Questions for consideration:
- In these excerpts, how do Rabbi Dr. Thiede and Dr. Graybill characterize women in the Torah?
- Based on these verses from Isaiah, do you agree or disagree with Thiede and Graybill? Do you see evidence of misogyny? Do you see evidence of honoring women?
This excerpt is from Rabbi Dr. Thiede's book "Male Friendship, Homosociality, and Women in the Hebrew Bible: Malignant Fraternities" (Routledge Studies in the Biblical World, 2021):
This excerpt is from Dr. Rhiannon Graybill's book "Are We Not Men?: Unstable Masculinity in the Hebrew Prophets" ( Oxford University Press; 2016):
(כא) אֵיכָה֙ הָיְתָ֣ה לְזוֹנָ֔ה קִרְיָ֖ה נֶאֱמָנָ֑ה מְלֵֽאֲתִ֣י מִשְׁפָּ֗ט צֶ֛דֶק יָלִ֥ין בָּ֖הּ וְעַתָּ֥ה מְרַצְּחִֽים׃
(21) Alas, she has become a harlot,
The faithful city
That was filled with justice,
Where righteousness dwelt—
But now murderers.
The faithful city
That was filled with justice,
Where righteousness dwelt—
But now murderers.
(טז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֗ה יַ֚עַן כִּ֤י גָֽבְהוּ֙ בְּנ֣וֹת צִיּ֔וֹן וַתֵּלַ֙כְנָה֙ (נטוות) [נְטוּי֣וֹת] גָּר֔וֹן וּֽמְשַׂקְּר֖וֹת עֵינָ֑יִם הָל֤וֹךְ וְטָפֹף֙ תֵּלַ֔כְנָה וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם תְּעַכַּֽסְנָה׃ (יז) וְשִׂפַּ֣ח אֲדֹנָ֔י קׇדְקֹ֖ד בְּנ֣וֹת צִיּ֑וֹן וַיהֹוָ֖ה פׇּתְהֵ֥ן יְעָרֶֽה׃ {ס} (יח) בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא יָסִ֣יר אֲדֹנָ֗י אֵ֣ת תִּפְאֶ֧רֶת הָעֲכָסִ֛ים וְהַשְּׁבִיסִ֖ים וְהַשַּׂהֲרֹנִֽים׃ (יט) הַנְּטִפ֥וֹת וְהַשֵּׁיר֖וֹת וְהָרְעָלֽוֹת׃ (כ) הַפְּאֵרִ֤ים וְהַצְּעָדוֹת֙ וְהַקִּשֻּׁרִ֔ים וּבָתֵּ֥י הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ וְהַלְּחָשִֽׁים׃ (כא) הַטַּבָּע֖וֹת וְנִזְמֵ֥י הָאָֽף׃ (כב) הַמַּֽחֲלָצוֹת֙ וְהַמַּ֣עֲטָפ֔וֹת וְהַמִּטְפָּח֖וֹת וְהָחֲרִיטִֽים׃ (כג) וְהַגִּלְיֹנִים֙ וְהַסְּדִינִ֔ים וְהַצְּנִיפ֖וֹת וְהָרְדִידִֽים׃
(16) The LORD said:
“Because the daughters of Zion
Are so vain
And walk with heads thrown back,-j
With roving eyes,
And with mincing gait,
Making a tinkling with their feet”— (17) My Lord will bare the pates
Of the daughters of Zion,
The LORD will uncover their heads.
(18) In that day, my LORD will strip off the finery of the anklets, the fillets, and the crescents; (19) of the eardrops, the bracelets, and the veils; (20) the turbans, the armlets, and the sashes; of the talismans and the amulets; (21) the signet rings and the nose rings; (22) of the festive robes, the mantles, and the shawls; the purses, (23) the lace gowns, and the linen vests; and the kerchiefs and the capes.
“Because the daughters of Zion
Are so vain
And walk with heads thrown back,-j
With roving eyes,
And with mincing gait,
Making a tinkling with their feet”— (17) My Lord will bare the pates
Of the daughters of Zion,
The LORD will uncover their heads.
(18) In that day, my LORD will strip off the finery of the anklets, the fillets, and the crescents; (19) of the eardrops, the bracelets, and the veils; (20) the turbans, the armlets, and the sashes; of the talismans and the amulets; (21) the signet rings and the nose rings; (22) of the festive robes, the mantles, and the shawls; the purses, (23) the lace gowns, and the linen vests; and the kerchiefs and the capes.
(טז) בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יִהְיֶ֥ה מִצְרַ֖יִם כַּנָּשִׁ֑ים וְחָרַ֣ד ׀ וּפָחַ֗ד מִפְּנֵי֙ תְּנוּפַת֙ יַד־יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת אֲשֶׁר־ה֖וּא מֵנִ֥יף עָלָֽיו׃
(16) In that day, the Egyptians shall be like women, trembling and terrified because the LORD of Hosts will raise His hand against them.
(יג) כְּאִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִמּ֖וֹ תְּנַחֲמֶ֑נּוּ כֵּ֤ן אָֽנֹכִי֙ אֲנַ֣חֶמְכֶ֔ם וּבִירֽוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם תְּנֻחָֽמוּ׃
(13) As a mother comforts her son
So I will comfort you;
You shall find comfort in Jerusalem.
So I will comfort you;
You shall find comfort in Jerusalem.
(יד) הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙ מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה אֶפְעֶ֔ה אֶשֹּׁ֥ם וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף יָֽחַד׃ (טו) אַחֲרִ֤יב הָרִים֙ וּגְבָע֔וֹת וְכׇל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם אוֹבִ֑ישׁ וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י נְהָרוֹת֙ לָאִיִּ֔ים וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים אוֹבִֽישׁ׃ (טז) וְהוֹלַכְתִּ֣י עִוְרִ֗ים בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ בִּנְתִיב֥וֹת לֹא־יָדְע֖וּ אַדְרִיכֵ֑ם אָשִׂים֩ מַחְשָׁ֨ךְ לִפְנֵיהֶ֜ם לָא֗וֹר וּמַֽעֲקַשִּׁים֙ לְמִישׁ֔וֹר אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים עֲשִׂיתִ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עֲזַבְתִּֽים׃
(14) “I have kept silent far too long,-f
Kept still and restrained Myself;
Now I will scream like a woman in labor,
I will pant and I will gasp. (15) Hills and heights will I scorch,
Cause all their green to wither;
I will turn rivers into isles,
And dry the marshes up. (16) I will lead the blind
By a road they did not know,
And I will make them walk
By paths they never knew.
I will turn darkness before them to light,
Rough places into level ground.
These are the promises—
I will keep them without fail.
Kept still and restrained Myself;
Now I will scream like a woman in labor,
I will pant and I will gasp. (15) Hills and heights will I scorch,
Cause all their green to wither;
I will turn rivers into isles,
And dry the marshes up. (16) I will lead the blind
By a road they did not know,
And I will make them walk
By paths they never knew.
I will turn darkness before them to light,
Rough places into level ground.
These are the promises—
I will keep them without fail.