets a hearing in the middle of a battering-ram event! (2) She negotiated with Joab, the commander of the army. (3) He listens to her! (4) She appeals to his tradition and to covenantal-theological values. (5) She makes the commitment without even asking the elders! (6) She succeeds and saves the city! (7) In the process she averts the dividing of Israel at this point (Sheba was leading Israel to revolt against David--"So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. ", verse 2). (8) She calls the city a "mother in Israel" -- and appeals to this in the argument. This is a masterful woman, dealing well with both military leaders, the elders of the city, and in controlling her responses in a very threatening situation.
     

   • There are a couple of other passages in which the sage-like behavior of women is apparent (along the same lines of the matriarchs).
     
     • I Sam 19.11: Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, warned him, "If you don't run for your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed." 12 So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats' hair at the head. 14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, "He is ill." 15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, "Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him." 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats' hair. 17 Saul said to Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?" Michal told him, "He said to me, `Let me get away. Why should I kill you?'"
       

       Observations: Similar to the stories in Genesis, this story shows the cunning of Michal. She advises David on a course of action, assists him in the escape, implements a rather clever deception that fools the king's envoy, and comes up with a clever explanation to save her own life! This certainly fits the pattern of independent action--part of the profile of the sage.
       

     • I Sam 25: The story of Abigal. This chapter-long account of the interplay between Abigal, David, and Nabal ("fool") contains a definite counter-position between the 'wise' Abigal and the 'fool' Nabal. (We will look more at this in the literary section, but let's notice some of the details of the account.)
       
       1. She was intelligent and beautiful (v.3)
       2. Her virtues were contrasted with her husband's lack thereof.(v.3)
       3. The servants knew they were in danger--and one of them had confidence in Abigal enough to appeal to her wisdom (v.14-17), ending with "Now think it over and see what you can do..."
       4. She immediately reacts (v. 18)
       5. She hides her gift from Nabal--the element of deception (v. 19)
       6. She responds to David in respect (vv. 23-24)
       7. She unselfishly tries to shield the others by requesting all the blame upon her. (v.24)
       8. She makes a linguistic/proverbial statement (v. 25) characteristic of sages.
       9. She does NOT try to defend her husband's evil (like Jael, no "my husband-right or wrong" here!) (v.25)
       10. She makes a detailed and powerful argument, mixed it with good 'salesmanship', in persuading David from an act of sinful violence. (vv.26-31).
       11. She is VERY MUCH aware of how the Lord works (vv.26-31) and is also aware of the promises God had made to David! (vv. 28, 30)
       12. She makes the regular 'practical' appeal of the sage at the end (v.31).
       13. David responds appropriately to her (vv.32-35)
       
       

       This woman is so highly praised in this account, and demonstrates quick-thinking, a deep understanding of human nature, solid theological understanding, excellent persuasive/argumentation skills, and independent action.
       

     • 2 Sam 13: We have already noted that Tamar (in the story of the Rape of Tamar) manifested considerable argumentative wisdom, even though it was ineffective against the brutality of her foe.
       

     Overall, the narratives illustrate that the social power of sages, and the effectiveness of sage-life behavior were will within the reach of the women of the period. [There are those who argue that this Sage role was suppressed under the monarchy [so SAIANE:190; WS:TCP:8-10 et. al.], but the fact that Joab knows of, could find and use such a female sage only 10 miles from the royal city counts rather heavily against this idea!]
     

4. Their roles as heroes/leaders and as the 'voice and memory of the nation'
   

   First, passages in which women were heroes or critical contributors in the sequence of events.
   

   • I Sam19.11--We have already seen how Michael saved David's life. Without her advice/action/risk, the monarchy could have looked VERY different!
     

   • I Sam 25.33: Abigal keeps David from avenging himself--a major motif in chapters 24 and 26. She probably saved David from additional discipline/judgment from God (like Zipporah did for Moses!)
     

   • Abigal is consistently referred to as the 'widow of Nabal' in the narratives. As his widow, she would have had considerable wealth and political power in the region of Hebron (David's later coronation site).
     

   • 2 Sam 11.18f: Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19 He instructed the messenger: "When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20 the king's anger may flare up, and he may ask you, `Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn't a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez?
     

     Observations: The woman patriot of Thebez (which we looked at in the pre-monarchy discussions) is STILL REMEMBERED at this time, by Joab and probably David!! The details of the story are current knowledge on the part of the commander-in-chief of David's army. [I wonder if Joab was thinking about this event, as we talked up the wall at the Wise Woman of Abel?!!!!]
     

   • 2 Sam 17.18ff: Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel. A servant girl was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. 18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left quickly and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19 His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it. 20 When Absalom's men came to the woman at the house, they asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman answered them, "They crossed over the brook." The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem.
     

     Observations: Here you have another sage-like action, that parallels the famous action of Rahab in Jericho. This action of hiding the spies and deceiving the forces of Absalom, probably saved David's life, and consequently, had a massive impact on the future of the nation.
     

   • 2 Sam 20: The Wise Woman of Abel averted civil war/division of the kingdom at a critical juncture in the monarchy's history.
     

   • 1 Kings 1.11ff:

     Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David's knowing it? 12 Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in to King David and say to him, `My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' 14 While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said." 15 So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. 16 Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. "What is it you want?" the king asked. 17 She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the LORD your God: `Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.' 18 But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19 He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20 My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals." 22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 And they told the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground. 24 Nathan said, "Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? 25 Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, `Long live King Adonijah!' 26 But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. 27 Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" 28 Then King David said, "Call in Bathsheba." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him. 29 The king then took an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, 30 I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place." 31 Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, "May my lord King David live forever!"

     Observations: This pivotal passage shows Nathan and Bathsheba together REVERSING the actions of Adonijah, and putting Solomon on the throne! God had told David that Solomon was to succeed him, and David, in turn, had promised Bathsheba (cf. I Chrn 22.9; 17.11). David, on his deathbed, was unaware that a different son than Solomon had proclaimed himself king (and undoubtedly would have killed Solomon at the earliest opportunity). Nathan and Bathsheba act quickly and sagely to reverse this situation, and arouse the King to proclaim Solomon king. Thus, God's will is achieved in spite of human attempts otherwise, by the actions of a prophet and a woman. History would not have been the same but for these actions.
     

   • I Kings 2.19: When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat down at his right hand.
     

     Observations: In the history of Israel, many queen-mothers exerted great influence over the nation. This single scene is the most in-depth look at how much respect they could garner, from their king-sons. Bathsheba is accorded much power and influence by virtue of this action of Solomon.
     

   Second, we have passages which connect women to the 'voice and memory of the nation'.
   
   • I Sam 18.6ff: When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. 7 As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." 8 Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" 9 And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
     

     Observations: (1) The women came out of ALL the towns (indicating a social/community role?). (2) Their song was somehow UNIFORM throughout the towns already(!) (3) Saul is surprisingly alarmed by this song of "mere women"--indicating that it had more importance than might be surmised from the text.
     

     Now, if we attempt to get behind this reaction of Saul, we can see a pattern emerge.
     

     1. In I Sam 21.11, we read That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: "`Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" . This song was known to the Philistines in one of the major cities of that kingdom. But the text points out that this message is 'sung about in their dances'. This piece of history had somehow become institutionalized in song and dance, and was perpetuated therein. In other words, the singing and dancing of the communities PRESERVED THIS INFORMATION. The women (at least a part of, if not most of, the "singers and dancers") were the carriers of the memory of major historical events in the nation.
        

     2. I Sam 29.4: But the Philistine commanders were angry with him and said, "Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master's favor than by taking the heads of our own men? 5 Isn't this the David they sang about in their dances: "`Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" Note: the leaders of the OTHER Philistine towns ALSO know of this song--it had wide currency and even affected the cultures surrounding Israel.
        

     3. Now, consider again Judges 5.10-11: "You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider 11 the voice of the singers at the watering places. They recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel. . This verse describes a role of the "singers at the watering places". These singers recite the acts of YHWH and the acts of His warriors (e.g. Saul and David). The watering places are the main points of inter-community exchange, as travelers would need water and rest for their animals. Watering places play prominently in the stories of the Patriarchs and Moses. These singers obviously played a major communication role within Israel, and it is worthy to note that the majority of characters described as being 'at the watering places' in the OT are women.
        

     4. At this point in Israel's history--prior to the 'settling down' of the monarchy into full court life--much of the memory of Israel's history would have been transmitted through these types of means. There were of course many written records (I&II Samuel, I&II Kings, I&II Chronicles refer to a dozen or more), but the widespread inter-community dissemination of the 'righteous acts of YHWH and His warriors', to a nation with various levels of literacy, would have been accomplished by (1) the teaching priests--of various levels of effectiveness at this time(!) and (2) the women 'singers' who were apparently HIGHLY effective. [This effectiveness can be seen in our period by Joab's knowledge of the hero of Thebez, by Abigal's knowledge of the promises of YHWH to David, and by the Philistines' knowledge of the very lyrics of the Victory Song of Saul and David.]
        

     5. In Psalm 68:11: "The Lord gives the command; The women who proclaim (publish or preach) the tidings are a great host" (NASV), the role of women as "mass messengers" is linked EXPLICITLY with YHWH's message! As such, they play some level of prophet-like role in the nation at large. This would certainly be cause for Saul to be concerned, if their messages were closely invested with some level of prophetic authority.
        

     6. This view accords well with the precision of the remembrance of the Song of Moses (sung and maybe authored by Miriam) and by that of the Song of Deborah. The fact that these pieces were remembered in such detail over such long periods of time testify to the effectiveness of the transmission process.
        

     It certainly looks like the women of Israel were the 'memory' of the community and nation. (This is NOT to say that there were no men singers at the watering places at all, but the text normally associates such celebratory singing with the women.)
     

   • 2 Sam 1.17-20 and 24:

     David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):
     

     19 "Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights.
     How the mighty have fallen!
     

     20 "Tell it not in Gath,
     proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
     lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
     lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.
     

     24 "O daughters of Israel,
     weep for Saul,
     who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
     who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
     

     Observations: The interesting thing is that the daughters are somehow chosen to represent the voice of the nation--either rejoicing over victory or lamenting over loss. The 'daughter' was somehow in tune with the fortunes of a nation and was illustrative of its heart and feelings. This motif occurs often in scripture (esp. in the prophetic lit--e.g. Is 10.30; Jer 4.31; La 4.21).
     

   Thus we see that the women played an important part in (1) articulating the feelings of the people toward their fortunes; and (2) disseminating that information throughout the nation. They were indeed, the "memory and voice" of the heart of the common people at this time.
   

1. Daughters were valuable enough to be used in an argument against kingship.
2. Mothers should not be shamed.
3. The love of a women was held in highest esteem.
4. The highest expression of a father's affection can be seen in his relationship with his daughter.
5. The virtue of women is highly prized.
6. Mothers of kings were duly honored and accorded authority and respect.
7. Young girls were very familiar with cultic practices (probably through participation)
8. Women participated fully and freely in public cultic ceremonies and celebrations.
9. Women singers were involved in sacred worship along with the men singers.
10. Women are consistently portrayed as Sages or sage-like, exerting great influence over the leaders and over the events of the nation.
11. Women's roles as sages were not confined to rural areas, geographical areas, or some type of 'subordinate discourse'--their wisdom speeches show the same forms and approaches used by male sages and leadership.
12. These women show mature theological positions and excellent articulation/argumentation skills.
13. These women seem to exert considerable authority/influence over male leadership.
14. These women manifest a wide range of independent action.
15. They are responsible for numerous critical events in the biblical history:
    1. One saves David's life
    2. One keeps David from avenging himself--probably also saving his life
    3. One was probably pivotal in gaining Calebite support for David's consolidation of the kingdom (e.g. Abigal)
    4. One hid the spies and probably saved the life of David again.
    5. One diverted a civil war.
    6. One was co-conspirator in seeing to it that God's appointed king (e.g. Solomon) made it to the throne, in spite of adverse conditions.
    7. One was installed as Queen-mother by the greatest king in OT history.
16. Women played a central role in the articulation and dissemination of national history throughout the communities of Israel.

One can easily see from this data, that women were VERY important in both the history and consciousness of Israel. As sages, they spoke and practiced wisdom; as singers, they shaped the national identity of Israel; as worshippers, they co-celebrated with all the men; as agents, they were critical in the establishment of the RIGHT kings! God used His daughters mightily in His service, and undoubtedly delighted in their every victory and every song.

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