Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 30/0
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Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 30
Rachel’s Difficulty Conceiving
The story of Rachel’s struggle to conceive is parallel to many stories of infertility in Tanakh.
Tools
- See Makbilot Bamikra for a list and links to the various stories in Tanakh about barren women..
Articles
- See Barren Women for an exploration of why many of the mothers of great figures in Tanakh struggled with infertility.
Divine Promises of Children
There are several instances in Tanakh in which Hashem promises a child to a childless parent (as in this chapter). These stories follow a similar format, with each story containing several common motifs. However, it is often the variations between the stories which are most telling.
Tools
- See Makbilot BaMiIkra for a list and links to such stories, including: the promises of the births of Yitzchak, Yaakov and Esav, Shimshon, Shemuel, and the child of the Shunamite woman.
Articles
- For an analytical comparison and contrasting of these narratives, see How Convention Helps Us Read: The Case of the Bible’s Annunciation Type-Scene by Robert Alter.
