Antje Labahn - Ehud Ben Zvi, «Observations on Women in the Genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1–9», Vol. 84 (2003) 457-478

These observations address the construction of women and their roles in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1–9. References to women in these chapters construed them as fulfilling a variety of roles in society, and characterized and identified them in various ways. To be sure, the genealogies reflected and reinforced the main construction of family and family roles in a traditional ancient near eastern society. But, numerous references in these genealogies indicated to the early (and predominantly male) readers of the book that ideologically construed gender expectations may and have been transgressed in the past and with good results. By implication, these references suggested to the readers that gender (and ethnic) boundaries can and even should be transgressed on occasion, with divine blessing, and resulting in divine blessing.

subsequently to those of Abraham, but contrary to the case of Isaac and Ishmael who are presented as Abraham’s, theirs are constructed as hers. Significantly, neither Sarah nor Hagar, for that matter, is mentioned in Chronicles. To be sure, one may think of a variety of reasons for the tendency to separate between Abraham and children other than Isaac and Ishmael, but the fact remains that the readers for whom the book of Chronicles was written cannot but construe an image of a concubine who establishes an important lineage that is clearly identified by her name, rather than by that of a famous ancient male hero³⁹.

3. Mother - Divorcee

        One does not expect many references to divorcees in 1 Chronicles 1–9, but if they are mentioned, how are they constructed? In addition, what would their slot be in the genealogies if they bore children to the former husband? The early readers are informed of two divorcees of the same man, Shaharaim, in 1 Chr 8,8-11. One of the two bore sons; by implication, the readers are supposed to understand that the other did not⁴⁰. The man, the readers are told, married a third, "new wife" who was named, significantly, Hodesh, Heb. #dx. The text mentions the seven sons of this third wife first and following the report about their names adds, "these were his sons, heads of ancestral houses" (v 9; emphasis ours) that suggests that the household of the man was directly continued through his sons by Hodesh. Yet, in the next verse, the text mentions the names of the two sons whom he begot by his divorcee, Husham, (most likely) before he divorced her. As this lineage is set after that of the "new" wife of the man, the divorcee seems to hold the structural slot of the concubine.

        It is worth stressing that although the list associated with Husham is not as impressive in numbers as that associated with Hodesh, the text explicitly states that it is the lineage by Husham that leads to a