Dualistic Opportunities: Feminine Beauty and Agency in Women of the Hebrew Bible

Maggie Wilson

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Acknowledgments:

Dr. Zachary Simpson, for encouraging me to pursue a topic untouched

by modern scholarship and for directing me throughout this endeavor.

William Earl Elkins II, for teaching me a Biblical perspective on beauty.

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, for the opportunity to do

this research and share it with others.

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Women of the Hebrew Bible have been extensively studied for their part

in producing heirs throughout the history of the nation of Israel. Some notable

women are esteemed for their involvement in the Davidic line and their actions

on behalf of the nation. Women are also presented as temptations and snares in

many other narratives found throughout the text. As scholars from every

background have studied these women, assessments of their importance have

been drawn solely from their actions. Although looking at the actions of

Biblical women can give us insight concerning their character, this alone does

not give us the fullest understanding of who they are and why their names are

mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.

In studying the Hebrew Bible I observed the issue of agency that seems

to constantly be a concern for women living within the patriarchal system of

Israel. Some women gain agency through various means, while others remain

disempowered throughout their lifetime. An obvious way to consider the issue

of agency is to observe actions described or consider the commentary provided

by the narrator. Although studies concerning such narrative elements abound,

there is a largely neglected area of study regarding the physical descriptions of

women. Both evangelicals and feminist scholars alike overlook feminine beauty

in the Bible. This neglected area of study is the focus of my research. In this

paper, my primary concern is with those women who are specifically said to be

“beautiful.” From the matriarchs I will be looking at Sarah, Rebekah, and

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Rachel; from the monarchic period at Abigail, Bathsheba, and Tamar; and also

at Esther.

The issue of feminine beauty has been largely neglected throughout

centuries of both theology and literary study done concerning the Bible.

Although “it was common to find ancient philosophers speculating on the

nature of beauty and its place in the world and the life of humanity, this theme

has been much less important for the soteriologically-driven inquiries of

Christian biblical scholars” (Fontaine 583). Feminine beauty has even more so

lacked consideration in biblical scholarship. Although feminine beauty is

described in some narratives throughout the Hebrew Bible and has been

depicted in sculpture and paintings throughout centuries, most theologians

have ignored it or simply deemed it a non-issue.

Likewise, feminist scholars commonly ignore the physical description of

women, instead focusing their research on the women’s character and

individuality all in an attempt to deal with the issue of power. Although the text

does concern itself with the issue of power among political groups and

concerning the God of the Israelites and other nation’s gods, it is not largely

concerned with empowering or disempowering women. They function within a

patriarchal system that is not unlike those of the surrounding regions and

peoples of the time.

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Ignoring the issue of feminine beauty is ignoring an important aspect of

these women’s identities and of the text itself. Considering the economy of

words used by Hebrew writers when it comes to narratives, the fact that the

beauty of these women is even mentioned is important. When looking at

Hebrew narratives as a genre it is helpful to understand “that external

descriptions of people are rare in the Hebrew Bible, and are usually presented

as part of the construction of the plot” (Avioz 342). As such, studying how these

rare descriptions function and what role they play in each story is a viable field

of research.

After doing a structural analysis of these Hebrew narratives I propose

that feminine beauty is a vital part of each of these women’s stories. The mere

fact that it is mentioned sets these Biblical women apart from the others in the

text, making them stand out even among the limited number of women that are

named in the Hebrew Bible. Their beauty is a vital part of their stories because

it is the very thing that initially draws attention to them and instigates the

action of the plot. Their beauty, whether matched by virtue or not, is something

which impacts the men around them, and thus the entire nation of Israel.

My aim is to provide a specific analysis of the role of beauty in women’s

stories as well as the role of these women’s stories in the Hebrew Bible as a

whole. Throughout my research I consider the narrative structure of the stories

and the function of beauty within each of these women’s tales. The word choice

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used in describing Rebekah, Abigail, Bathsheba, and Esther is unique among

the Biblical women and, as such, their stories will drive my research. Their

descriptions in the Hebrew not only concern their external appearance; they

also describe something of these women’s internal character.

In looking at the narratives of all of these women it is apparent that

beauty drives the plot as it prompts desire in men and thus creates dualistic

opportunities for the manifestation of the character of both the man and

woman involved. This dual opportunistic narrative structure pervades the

Hebrew Bible and is observable in the stories of each of these beautiful women.

Once a woman enters the scene the male gaze is arrested and action and

counter-actions ensue. In the process, the character of both the beautiful

woman and the powerful man give evidence of their character. Those women

who are beautiful and virtuous work to benefit the household of Israel using

whatever agency their beauty may provide them with. In the case of Esther this

agency is even furthered by her virtue.

This narrative structure is also seen when the glory of God is presented

in the text. In the same way that feminine beauty prompts desire and action

ensues, the revelation of the beauty or glory of God prompts action. Each time

the God of the Hebrew Bible reveals himself the people of Israel have a choice

of action. His entrance provides an opportunity for His character to be put on

display and for the character of the Israelites to be revealed. This is another

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application of the dual opportunistic narrative structure seen in the text that

parallels the way beauty functions in women’s stories. Each time this narrative

structure is used the ensuing action has implications for the household of

Israel. Each time a woman said to be beautiful is brought into the household

she either benefits or harms it. The descriptions we are given of these women

often serve as foreshadowing concerning whether they will be a benefit or a

detriment to the men of power who desire them.

Considering the variety of descriptions and the overriding concern of the

text for the household of Israel, the women can be studied and sorted into two

broad categories. I suggest that there is a higher form of beauty in the Hebrew

Bible and a lower. The higher form is seen in those women who have virtue as

well as external beauty. These women are beneficial to their household and to

the nation of Israel as a whole. Conversely, the lower form of beauty is

manifested in women who display nothing other than external attractiveness.

Both kinds of women are depicted in the book of Proverbs and easily discerned

when we consider their actions in the ensuing stories.

Following the concern for Israel it is helpful to note that these women

can also serve as symbols of the nation as a whole. This is the intent of the

author with Esther. With women such as Rebekah we see a positive example

for the original Israelite audience to follow. Her display of character only

strengthens the idea that she possesses a higher form of beauty, one that is

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matched by virtue. Before introducing the Israelite understanding of beauty

from semantics, philosophy, and traditional literature it is necessary to define

beauty.

Beauty

For the purposes of this paper I look at beauty as objective. I do so in

order to stay consistent with the presentation of beauty in the Hebrew Bible.

For the original audience, beauty was understood to be an attribute of God that

He shared with His creation. Since it had a definitive source the perception of

it was not allowed to be arbitrary. The idea of beauty as subjective was not

introduced until Immanuel Kant and the Enlightenment. Although this idea

pervades modern culture it cannot be transplanted into an analysis of the

ancient Hebrew narratives.

Considering both this text and ancient philosophy I also find it necessary

to note what was understood to be an intrinsic connection between beauty and

goodness. As I suggested previously concerning the beauty of women, there is

both a higher and lower form depicted in the Hebrew Bible. The higher form of

beauty is found in the God of the Bible and manifested in His creation and in

both men and women. It can be defined as that external beauty which is

matched by virtue or goodness. The Hebrew Bible saw these two qualities as

attributes of God, which are intrinsically connected in the nature of God. The

Psalmist calls God both good and beautiful throughout the Psalms. For the

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Hebrews he was the only true God, all of his attributes were understood to be

connected and to motivate his observable actions and hidden purposes. This

intrinsic connection is even seen in the word choice used in describing God.

The Psalms describe God as good and therefore declare him to be

worthy of praise. Psalm 136:1 states, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.”

The Psalms esteem the Lord for this attribute: in these verses it is seen as

something that drives his general actions and interactions with Israel

specifically (The ESV Study Bible). In 119:68, the Psalmist declares to the Lord:

“You are good and do good.” The Hebrew word used to describe God in both

psalms is tov. This is the same word God uses to describe his creation in

Genesis 1, when he declares it to be “good”. Interestingly enough, this word is

also paired with beauty and used as a descriptor for Rebekah, Abigail,

Bathsheba, and Esther. While the nouns paired with tov in each instance clarify

that these women are indeed physically attractive the use of tov suggests a more

complex part of their character. The psalmist also describes the God of the

Hebrew Bible as the “perfection of beauty” (Psalm 50.2). Considering the

determinacy of the text to declare its God to be both good and beautiful it

would be illogical to divide the two when looking at narratives written by

people of the same religious tradition.

The first speaking act of God is recorded in the creation account of

Genesis. It is here that the Hebrew word “tov” is first used. God speaks and the

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world comes into being. After each stage of creation the text declares, “God saw

that it was good” (1.10) The noun “good” here is translated from the same

Hebrew word “tov”. Westermann notes that “the Hebrew word…in this context

contains both the meaning of ‘good’ and of ‘beautiful’”(586). Although this

understanding is totally lost on modern readers, who are singularly familiar

with the English translation of the text, this innate connection would not have

been lost on its initial audience. Dyrness recognizes the ignorance of the

modern reader and the fact that in studying the text we have largely left out of

account the “connotations of verses like Gen1.31” (422). He goes on, saying “all

of our study, however, must be done while bearing in mind that for the person

of the ancient Near East there is a continuity between the concrete and the

abstract” (ibid). The dual meaning of a word such as tov carries a great deal of

weight, as it implies something concerning both what is seen and unseen in the

creation.

The use of the word tov on its own emphasizes the goodness of creation

without negating the suggestion of beauty. When referring to beautiful men

and women the authors of the Hebrew text commonly pair tov with nouns that

have a clear association with external beauty (Kaminski). This specification is

not necessary in the creation account because the beauty of creation was

observable for continuing generations, as it is even for modern readers. The

combination of beauty and goodness, or the higher form of beauty, is

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manifested in both a physical attractiveness and in the display of character

through virtuous deeds.

The use of tov among these women is varied in how it is placed within

the text. Although English translations of tov in the accounts of Rebekah,

Bathsheba, and Esther commonly translate the word “beautiful”, or “fair”, in

the account of Abigail tov is translated as “good”. Here the word is used to

describe her good sense rather than her external beauty, although that is also

noted. The varied use of this word by the authors reinforces the continued

duality of the term throughout Hebrew history. Although often used in

reference to feminine beauty it is not solely confined to that idea. It seems that

Abigail’s association with Yahweh is also found in her intellect. Each of these

women are set apart physically, as are Sarah, Rachel, and Tamar; but something

different is being said with these four women - - something worth exploring

more.

The women who are described with tov can be understood to be both

beautiful and good, to possess and display the higher form of beauty that

mirrors the ultimate beauty of a God who is innately good and beautiful. This

assumption on the part of the original audience also sets up a tension within

the text between the higher and lower forms of beauty. Even though women

who posses only external beauty may look much like those who are also

virtuous, they do more harm than good to the household they are in. Proverbs

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best depicts this tension as it explores the danger and delight of the two types

of beauty as seen in the Wise woman of Proverbs and the foreign woman.

Although appearances can be deceiving, the use of tov could have served as a

signal to the original audience as to the deeper character of the women it is

used to describe. In the same way, this study of the use of this word and the

various kinds of feminine beauty presented in the Hebrew Bible can likewise

enlighten modern readers. While tov can be studied as it was used in describing

God, his creation, and women who are born or brought into the household of

Israel, for the purposes of this paper I will focus on its use in describing women

of the Hebrew Bible.

The Hebrew Bible is not alone in its association between beauty and

goodness. Ancient philosophers, following a similar line of thinking, labeled

beauty and goodness as “transcendent.” For centuries the connection between

goodness and beauty was observed and debated. In Hebrew as well as “in

Hellenistic culture a connection was made between the beautiful and the good”

(Avioz 343). This belief is evidenced in the construction of heroes such as

Gilgamesh and Esther in ancient texts that are reflective of the beliefs of both

cultures represented. Sappho connected beauty and goodness; Plato, Plotinus,

and Aquinas also noted an innate association between the beautiful and the

good, among other qualities. These qualities were known among philosophers

as the ancient transcendentals, namely, those things that transcend cultures

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and peoples and have thus been universally understood. The association of

beauty and goodness is not new, nor has it been forgotten. The Hebrew

language’s possession of a word such as tov is not surprising when other

ancient traditions and subsequent ideas are considered.

The connection between beauty and goodness cannot be severed except

by extreme detriment to both. Beauty was esteemed by ancient philosophers

such as Plotinus, who in his Enneads presented the idea “that truth, beauty, and

goodness are attributes of the deity; ways in which the divine unity makes itself

known to the human soul” (Scruton 4). Plotinus saw an intrinsic connection

between these three attributes; a unity of being that was worthy of a deity and

qualities that were desirable to be known in relationship to each other. Plato is

said to have “understood the good, the beautiful, the true, and the real as being

essentially reducible to the same thing” (Mohler). The perspective of the

Hebrew writers would be that God is the unity of all of these characteristics. St.

Thomas Aquinas built on the ancient ideas of Plato and Plotinus “when he

presented the beauty of finite dependent being as reflecting the glory of the

infinite subsistent being from whom it receives everything it has” (Nichols 10)

Rather than simply saying that these qualities were connected and reducible,

Aquinas considered Platonic thought and then furthered it, telling us what the

source of these qualities was. For Aquinas, as for the writers of the Hebrew

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Bible, the presence and recognition of beauty and goodness in finite beings was

a reflection of the infinite Being who possessed and displayed them first.

Modern Philosopher Roger Scruton is worth noting here, for he offers a

concise overview of the philosophy of beauty as presented by ancient

philosophers. According to Scruton, beauty was at one time believed to be “an

ultimate value-- something that we pursue for its own sake, and for the pursuit

of which no further reason need be given” (2). The pursuit of these attributes

was tainted when they were treated as separate and ultimate values. The danger

of such a belief has been evidenced, since “from Kierkegaard to Wilde the

‘aesthetic’ way of life, in which beauty is pursued as the supreme value, has

been opposed to the life of virtue” (Scruton 3). Men of varied backgrounds and

beliefs have pursued beauty, whether artistic, feminine, natural, or otherwise in

numerous ways that have consistently proven to separated beauty from

goodness or virtue. The pursuit of beauty as an ultimate value may seem

rational and appealing; however, when practiced it proves to run in opposition

to the pursuit of goodness. The view of the Hebrew Bible is that the innate

connection of these two qualities must be maintained for the good of the

community at the expense of beauty being esteemed as absolute in itself.

Beauty that is not matched by virtue is dangerous for the community.

Although the premise of ultimate values allows Scruton to look at beauty

as a singular characteristic, not held accountable by any others, the Hebrew

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Bible does not allow for such simplicity. Beauty is said to be of God just as

goodness and truth are. Each is intrinsically connected and their expression in

the world is a manifestation of God’s character. Philosophers’ speculations are

beneficial so far as they prompt thought and further study. The incompatibility

of the worldviews of philosophers such as Plato and Scruton with the writers of

the Hebrew Bible does not negate the possibility of the components of any idea

being very similar or, in this case, identical. Beauty and goodness are commonly

understood to be fundamentally similar and are therefore associated; but

without the same beliefs about God and concern for community that drove the

writers of The Hebrew Bible no absolute statements concerning the nature and

purpose of beauty and goodness can be made. Scruton is able to state that

“beauty ...is simply the object of a universal interest” (29), but he cannot explain

why it is so. The Hebrew Bible proposes to do just that.

Scruton, in studying beauty, developed some basic platitudes that

describe how beauty functions. These platitudes provide a useful way to

consider how beauty functions even in Hebrew narratives. For my purposes the

most important are (iii) that, “beauty is always a reason for attending to the

thing that possesses it” (16), and (vii) “beauty, in a person, prompts desire” (39).

These platitudes offer a succinct explanation for why the beautiful women of

the Hebrew Bible were given agency in the strict patriarchal system of their

time. The Hebrew narratives show how feminine beauty created desire, and

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thus opportunities for men to act and thereby reveal their character. The

actions and speech of each woman give us insight into which form of beauty

they possess. In the same way, the revelation of God always necessitated a

response and provided opportunities for us to see both His character and the

character of those He revealed Himself to. His goodness and beauty are made

evident in each revelation and the action on the part of the Israelites can show

their matching goodness or lack thereof.

Proverbs provides examples of the danger and delight of beauty in

accordance with the higher and lower forms. The use of women and of beauty

to teach in Proverbs directly opposes Grundmann’s claim “that the whole

problem of the beautiful is of no concern to the OT” (Dyrness 421). On the

contrary, beauty and desire are issues that are portrayed and taught on

repeatedly in the book of Proverbs. According to Westermann’s research, “the

description of beauty is one of the most important elements of Proverbs” (597).

It is depicted in the desirability of woman wisdom and in the danger of even

wandering down the street on which the foreign woman lives.

Woman wisdom is attractive and makes her appeals with a genuine

concern for the lives of those she speaks to because her primary concern is the

household of Israel. In bestowing wisdom on the men of Israel she is

benefitting the entire nation. A women’s role in Israelite society was to

participate in and benefit the household the woman was apart of. Numerous

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Proverbs speak of womens’ proper roles of mother and wife in Israelite society.

These maxims instruct women on how to behave and men on what kinds of

women to surround themselves with. Women are instructed to be prudent

(19.14) and gracious (11.16), thus benefitting her husband and children. The

woman possessing these qualities is greatly valued and called blessed (31.10, 28)

for “she looks well to the ways of her household” (31.27). Proverbs does not

ignore the external beauty of women, but considers it vanity and of far less

importance than a fear of the Lord (31.30). The Hebrew concept of beauty is

thus expanded to include spiritual, physical, and mental aspects. Any women

called beautiful who does not fear the Lord and look after her household, and

that of her people, is dangerous. Far too often “we delude ourselves into

thinking that attractiveness means beauty” (Mohler), but physical attractiveness

is only one aspect of true beauty for the Hebrew community this book was

written to.

The foreign woman seen wandering throughout the proverbs is “the

negative counterpart of Wisdom” (Newsom 155). It is this woman who tears

down her house with her own hands, whereas the wise woman builds it up

(14.1). The house that Proverbs is most concerned with is not that of any one

individual, but the house of Israel as a nation. Solomon warns his readers that

the foreign woman’s “house is the way to Sheol” (7.27), and leaving one’s own

house to enter hers is promised to be deadly. The foreign woman’s misuse of

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beauty does not only harm the young man who falls into her snare, but

damages the entire nation of Israel. Preserving the nation must be understood

as being of utmost importance to the original Hebrew audience. The reason for

the repeated warnings from various speakers throughout Proverbs is that

“telling stories about foreign women was the Bible’s way of conducting a public

discussion of this issue so vital to national survival” (Frymer-Kensky xx). This

concern for the nation of Israel demanded that the dangers of beauty not

matched by character and a concern for the community had to be discussed.

Although the beauty of creation matches its intrinsic goodness, the

outward beauty of people, and women especially, cannot be assumed to signify

an innate moral goodness. On this topic Jonathan Edwards explains, “the

beauty of face and sweet airs in man are not always the effect of the

corresponding excellencies of mind” (qtd in Lane 177) Tov is used to suggest

both the intrinsic goodness of the object being described and the expression of

it in the object’s outward appearance. From this idea comes the concept that

those who are beautiful must be good, an assumption that seems to be quite

common considering the repeated strong warnings against it in Proverbs. The

lower form of beauty is described in “a beautiful woman without discretion”

(11.22) who is considered worthless, and in the foreign woman, who is

described as a deadly snare. In these embodiments of the higher and lower

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forms of beauty we see the danger and delight of feminine beauty that is also

observable in narratives concerning beautiful women throughout the text.

The pursuit of beauty, common to all, is dangerous because beauty that

reflects God- being matched by goodness and therefore presenting a true and

reliable picture- is not always easily discerned. Women who are physically

attractive but have no virtue to guide the interactions brought about because of

their beauty are spoken of as snares. In considering this idea Mohler points out,

“that which is a delight to the eyes may very well be unbeautiful”, namely, that

an appealing visage does not necessarily suggest a possession of the higher

form of beauty. He goes on to say, “Our human temptation is to substitute the

truly beautiful for that which is merely a delight to our senses and a delight to

our eyes.” The danger of seeking a lesser good is exactly what Proverbs depicts

in the young men who fall into the foreign woman’s snare. She offers them to

take their “fill of love” (7.18) but promises no future; her story is sadly one of

fatal attractions. This understanding of beauty functioning as a mask to conceal

bad character, rather than a crown to maximize the beauty of one’s character,

provides a way to assess beautiful women’s stories throughout the Hebrew

Bible.

Without virtue to guide interactions the household of Israel is blemished

with improper relations and bad choices of wives. The physical beauty of a

woman immediately invites men to act. As Scruton’s platitude states: “beauty,

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in a person, prompts desire” (39). The men’s choice of action and the women’s

response reveal their character. Thus, the entrance of any beautiful woman in a

narrative sets up a dualistic narrative structure in which both she and the men

involved (usually men of power) are given an opportunity to reveal their

character, or lack thereof. Beauty is more complex than meets the eye and it is

powerful; if misunderstood or misused it can even be deadly.

When we consider the women of the Hebrew Bible there are those like

Esther who are remembered primarily for their beauty. Her beauty set her apart

and was the reason that she, an orphaned Jewish girl, became queen of Persia.

There are also women who are remembered primarily for their character, such

as Rebekah and Abigail. For these women, external appearances contributed to

their stories but were not the driving forces behind them. Both were brought

into privileged Israelite households primarily for their display of character.

Modern scholars often propose to categorize and discuss Biblical women by

their position within society as Frymer-Kensky does in her book Reading the

Women of the Bible. Although this approach is useful, and the far-reaching arm

of the Israelite patriarchal system cannot be undermined, limiting the study of

these remarkable women to opportunities afforded them by their position in

society does them a great disservice. I propose to instead categorize and discuss

these beautiful women by their character.

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As Proverbs shows, the character of a woman determines her conduct,

and her conduct has implications for her entire household. The association

made throughout the Hebrew Bible between goodness and beauty and the

framework provided by Proverbs to view Hebrew narratives allows for an

analysis of the beautiful matriarchs of Genesis, namely why they were chosen

and brought into the household of Israel, and what implications their character

or lack thereof had for the nation as a whole. These women may seem

insignificant when viewed merely as child bearers or beautiful objects to be

possessed, but each played an important role in the nation’s history, and each

of their stories started with a male gaze being drawn by beauty.

Beauty invites action, or rather a reaction to the source of beauty.

Beauty’s transcendence is evidenced in the universality it has, being commonly

recognized, as well as in the power it has to compel others to act. Its association

with goodness, another transcendent characteristic, just as compelling although

less obvious, only strengthens its power of influence. Each time a beautiful

woman steps onto the scene in a biblical narrative our attention is arrested. Her

presence is an invitation for the men around her to act. This sets up the

dualistic narrative structure that is utilized in telling each of these women’s

stories. It is dualistic because although each story takes place within the

patriarchal system of the time the men involved are never solely responsible for

the consequential actions. Each of these women plays a part in the stories as

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well. At the point of action, or inaction, the goodness or inner virtue of each

character is made evident or shown to be absent. Those women who have only

a fine figure often fall short of the Israelite ideal while those women who fear

God and are concerned for their household benefit the nation.

Rebekah is the matriarch whose external beauty and character

complement each other in such a powerful way as to provide her with agency in

the ancient patriarchal system. It is for this reason that I begin with her and not

Sarah in my analysis of the matriarchs. Although the New Testament provides

commentaries on the character of Sarah, which esteem her for her submission,

such notes are lacking in the Hebrew Bible. Conversely, Rebekah is esteemed

because of her generosity and thoughtfulness, made evident in her first actions

upon entering the scene. In Rebekah’s story we have a picturesque narrative of

dualistic opportunity. As this narrative structure is pervasive throughout the

text and will provide a simple way to analyze and process each story Rebekah

offers a nice place to begin.

The Beautiful Matriarchs

The matriarchs are some of the few Biblical women whose names are

still recognizable today. The primary concern of Hebrew women at this time in

history was motherhood. As indicated by Proverbs’ concern for households, the

building up of a household through childbirth is necessary before the

maintenance of it can be of any concern. Although men are often portrayed as

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power-seekers, as seen in Jacob and his father-in-law Laban, women are

typically depicted as maintaining their place in society without any qualms;

Rebekah is one such woman. We first encounter her at the well, a common

trope in Biblical literature even as the act of drawing water would have been a

common activity for every woman. What set Rebekah apart then? In order to

understand the reason why Rebekah was chosen we must first look to the

character of the servant who chose her.

The strong character of Abraham’s unnamed servant gives the reader

confidence in the character of the young woman he chooses. As the servant

sent to go on Abraham’s behalf and choose a wife for Isaac we can see that he

was undoubtedly considered trustworthy. This servant not only fears Abraham,

he also fears the God of Abraham as he makes an appeal for success and for

God to “show steadfast love to my master” (24.12). The primary concern is for

the household and the covenant. The woman chosen will be key in furthering

both, so the servant does not just look for an eligible virgin, he “looks for

someone both generous and thoughtful” (Davidson 109). Upon arriving at the

well in the land of Abraham’s kinsman we see the narrator pull us in close to

hear the servant’s prayer. In this moment “the character of the servant is deftly

drawn’ as he ‘prays, not for a miracle, but for guidance in using his own sound

commonsense to lead him to the right woman” (Davidson 109). As previously

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discussed, beauty is sometimes only skin-deep, so the servant is undoubtedly

seeking something more substantial than a pretty face.

Although beauty invites, character sustains. The servant waited at the

well until “the time when women go out to draw water”(24.11). The number of

women who approached at that hour is not recorded nor how many came

before Rebekah. As usual, comments concerning women are sparse until it is

necessary to the development of the story. Since we know nothing of the other

women at the well we have no idea if others were also fair and attractive. As the

servant had prayed, it was not the beauty of Rebekah alone that made her stand

out, it was also her actions. Rebekah exceeded customary social expectations in

giving water to both the man and all of his camels, for “to give water to a

stranger at the well would be a common act of courtesy; to offer to water his

camels as well would show costly generosity and uncommon thoughtfulness”

(Davidson 112). Rebekah’s character made her unique; she went so far as to

draw enough water for ten thirsty camels. This would have taken a considerable

amount of time and energy from the maiden and would have been a sure sign

of her character and worthiness to be invited into the household of Abraham.

This is tov on display: external attractiveness matched by virtue expressed in

actions; exactly what the servant was looking for.

The dualistic narrative structure here is simple. Rebekah, the beautiful

virgin, entered the scene and the servant spoke, entreating her for a drink. His

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action follows the customs of the time and was the first step in fulfilling his

word to his master. Rebekah responded appropriately, the counter-action, then

went further in what the narrator makes clear is a notable and generous act of

service. Her character far outshines her figure in this moment. This story

highlights the worth of a woman with virtue. It unfolds in “the longest chapter

in the Book of Genesis” and intentionally “reveals the beauty and especially the

virtues of [Isaac’s] wife-to-be” (Meyers 143). Although an attractive woman

would be treasured, a woman of character would be beneficial to the

household.

In the servant’s proposal to Rebekah her beauty is enhanced and

esteemed. We are given few comments throughout the Bible about any

garments or jewelry, excepting only the Levitical code. To have a moment’s

pause in a narrative to adorn one woman in “a gold ring weighing a half shekel,

and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels” (24.22) is generous

indeed on the part of our narrator. This description functions to draw attention

to the beauty of Rebekah as well as to her worth as a wife. This is the dowry,

and Laban recognizes it as such and responds appropriately. After the servant

recounts the tale, thereby esteeming the God who granted him success in his

mission, more gifts are given to Rebekah and to her family. This story-telling

episode shows the concern of the narrator in why something is done rather

than just telling us that it has been done. The point of the story is not that the

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servant found a wife for Isaac; it is that the God of Abraham provided a

beautiful and virtuous wife to benefit the household of Israel.

It is a shame how often Rebekah’s beauty is overlooked in scholarship in

order to focus on her individuality. What modern scholarship has tried to do

time and again with Rebekah and many of these other remarkable women is to

separate their beauty from their goodness. Although it is true that the two are

not always present in an individual, it does not negate the possibility of

someone possessing both. That is why our narrator uses the word tov to

describe Rebekah. In dismissing the association of external beauty and internal

virtue modern scholars cheapen our understanding of the text and dismiss the

authorial intention. Schneider is one rare scholar who notes the use of tov and,

as I have done, points back to its use in Genesis 1 before asking the question

“Are all those things beautiful, or are they good?” (Mothers of Promise 45). They

are both. Rebekah possesses and expresses both qualities in her opening

narrative. Her individuality in latter stories may indeed be evidenced, but

neglecting the rare complexity of her character in Genesis 24 is missing what

set her apart from the women around her.

Rebekah’s opening story is a lengthy retelling of the process by which

the God of Abraham provided a virtuous wife for Isaac. The character of

Abraham’s servant is shown in his appeal to God for favor and success, which

is met with the answer of a truly beautiful woman, one who would benefit her

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husband and her household. Her virtue is not stated; it is shown: “her actions

contribute almost as much to her character as her description does” (Mothers of

Promise 49). Conversely, there is danger in choosing a woman who is neither

described as having virtue nor depicted as expressing such in any actions.

Rachel is one such woman, who, although invited into the patriarchal lineage

and used to build up the household of Israel, only does so through much family

strife.

Rachel’s story begins in the same place as Rebekah, but the actions taken

at the well juxtapose Rebekah with Rachel and Abraham’s servant with Jacob.

Jacob was sent out by his father to find a wife among Laban’s daughters just as

Abraham once sent his servant to the same region to find Rebekah. Readers

familiar with the patriarchs would recognize the parallel journey and purpose.

What is surprising in this story is the reversal of roles. Jacob waters Laban’s

sheep and Rachel provides no act of service nor is she even recorded as

speaking. We may therefore assume that even if she did say something it was

not of any importance to the development of the narrative. Jacob goes to Laban

as the servant once did and is well received, but still Rachel has no voice, she is

a flat character at this point in the narrative. Her only descriptions are that “she

was a shepherdess…the daughter of Laban” (29.9-10) until she is compared

with her sister. “Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and

appearance” (29.17). Rachel was beautiful. This made her unique and desirable

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to Jacob. The use of beauty in Hebrew narratives makes clear that “feminine

beauty is related mainly to sexual attraction and marriage” (Avioz 345). Rachel is

a prime example of this trend. In the obvious narrative parallel between

Rebekah and Rachel what differs might be of greater importance than what is

the same.

Rachel’s story is sadly a picture of beauty not matched by character.

Neither she nor Jacob seems to possess or display virtue. Although Jacob saw

her and soon loved her, his love is based purely on image and relations at the

expense of anything deeper. After being with the family only a month, Jacob

promised seven years labor for Rachel as a wife. Jacob’s impulsive decision

indicates a lack of concern for his own household. He shows no discernment in

choosing women despite being savvy in the business world. This creates a

sharp distinction between him and Abraham’s servant. One was driven by a

concern for the household and another by the desire for beauty at the expense

of prudence. Jacob’s attraction to Rachel is understandable; his devotion to her

seems illogical, however. Jacob’s trickery with Esau is reversed in Laban’s

deception with Leah and we come to wonder as readers whether or not Jacob is

a good judge of character. Although his sister-wives are both greatly concerned

with their legacy in childbirth, they have a deficiency of any real virtues.

Rachel is actually given a great deal of agency because of her beauty. She

is not only chosen and brought into the patriarchal line, she is also the beloved

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of her husband. In Rachel’s story we see the power of beauty to prompt

devotion, not just desire. Her beauty grants her more favor than her neglected

sister, but is only backed by bitterness and deceit. Throughout Rachel’s story

her character is made known by both her words and actions, none of which

show any concern for others. Schneider points out that out of all the

matriarchs, “only Rachel is picked by her future husband, and that does not go

smoothly” (Mothers of Promise 99). Rachel is a dangerous choice for a wife,

because although she is not foreign, she is selfish. Her concern is only for her

own body and children, and not for her sister or husband. Proverbs gives us

insight into the cultural perspective of women like Rachel. According to the

wisdom literature, “It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome

and fretful woman” (Proverbs 21.19). Sadly, Rachel is both.

Jacob, as the protagonist in this story, asserts his agency and authority in

claiming Rachel and is eventually stripped of agency in his own household by

his discontent wives. Following the dualistic narrative structure, we see Jacob

seeing, recognizing, and claiming beauty as his own. It is not until after

marriage that the character of Rachel is disclosed. In the following years we see

how a decision to neglect character and pursue external beauty is met with

grievances that only a wife lacking virtue can bring into a household. The

movement of the plot from first setting eyes on Rachel to seven years service

before the supposed wedding gives us as readers a sense of the whirlwind

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romance that took place, for those years “seemed to him but a few days because

of the love he had for her” (29.20). Jacob responded to beauty with desire, he

considered Rachel worth seven years service, and eventually seven more,

fourteen in all. The value he placed on appearance is astounding and leads

directly to his household being driven by the rivalry between his two unhappy

wives.

Newsom draws an important parallel between Rebekah and Rachel,

primarily “that marriage within the group is an important means of

safeguarding group identity” (20). Both Rebekah and Rachel were chosen from

within the family, following the constant concern for furthering the household.

Especially within family affairs, virtue is of great value. With these two women

virtue does not determine who is brought into the household, but it has far-

reaching consequences in the state of the household after marriage. Marriage to

Rebekah is how “Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death” (Genesis 24.67).

She bears a son, yes, but more than that she took care of her husband and was

thus esteemed. Jacob is said to have loved Rachel, but affection does not

promise satisfaction. As both Rachel’s actions and Proverbs make clear, the

barren womb never says “enough” (30.16). Barrenness is a constant concern for

Rachel even though she is loved. In this narrative even Rachel’s desire to bear

sons does not come from a concern for her household, it is purely selfish.

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Although the twelve tribes of Israel came from Rachel and Leah (along with

their maidservants), Jacob’s family is marked by strife.

In Rachel’s story we see the danger of esteeming external beauty above

character at the expense of the household. Westermann makes the insightful

statement that “the beauty of women represents a motif that causes conflicts”

(587). This is indeed true of the female relationships in Jacob’s home. Rachel

and Leah are constantly in conflict, competing for their husband’s affection.

In Sarah’s story we see a very different kind of conflict prompted by

beauty. With Sarah’s tale of beauty the dualistic narrative structure is still

evident, but Sarah is not the person given agency on account of her beauty,

Abram is. Abram seems to have well understood that beauty in a person

prompts desire. He understood this concept so well, in fact, that his reaction to

Sarah’s beauty was to exploit her. In doing, so both the narrator and the

readers can see that Abram is jeopardizing the future of his household.

The dualistic structure of this story found in Genesis 12 show us more

about Abram’s character than Sarah’s. He recognizes her beauty, true, but this

recognition does not prompt action to take or protect her, but rather to protect

himself. This rationale makes sense when Abram’s present understanding of

the covenant is considered. He understood that he was an essential part of the

covenant, as God had told him “I will make of you a great nation” (Genesis

12.2). What Abram failed to realize is that when God said “you” he meant both

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Abram and his wife. His plea to Sarah to deceive the Pharaoh was rooted in

self-preservation. According to Meyers, “his concerns make sense in the biblical

milieu, for in the Bible, beauty sets up the beautiful to be desired and taken”

(150). This analysis, as we will see below, is reinforced in the stories of

Bathsheba, Tamar, and Esther.

Abram is the first to remark on Sarah’s beauty. When we first see Abram

speak to Sarah while sojourning in Egypt he tells her, “I know that you are a

woman beautiful in appearance” (12.11). This remark uses a common Hebrew

word for fair or beautiful, not tov. Here Abram understands well the power of

beauty in prompting desire and fears for his own life because of it. According

to Schneider’s analysis of the language, this is not a simple compliment, “but a

statement of potential risk” (Sarah 31). Abram understood that beauty prompts

desire. It not only triggers a mental awareness, it also demands a moral choice.

For Abram his life was worth more than his wife’s. We see his concern for his

household but are given no insight into whether or not Sarah feels the same

way. Modern commentators suggest that in this context, “Sarai is an exchange

item to be traded for wealth” (Newsom 22). Whether Abram was more

concerned with what he might lose or what he could gain is not explicitly told

us in the text, but Sarah’s attractiveness certainly prompts action. Abram’s

willingness to give her up would be inconsequential if the Pharaoh did not also

recognize Sarah’s beauty.

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The amazing thing about Sarah’s beauty is that although Abram viewed

it as dangerous, it was instrumental in God blessing Abram and his household.

Although the knowledge of others’ desire for Sarai’s beauty prompts fear, even

the selfish motives of Abram are used by God to benefit Abram’s descendants.

God intervenes and fulfills his purposes despite Abram’s lack of character.

Sarah was essential to building up the household of Israel. Schneider’s

“work on Sarah reveals that she is as important to the fulfillment of the Israelite

Deity’s promise as Abraham” (Sarah 10). Although Abram did not understand

this, the short narrative concerning her beauty does function to show us the

mutual concern for Abram’s descendants. This is displayed in Abram’s desire

for self-preservation (indicative of his understanding of his household),

contrasted with God’s concern for the nation, displayed in his affliction of

Pharaoh in order to prompt him to return Sarah to her husband. At the birth of

Isaac we see that Sarah is a crucial component to the fulfillment of the

Abrahamic covenant, and also to the furtherance of the metanarrative of the

Hebrew Bible as a whole.

Sarah is a Hebrew who is disempowered and discredited because of her

old age. She is seen as useless among her people and of no benefit to her

household. Sarah is an excellent picture of the Israelite nation as a whole. They

too were often discredited and ignored, seemingly forgotten; however, just as

God did not forget Sarah, He never forgets His people either. That is the

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greater purpose of Sarah’s story in the context of the Hebrew Bible. She not

only bore the father of Israel (literally), she was a picture of the nation itself.

This text is not concerned with empowering women or even with adding

prejudice to them, as they were already powerless (Frymer-Kensky); the primary

concern of the text is the household of Israel fulfilling its purpose in the hands

of its God. The higher form of beauty, especially when indicated by the use of

tov, is esteemed for just this reason.

Beautiful Women in the Monarchic Period

In the monarchic period both beauty and character are central issues.

The stories concerning David’s reign serve to show just how influential beauty

can be, and how beneficial true beauty, which is backed by virtue, can be for a

nation. In this period, Abigail, Bathsheba, and Tamar are each said to be

beautiful. Both Abigail and Bathsheba are described with the word tov. In all

three of these stories the character of powerful men is put on display, whereas

the agency of these women varies wildly.

With Abigail we see David perceive and treasure a woman of the same

type as Rebekah. Abigail’s description is unique even among those we have

already looked at in the Hebrew narratives. She is a woman unlike the others in

how tov is used to describe her. She is said to be fair, but also of “good sense”,

tov sense. Here tov is not supplemented by descriptors concerning external

features, as with Rebekah; it is matched instead with a word meaning sense or

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wisdom. A notable component of Abigail’s virtuous beauty is her intellect; as

such, Abigail is an anomaly in the Hebrew Bible.

Although she is said to be attractive, that is not the first thing we know

of Abigail, nor is it the most notable of her characteristics. In light of the

women of Proverbs, “Abigail may be characterized as the prudent woman, the

‘good’ wife” (Bellis 129). After Nabal, Abigail’s husband, has foolishly insulted

David, thus putting himself and his household in imminent danger, Abigail

steps in. A servant goes to Abigail, telling her “harm is determined against our

master and against all his house” (1 Samuel 25.17). Although Nabal may indeed

be a fool, as his name suggests, Abigail is not. In the ensuing scene we see

Abigail’s proven worth as a wife. Indeed, she “is an ideal wife, always protecting

her husband’s interests, taking the initiative when he is unable or unwilling to

act, and apologizing for his rude behavior” (Meyers 43). Abigail is a rarity

among women in the monarchic period; although her beauty is mentioned, it is

not what drives the action, as we will see with Bathsheba and Tamar. Instead,

her discernment sets her apart, showing her as comparable to the wise woman

of Proverbs. Although beautiful, the worth of Abigail as a wife, first for Nabal,

then for David, is her prudence and eloquence in speech. Her primary concern

throughout her story is the household she is a part of.

Abigail’s beauty is not actually said to have anything to do with her

success although it is a part of her editorial description at the beginning of the

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narrative. In light of the economy of words in these narratives and the lack of

physical descriptions perhaps her beauty is mentioned because it was an

embellishment to her character. Reines suggests that “Beauty is like an external

ornament which adds to the charm of a person when the latter is also

distinguished by inner moral and intellectual qualities” (6) Since the moral and

intellectual qualities of Abigail take center-stage it is not unreasonable to see

how beauty could simply add to her appeal. Perhaps her beauty was one of the

things that afforded her agency when she first approached David. If the

narrator recognized it, then how could our future king and protagonist not?

What sets Abigail apart from her husband as well as from other women

is her discernment. The narrative prizes this characteristic above all else.

Considering the use of the word tov, which is coupled with sense and translated

in the ESV as “discerning”, a statement is being made. Just as God’s creation is

called tov, good, and Rebekah is described as both tov and beautiful, Abigail is

suggested as being a virtuous woman, created to reflect the good and beautiful

God of the Hebrew Bible. The texts of the Hebrew Bible “warn us that good

looks are not an end in themselves- indeed, they may disappoint, if not deceive

us. Rather, they are simply the physical aspect of what it means to be a creation

of God” (Hubbard 14). For Abigail, her relation to the divine was two-fold. Not

only does she display an external beauty, which prompts action, she also

possesses an internal beauty of virtue and wisdom that benefits her home.

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Although external beauty is called a “fleeting” characteristic in Proverbs, it

always seems to serve a purpose. Beauty draws attention, in these stories

particularly the male gaze, and it provides a frame in which strong character

can be displayed.

Abigail’s discernment is exhibited in how she handles her husband’s

foolishness. She not only “knows her situation” (Frymer-Kensky 318), she acts

promptly to change it. For women in this time period agency was limited, as

patriarchy still drove the social order. Perhaps that is why the presentation by

Abigail is first a display of beauty and goodwill, then one of eloquence. The

scene when Abigail goes to intercept David and his men does not present her

as seductive, but as submissive. She offers her gifts, then she offers herself in a

sense, calling herself a servant six times in her opening speech. Abigail

understood the threat David and his men were to her present household.

Although her husband was a fool, she was a prudent wife who used her

intellect and presumably her beauty to rescue that which society demanded she

look after. Abigail’s beauty drew David’s eye and her persuasiveness changed

his mind. She used her beauty, in reference to both her image and intellect, to

protect her household. As such, she was soon invited to join David’s.

The narrative structure shows how the virtuous beauty of this

remarkable woman afforded her great agency in a precarious situation. Her

display of discernment not only saved her current house, it also secured her a

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position in David’s after the fool she was married to died. When she steps onto

the scene she likewise steps into David’s field of vision and effectively deters

him from unnecessary bloodshed. Although working outside of her husband’s

knowledge, Abigail does nothing immoral. She presents herself and her

concern well and David responds with matching virtue. He accepts her gift and

grants her petition. Soon after, when opportunity arises, he likewise invites her

to join his household. Abigail is an asset; much like Rebekah, her actions

display her beautiful character. Although for Rebekah beauty means gaining

agency in the future, for Abigail her intellect and beauty present her with

opportunity in the present.

Although beauty affords some women great agency, it serves as a danger

for other women who possess it, primarily because men want to possess it also.

Bathsheba’s story is one which defies the common understanding of how

beauty functions. Although she is described with tov, suggesting the duplex of

goodness and beauty, we see no action on her part and are unable to reasonably

ascertain anything about her character from the text. Her beauty is more of a

liability than an asset. Although this is not always the case throughout the

Hebrew Bible, in both Bathsheba and Tamar’s stories it proves true.

Beauty is Bathsheba’s defining characteristic; it is what is noticed and

acted on by David. What must be remembered in analyzing this narrative is that

it is presented as an episode of David’s story; he is the protagonist here. The

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concern is once again for the household of Israel, and in this time-period for

the monarchy. When contrasted with Abigail’s story, Bathsheba’s shows the

development and complexity of David as a character and the changing state of

the throne.

1 Samuel 25 stands in stark contrast to, and serves as a mirror image of,

Bathsheba’s story in 2 Samuel 11-12. Both Abigail and Bathsheba are

originally married to other men, and both become the wives of David, yet

by very different courses of events…In the Abigail story, David, the

potential king, is seen as increasingly strong and virtuous, whereas in the

Bathsheba story, the reigning monarch shows his flaws ever more overtly

and beings to lose control of his family (Meyers 43-44)

These two episodes in David’s story help to depict him as a real person who

changes through the years. Although beauty affects him in both stories and that

beauty is vested in women, how David gains possession of these two women

shows a great difference in his moral character.

Although at one time beauty was something to be recognized and acted

on appropriately, in this story beauty was a momentary diversion that came

with unprecedented implications. These implications were not only for David,

but also for his men and the entire nation. David’s action of taking Bathsheba

echoes King Abimelech taking Sarah. The difference between these kings is

that Abimelech knowingly did no harm to Israel, whereas David did (Solvang).

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Once someone recognizes beauty they are held accountable for how they

respond to it. When David sees Bathsheba it becomes obvious that “Beauty

gives rise to desire, which demands possession” (Dyrness 431). David ignores

his knowledge that Bathsheba is married, to one of his own men no less, and

seeks to possess her. Bathsheba is not as a woman given agency because of her

beauty, but is instead disempowered because of it. She “enters the narrative as

a victim of royal prerogative” (Solvang 124). In this narrative, beauty drives the

action but the male is the primary actor.

Scholars often eisegete this story in an attempt to tell what the story is

about, what Bathsheba’s intentions are; but, in the end, all evidence is

inconclusive because of how sparse the text is. Based on the text alone, the only

assertion we can conclusively draw is the use of the same dualistic narrative

structure we have seen in other women’s stories. In Bathsheba’s story the dual

structure is lopsided. She is not given agency because of her beauty; rather,

because of her beauty David takes her agency from her and imposes his own.

She does not overcome the patriarchal system but is instead further entrenched

in it, which proves to be deadly for both her husband and her child. Her story

is a tragic one. Although speculations cloud our understanding of her story we

can see how her beauty functions within it.

The recognition of beauty is what prompts the action in this story.

Bathsheba taking a bath was not the catalyst, neither was David staying home

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from war. These details merely provide a frame for the action. David seeing and

desiring Bathsheba’s beauty is the event that all the following chaos points back

to. Although this is an explicit example of beauty as an event in the Hebrew

Bible, it is not alone. This is the same event that happened when Abram gave

up Sarai in Egypt and when Jacob first saw Rachel at the well. For the servant

of Abraham, this event was different, however. Although Pharaoh and Jacob

both esteemed the outer beauty of these women, Abraham’s servant saw and

treasured a beautiful and virtuous woman whose unique, internal beauty would

last long after a fine figure had faded. He recognized and understood the worth

of bringing a virtuous woman into the household. Although David had

displayed similar prudence in his marriage to Abigail, he neglected to consider

his household or the implication of his decision to have Bathsheba for a night.

The consequences of David’s rash decision have long lasting

implications for his household. Bathsheba’s son eventually inherits the throne,

but only through much strife. Meyers suggests that “Bathsheba’s role is

intentionally minimized to focus the story on David. David bears the

responsibility and the condemnation, and from this point on he is beset by

problems within his family that have political implications for his reign” (58).

Indeed, even after this story takes place, the Hebrew histories shift focus from

David to his sons. The purpose of Bathsheba’s story is not to condemn her or

to set her up as the foreign woman, but rather to give an opportunity to display

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David’s lack of character. The opportunity is granted by the presence of a

beautiful woman.

For David’s sons, beauty is also a desirable trait that is used thematically

to reveal the character of each man. A narrative concerning the character of

David’s sons is seen soon after Bathsheba’s story. It begins simply with the

recognition of an attractive woman: “now Absalom, David’s son, had a beautiful

sister, whose name was Tamar” (2 Samuel 13.1). Amnon, a brother to both

Absalom and Tamar, is said to love Tamar, and soon to become ill because of

his lust for her. Scruton is once again proved true by our Hebrew narrator, for

here we see once again how beauty, in a person, prompts desire.

The ultimate loss of agency is seen in Tamar’s story. Although some

assume Bathsheba was raped, the text gives us no support to that end. In

contrast, Tamar was intentionally deceived then violated. Although she is

“indirectly (through her actions, and, especially, speech) characterized as a

strong, generous, [and] sexually moral…her many virtues do not save her from

her fate” (Meyers 164). The dualistic narrative structure is utilized here in a

more complex form than we have previously looked at. Although beauty is

presented in one woman, and the reaction to it is primarily seen in the immoral

actions of Amnon, two other men are involved in the story. Although they do

not interact directly with beauty, they are agents in the story. Jonadab,

Amnon’s friend, “was a very crafty man” (13.3) who suggested the plot for

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Amnon to deceive and then rape Tamar in order to satisfy his lust. After the

rape, Tamar runs to her brother Absalom who understands what has taken

place. Although he takes in Tamar, he takes no action against Amnon.

In this narrative the recognition of beauty leads to the revelation of four

individuals’ character, or lack thereof. Although Tamar is virtuous and

eloquent, she is disempowered and violated by her immoral brother whose

friend is a fiend. Absalom is not painted favorably either, for he is seemingly

apathetic. Neither immoral men nor apathetic men look well after a throne, and

neither is beneficial to the household of Israel.

As with David, Amnon’s desire for and possession of beauty implicates

more than just himself and his victim. Within the monarchy the personal is also

political. This narrative functions as an unveiling of the state of disarray in

David’s household, and in all of Israel. From Abigail to Tamar, the various

reactions to beauty in the monarchic period demonstrate the legitimacy or

precarious position of the monarchy at different points throughout David’s

reign. Even when women living in the monarchy possess and display the higher

form of beauty, the men of power are not necessarily also virtuous. Abigail was

brought into David’s household and then she disappears from the text.

Although beauty afforded her great agency when it could benefit David, her

role seems to have soon been forgotten. Each of these women’s stories were

recorded because they served a purpose, yet Bathsheba is the only one we hear

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anything more from after her initial encounter with King David. Beauty may

prompt desire and give women agency, but the initial attraction is not always

matched by a continued devotion. The dual opportunistic narrative structure

can be observed when beauty first enters the scene; but, after its entrance,

beauty often loses its potency. As such, although tov beauty does not guarantee

a continuing position of influence, it has a greater chance than mere external

beauty to sustain the influence of the woman who possesses it. Although a

woman without character is dangerous, a woman with character can have a

great deal of power.

Esther

In the story of Esther we can see how beauty afforded agency to a

Hebrew woman found in a foreign country and household. Even in a text

concerning Jews displaced and living in the Persian Empire, the dual

opportunistic narrative structure can be observed. Beauty still prompts desire

and creates opportunities, although in this story the opportunities have

immediate and far-reaching effects.

Although Esther’s external beauty is notable, in this story it is not

presented as something that is necessarily unique. Her entrance into the palace

is framed in conjunction with the compulsory participation of all young virgins

in a beauty contest. Likewise, her audience with the king was not remarkable. It

is only after earning favor through a consistent display of character that Esther

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is chosen to be queen and thus thrust into a position of power unlike that

which any of her people scattered throughout the Persian Empire knew.

The purpose of this narrative is to encourage a nation that was

disempowered, living as exiles in a society that was against them where they

lacked agency and opportunity. As we have seen in the matriarchs as well as in

the women of the monarchy, beauty, when mentioned in the Hebrew Bible,

always works to provide opportunities of some kind. These opportunities

consistently disclose the character of both men and women involved and

provide a way to think about the nation of Israel as a whole. Beauty has been

seen to provide some women with agency and others have instead been further

marginalized because of the men they encounter. In Esther’s story we see a

clear instance of beauty giving a Hebrew woman both agency and opportunity

to utilize it, all for the purpose of preserving the household of Israel.

Esther’s unprecedented acquisition of power comes about initially by the

rash decision of a volatile king. His character is seen and understood from the

first chapter of this Hebrew novella where one woman’s refusal to be exploited

ends in her dismissal. Queen Vashti enters and exits the storyline in a matter of

verses and is used by the narrator to set up the following story. Many scholars

focus on her character and decision to refuse the king’s order to be shown off

at one of King Ahasuerus’s great feasts. Instead of speculating about the

circumstances of her action I think it necessary to quickly look at how her

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beauty functions. It is known and recognized, but when she is asked to attend

the king’s feast, in whatever manner, she refuses. This short story can easily be

contrasted with Tamar’s, for men of power desire to exploit both women

because of their beauty, and both women refuse. The obvious difference here is

that Amnon ignores Tamar’s pleas and satisfies himself, while Ahasuerus

instead is enraged and wholly dismisses Vashti. Vashti’s account functions in

the book of Esther to show how emotions drive the king, and to make clear that

although external beauty is a source of pride for the throne, it is also easily

replaced.

When Esther is first presented she is a young Jewish girl of little

consequence. Her cousin Mordecai looks her after, and when she is taken into

the palace she hides her heritage as he had commanded her. At the beginning

of the story, “not much is revealed about her character, but she is described as

beautiful (2.7) and obedient (2.10)” (Meyers 75). These two qualities are what set

her up as eligible to replace Vashti, but as the story unfolds it becomes

apparent that her position as queen is of much greater consequence than might

be initially supposed. Moyer points out that “Esther demonstrates precisely the

character traits that Vashti did not possess: humility and willingness to

acquiesce to her superiors” (611). For Ahasuerus and his officials this is the

criterion for a good queen: someone who was beautiful and submissive. Esther

is shown to be both and even more.

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Although Esther is known most notably for her external beauty, she also

wins the favor of everyone she encounters. Her beauty was the gateway through

which her character was allowed to shine. Upon entering the palace Esther is

said to have “pleased [Hegai] and won his favor” (2.9). Hegai was the eunuch in

charge of all the women. As a man in a position of power he is the first person

we see participating in the dual opportunistic structure. He sees Esther’s higher

form of beauty, which sets her apart from the other women in the harem who

are all externally attractive. At this point in the narrative all that has been

esteemed is external beauty, but Esther is presented as unique simply because

she is a woman of more substance than the rest. Hegai sees her true beauty and

acts on it, providing her with greater resources as he even “advanced her and

her young women to the best place in the harem” (2.9). Esther is given greater

opportunity because of her outstanding beauty, although she is still

disempowered as a woman and even more so as a Jew having to hide her

identity.

This narrative is distinct among those we have looked at because it

juxtaposes a woman possessing the higher form of beauty with women who

possess the lower form. Throughout the months spent in the palace before

being presented to the king, “Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who

saw her” (2.15). Every woman that was brought into the harem was there

specifically because they were beautiful. Esther is set apart in that she is “more

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than merely beautiful” (Newsom 134); she is good too. In Rachel’s story we see

feminine relations in the tension between her and Leah, but they are not both

considered beautiful and neither is said to be virtuous. With Esther, all of the

women spoken of are understood to be externally attractive, but only she is said

to have gained favor. This narrative shows that when beauty is normative,

character is what sets someone apart. Although beauty may mean inclusion in

the harem, Esther’s virtue leads to her gaining the agency that comes from

becoming queen of Persia. This virtue is evidenced in the favor she receives

and the fact that she was obedient to Mordecai in keeping her heritage a secret.

The commentary provided by the narrator in this story is not the only

thing that points us to notice her virtue. The Hebrew writer also uses the word

tov to describe Esther, alerting us as readers to the complexity of her character.

She is not only attractive, she is also virtuous. Her concern is for her

household, and although that initially means hiding her heritage as her cousin

suggests, it later means using her position of power to save the nation of Israel.

In Esther we see an explicit example of how taking care of one’s immediate

household can also mean taking care of the household of Israel. Her character

is also shown here in how she took initiative on behalf of her people, risking

her own life in the hope of saving others.

Before Esther was able to save her people she had to take care of her

husband, the king. Although he responded to her beauty in marrying her, the

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more explicit example of the dual opportunistic structure comes when Esther

willingly presents herself without being called in the throne room. Here beauty

does not enter the story naturally, as it has with the other biblical women, the

woman possessing it instead intentionally presents herself. Esther places

herself in the vision of the king; she does not wait for him to look her way. She

dresses herself in her royal robes and enters, “and when the king saw Queen

Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to

Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand” (5.2). Esther made the first

move. She had been placed in a position of agency and here she tests its limits.

Much like Abigail, Esther understands that she has to be faithful to the

foreign household she was a part of in order to further the greater household of

Israel. Both women step up and take action in order to affect change that their

husbands would never have otherwise considered. In Abigail and Esther’s

stories we can see that external beauty would not have had as great an impact as

tov beauty does. Their intentional presentation of their beauty only adds to

their persuasiveness and their power. They direct the male gaze -- initiating the

dual opportunistic structure because of the actions they desire the men in

power to make in order to protect their households.

Esther’s concern for her people prompted action. Beauty was the means

by which Esther compelled Ahasuerus to deliver her people, Israel. Without

the attractiveness of external beauty, the goodness of Esther’s plea would have

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fallen on deaf ears. In considering the power of beauty on the mental faculties

of people, specifically men, it must be understood that “beauty can speak to the

heart in a way that logical reasoning and moral teaching cannot” (Hodges 8).

The mind of one driven by selfish motives is more easily captured by beauty

than by pleas to logic or to good conduct. Without the profound effect Esther’s

beauty had on Ahasuerus the people of Israel would have been lost and Esther

would not be considered a hero. She would have been just another pretty

virgin who was pulled into the Persian palace and given a submissive role to

play. Her beauty gave her an agency nothing else could have in her situation.

When Esther first presented herself to the king he was willing to give up

to half of his kingdom to her (5.3). His eagerness to please her because of the

pleasure her beauty gave him was not enough to assure the safety of her people

though, so Esther waited. She served her king, and her enemy, for two nights

at banquets intended to show them honor. Esther once again had to set herself

apart from the other women as one who had goodness that was to be desired as

much as her attractiveness was. After preparing the banquet and the king’s

heart she presents her request. As with every other story concerning beautiful

women, beauty prompts desire and sets the action in motion. Although Esther

has been given a great deal of agency the power play still comes from the king.

He is the one who fulfills her request and destroys her enemy. The virtuous

beauty of his wife prompted his actions. Her request is framed wisely, her

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introduction is spoken to esteem the king and remind him of her beauty, “If it

please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems

right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes” (8.4). Esther appealed to

his position of power and to his desire for a beautiful and submissive wife, and

her appeal affected real change. The salvation of her people can be attributed

to both her bravery and her beauty.

As a woman Esther was disempowered. Her name was changed, her

heritage was hidden, and her people were destined for destruction. The

narrator and intended audience esteem her because of her goodness and her

beauty. Throughout the text it is apparent that those women who possess both

goodness and beauty are used by the deity in furthering his people, the

household of Israel. This has been seen in Rebekah, Abigail, and Bathsheba,

although in Bathsheba more subvertly. Her story makes evident David’s lack of

character, but is still used by God to bring her and her son, Solomon, into the

line of the monarchy.

Esther, like these women, is presented as truly beautiful and can be

compared to the wise woman of Proverbs who benefits her household and her

nation. As a truly beautiful woman Esther is “the protagonist of the book, and

the one with whom the audience should identify” (Meyers 76). This is a unique

story in the Hebrew Bible because the text deliberately presents one particular

woman as a symbol for the nation of Israel. Although this book was still written

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in the context of a patriarchal system, the story has a remarkable purpose for

the Hebrew audience. Jews could relate to Esther “precisely because she was a

woman, and therefore basically powerless within Persian society, [she] was the

paradigm of the diaspora Jew, who was also powerless in Persian society”

(Newsom 133). This is the first story that deliberately has the reader empathize

with a woman. Bellis suggests that in the prophets, “Rachel and Sarah are

reinterpreted as metaphors of Israel” (211). Although this might be the case,

their stories were not originally constructed to be relatable for the Hebrew

audience; they instead worked to further the story of the patriarchs. Esther was

written to encourage a disempowered and weak nation. Just as her beauty gave

her agency in a system that seemed pitted against her, the nation of Israel could

gain agency by the work of God among them.

Parallels to the Divine

The authors of the Hebrew Bible used the dual opportunistic narrative

structure consistently precisely because it is understandable and it works. This

structure shows the importance of whatever sets the action in motion. It also

sets up a framework in which the audience can observe that virtue, or lack of

virtue, is made evident in each person’s actions. This structure functions for

both stories directly concerned with women and those concerned primarily

with the nation as a whole and its interactions with its God. Each time God’s

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power or glory is displayed in or among the nation of Israel it functions as an

event not unlike the presentation of a beautiful woman in each of these stories.

Considering the original audience is necessary in understanding what a

text means, specifically what it meant at the time it was written. The women of

the Hebrew Bible can be seen as pictures of the nation of Israel. Biblical

narratives directly show how Rebekah, Abigail, and Esther benefitted the

nation through childbirth, intellect, and bravery. Tamar and Bathsheba’s

stories are instead indicative of the perilous state of David’s throne and thus of

the entire nation’s instability. Although these women are not presented overtly

as a self-image of the nation of Israel, their stories draw a close parallel to the

presentation of God and the nation’s response to Him.

The dualistic narrative structure I have presented and discussed with

each of these women can likewise be used to discuss how the nation of Israel

reacts to God. To set up the parallel, consider once again how true beauty in

women, which is recognizable by the Hebrew word tov as well as the actions

taken by these women to benefit their household, is presented as a reflection of

the Beautiful, of God. Mere physical attractiveness draws attention and likewise

creates dualistic opportunities, but is of no lasting benefit. Essentially, tov

beauty is more than skin deep and pretty is just a knock-off. In the God of

Israel we can see what was understood as the source of both beauty and

goodness for the Hebrew audience. These transcendent qualities can be

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manifested in creation and in people’s character; they can also be displayed in

more self-evident terms. When the God of Israel is recorded as revealing

himself to the nation, the ensuing action follows the same narrative structure as

whenever a beautiful woman enters the scene.

I have referred back to Scruton’s platitudes numerous times throughout

my research. Once again, in the narratives of each of the beautiful women of

the Bible it is evident that “beauty, in a person, prompts desire.” In relation to

the nation of Israel, rather than a person, consider this prior platitude: “beauty

is always a reason for attending to the thing that possesses it.” In relation to the

nation as a whole, any expression of God’s glory, whether in acts of power or

the glory of His presence, is considered beautiful and therefore desirable to the

Hebrews. We also see in the Psalms that God is viewed as the greatest good.

The psalmist tells us, “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart

from you’ (Psalm 16.2) and again, speaking to God, “You are good and do good”

(Psalm 119:68). This innate goodness of God is connected to his beauty, as both

are recognizable qualities of the divine nature.

When displayed, whether in the burning bush to Moses, or in the pillar

of fire to the entire nation of Israel, manifestations of God’s glory always

prompt a response. Just as men react to a beautiful woman in a manner that

reveals their character, the nation of Israel always reacts to manifestations of

God in a way that reveals theirs. The way that people react in Biblical narratives

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to theophanies and miraculous signs is always indicative of their character and

of their relationship to God. Just as beauty in women is powerful and its

presence always sets up an opportunistic narrative structure, the beauty of God

is even more so. When the God of Israel reveals himself he is inviting a

response. When men act on the beauty of women, either giving them agency or

taking it away, the fate of their immediate household is at stake. When men

react to, or ignore, a manifestation of the glory of God, the consequences reflect

on the entire nation. This correlation of structures serves to reinforce the

metanarrative concern for the household of Israel seen throughout the Hebrew

Bible. I do not suggest this parallel to undermine the obvious disparity between

Hebrew women and the God of Israel. Looking at the narrative structure can,

however, provide insight into the responsibility of the reactors in each story,

specifically concerning how they respond to the beauty of God throughout the

text.

This beauty, this glory of God expressed in various ways to the people of

Israel, calls attention to the God of Israel each time it is revealed. Consider the

correlation: How the God of Israel reveals himself as beautiful and desirable is

much like how the women of the Hebrew narratives are presented. Beauty, the

enticing characteristic that is only magnified by character, is always a reason for

attending to the thing that possesses it. In women, beauty prompts desire and

encourages men to act. In a nation, a display of supernatural power and majesty

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draws attention to its source, in this case the God of Israel, and likewise

encourages the people of the nation to react.

The dualistic narrative structure pervasive throughout the historical

accounts of the Hebrew Bible is commonly introduced by some display of

beauty. When a beautiful woman enters the scene the gaze of both males and

females present is arrested and a choice of action must be made. One must

either take action or not, and if they do act they have the choice of doing so

properly or improperly. Any glorious manifestation of God presents spectators

with the same options. When God reveals himself He invites a response from

his people. When he appears in a pillar of fire there are two options: follow it

or ignore it. There are no cheap appearances of the God of Israel; however,

there are cheap knockoffs seen in idols. Just as a woman can be attractive and

have poor character, like the foreign woman of Proverbs, the God of Israel can

be mimicked only poorly in idols crafted by human hands. Both negative

examples are only seen as bringing strife to the nation.

This is the dualistic narrative structure seen in the Hebrew Bible. It

functions on an individual level as well as a national one. Beauty often affords

agency to women, but even when it does not it is seen to always prompt some

action. When the beauty of God is presented it likewise prompts action, but the

God of Israel has his own agency, as he is the source. Historically, throughout

research on the topic of beauty in the Hebrew Bible “we have never considered

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that beauty was anything more than a momentary diversion…however, if we

accept that God is what beauty ultimately is, we find that our experiences of

beauty in this life are meaningful in a way we have not considered” (Hodges 8).

Every time tov beauty is seen it reflects and magnifies the source. Beauty in the

Hebrew Bible is not inconsequential, nor is it morally ambiguous. It has a

source and a purpose. It drives narratives and ultimately points us to an

overarching concern for the nation of Israel and for the God of Israel.

In the Hebrew Bible women are rightly depicted as having limited

agency, but the dual opportunistic narrative structure shows how agency can be

gained. Among the women who are even mentioned in the text few are called

beautiful and even fewer are said to possess the higher form of beauty. The

women who are considered both good and beautiful are esteemed in their

stories and in their association with the God of the Hebrew Bible and His

creation. Their tov beauty is not only admirable; it is also beneficial to the

household of Israel.

Beauty is powerful. It invites action, or rather a reaction to whoever

possesses it. It provides opportunities and can be a source of great power or

great strife. Throughout the text it is evident that the Hebrew Bible is

concerned with the issue of beauty, and, in light of this fact, scholarship should

consider it worth studying. Perhaps in deconstructing the narratives found

throughout the text we will discover something more than meets the eye.

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Whether it is a substantial, higher form of beauty, or a lower form, it is always

of consequence. Here we take part in the dual opportunistic narrative structure.

Feminine beauty has been presented in the Hebrew Bible, what will our action

be in response to it, and what will our response reveal about us?

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