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Hebrew Bible mentions children explicitly as persons being part of the society, metaphorically to express certain ideas, and subtly within the narrative. Biblical studies, in a context where children were avoided in scholarly discussion, firstly, need to use language to shape the reality of children in the Bible (referential theory).
- Y Bakkavemana
But these words can read very differently to those who are unable to have children. Are they somehow in violation of the divine directive—or are they somehow cursed with infertility? This is a common view both in faith communities and in critical scholarship: that, in the Bible, infertility, like other physical impairments, is somehow […]
BIBLE STUDY 1 (Student’s Guide) The Meaning of Life: A Gift From God. First Sunday: Life Is a Gift To Be Defended From Any Who Would Take It. “My parents say they don’t want to be a burden. They want to die with dignity. Is that OK?” Introduction: Agree/Disagree. God is in control of everything.
- Rachel’s Infertility: A Defining Difficulty
- Rachel Is Not to Blame
- “Opening” in The Bible
- Opening A Closed Womb
- Does God Prevent pregnancy?
- Why Does Leah Act Like A Barren Woman?
- Every Child Is God’s Gift
- Infertility Is Not A Divine Decree
“Rachel was barren” (Gen 29:31). Aside from her beauty, this is just about the only characterization that Genesis offers of Rachel. Her first words, addressed to Jacob, are: The focus on Rachel’s infertility, to the exclusion of nearly every other aspect of her identity, means that infertility is effectively her identity. Far more than in most mode...
There is no biblical evidence that Rachel was to blame for her infertility. Tellingly, when she confronts her infertility she neither prays, nor repents of any sin, nor confesses any iniquity, nor asks forgiveness of any kind—she doesn’t turn to God at all. The text does not note any display of virtue, piety, penance, or self-examination leading to...
That all women are “by nature” infertile according to the Bible is borne out by the ostensibly common term “open,” a term that appears rather generic but which, when God is the subject, is both rare and meaningful. 1. Rock –In Psalm 105:41, Yahweh “opened a rock so that water gushed forth,” (פָּתַח צוּר וַיָּזוּבוּ מָיִם) an unusual moment for a ro...
In the case of the womb, then, the biblical analogies suggest that in fact it is the closed womb that is usual, and the opened womb that is unusual. Again, God’s active role in conception is highlighted, even marked as miraculous—regardless of how often it may occur. Opening and closing of the womb are beneficial in varying degrees and at different...
This understanding of conception may change how we read some of the biblical language that ostensibly describes God as involved in the preventing of pregnancy: Sarah says that “Yahweh has kept me from bearing” (הִנֵּה נָא עֲצָרַנִי יְ-הוָה מִלֶּדֶת; Gen 16:2); Jacob says to Rachel that God has “denied you the fruit of the womb” (אֲשֶׁר מָנַע מִמֵּך...
This is, in fact, precisely what we know to be the case with Leah. Her womb is opened by God, and she bears four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. At that point, however, we are told that “she stopped bearing” (Gen 29:35). She has done no wrong; nothing about her situation has changed in the slightest. She is simply unable to conceive. Her sol...
Direct divine activity is required to “open the womb,” whether a woman has had children before or not, whether she has even tried to become pregnant before or not. Every pregnancy, be it the first or the fifth, is ascribed to God’s power. Sarah, who bears Isaac at ninety years old, says “God has brought me laughter” (Gen 21:6). When Leah, still in ...
When all of the pieces are put together, it is clear that, from the perspective of these biblical authors, infertility is not a human shortcoming, but a divine one. The Hebrew Bible does present infertility as a religious phenomenon, to be sure. It is, however, not the religious phenomenon commonly assumed. With only the most uncommon exceptions, G...
This article critically evaluates the notion of the meaning of life. I suggest that life's meaning has to do with a personal, subjective interpretation, and that religion is an essentially intersubjective interpretation that consists of systematic anthropomorphism.
- John Cottingham
Oct 28, 2022 · The opening chapters of the canonical Hebrew Bible hint at what will emerge as a prime concern of the texts as a whole: human fertility, infertility, and reproduction.
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May 4, 2023 · The Bible addresses life in three primary ways: physical life, spiritual life, and eternal life. A biblical definition of life must tackle the topic from each of these facets. God Himself is the author of life, and all forms of life originate from Him (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4; Acts 3:15).
