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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• Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers
• Year: 2015
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781453915820
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Philosophy History & Theory

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.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Editor’s Preface
• List of Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Chapter One: Methodology
• Chapter Two: The Named Prophets: Elijah and Elisha
• Chapter Three: The Named Queen: Jezebel in 1 Kings 18, 19, and 21
• Chapter Four: The Unnamed Woman 1: The Zarephath Woman, the Foreign Prophetic Announcer, in 1 Kings 17:8–24
• Chapter Five: The Unnamed Woman 2: The Shunammite Woman, the Narrative Leader, in 2 Kings 4:8–37
• Chapter Six: The Unnamed Woman 3: The Israelite Girl, as the Prophetess, in 2 Kings 5
• Chapter Seven: The Unnamed Woman 4: The Shunammite Woman’s Return in 2 Kings 8:1–6
• Conclusion
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index