Treatment of Women in Hebrew Bible and Qur'an
Paper #1
World Literature 1
November 10, 2013
I have selected the treatment of women in the Bible and the Qur’an. Both the Bible and the Quran seem to indicate men and women were created as equals. Men and women were created together, separate form one another but for each other and to live in a mutual relationship for protection and to care for one another. In the book of Genesis 2 (page 159 in text book) it is written “And God created the human in his image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.” This, as it is written, states that God created both men and women in His image therefore they should be equal in His eyes. The Qur’an says that it is equitable that the rights of women are similar to those of men. Both of these would indicate women and men are equal, however there is much evidence to the contrary.
In the stories from both the Bible and the Qur’an, man takes a dominant role however; both have impressive women as examples throughout the books. Both of these books have some of the same women starting with Eve (Bible)/Adams wife (Qur’an). Mary/ Mayam, the mother of Jesus, Lot’s wife/ Lut’s wife, and several others which are common in both the Bible and the Qur’an , in the Qur’an many of the women are referred to as someone’s wife or mother however they are at least spoken and written about.
In the Bible Genesis 3:16,page 161 in our text book, God is talking to Adam and Eve after the apple tasting debacle and He says, “I will terribly sharpen your birth pangs, in pain shall you bear children. And for your man shall be your longing, and he shall rule over you.” As punishment for the sin, and clearly placing men above women in the hierarchy scale, He punishes Eve harshly. Adam gets in trouble as well but it was “ Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree that I commanded you .You shall not eat from it.” This almost gives Adam a pass on the sin of eating the apple but gets Adam in trouble
World Literature 1
November 10, 2013
I have selected the treatment of women in the Bible and the Qur’an. Both the Bible and the Quran seem to indicate men and women were created as equals. Men and women were created together, separate form one another but for each other and to live in a mutual relationship for protection and to care for one another. In the book of Genesis 2 (page 159 in text book) it is written “And God created the human in his image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.” This, as it is written, states that God created both men and women in His image therefore they should be equal in His eyes. The Qur’an says that it is equitable that the rights of women are similar to those of men. Both of these would indicate women and men are equal, however there is much evidence to the contrary.
In the stories from both the Bible and the Qur’an, man takes a dominant role however; both have impressive women as examples throughout the books. Both of these books have some of the same women starting with Eve (Bible)/Adams wife (Qur’an). Mary/ Mayam, the mother of Jesus, Lot’s wife/ Lut’s wife, and several others which are common in both the Bible and the Qur’an , in the Qur’an many of the women are referred to as someone’s wife or mother however they are at least spoken and written about.
In the Bible Genesis 3:16,page 161 in our text book, God is talking to Adam and Eve after the apple tasting debacle and He says, “I will terribly sharpen your birth pangs, in pain shall you bear children. And for your man shall be your longing, and he shall rule over you.” As punishment for the sin, and clearly placing men above women in the hierarchy scale, He punishes Eve harshly. Adam gets in trouble as well but it was “ Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree that I commanded you .You shall not eat from it.” This almost gives Adam a pass on the sin of eating the apple but gets Adam in trouble
Cited: The Norton Anthology World Literature ,3rd edition Volume A The Norton Anthology World Literature ,3rd edition Volume B Worship and the Hebrew Bible : Essays in Honour of John T. Willis, 1999, Marrs, Rick R., McKenzie, Steven L., Willis, John T., Graham, Matt The Qur 'an, Morality and Critical Reason : The Essential Muhammad Shahrur, 2009, Shaḥrūr, Muḥammad, Christmann, Andreas