What are some of the similarities and differences of women in the bible from the old and new testament? And if you guys know of any info on comparing Hagar (Old Test.) and Elizabeth (New Test.)
One similarity is that many of them are presented as being barren, and then when elderly give birth to a child thanks to God’s intervention. Examples from the Old Testament are Abraham’s wife Sarah, Samson’s mother, the prophet Samuel’s mother Hannah, and even Jacob’s wife Rachel. Elizabeth was also barren, until God answered Zachariah’s prayer and allowed her to become pregnant.
I don’t really see any similarity between Hagar and Elizabeth; the most obvious similarity is between Sarah and Elizabeth. Yet if I had to answer the question, I would say that both their children were destined to take second place (or were the forerunners) to a more important child than theirs: in Hagar’s case Ismael would take second place to his half-brother Isaac, who inherited his father’s birthright, and in Elizabeth’s case, John takes second place to his cousin Jesus.
Another similarity is that women take a second role in both testaments; the few exceptions being the prophetess Deborah, Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, and Queen Esther from the OT, and Martha and her sister Mary from the NT. Basically, the only time their names are mentioned are when they give birth to sons, or if something bad happens to them, such as Dinah (Jacob’s daughter) and Tamar (David’s daughter), who are raped, or Saul’s daughter Meirav, who is promised to David in marriage but then Saul reneges, or Bathsheba who has an extramarital affair with King David.
One of the differences is that there is much less mention of women in the New Testament because most of the protagonists, i.e. Jesus and his disciples, are not married; while in the Old Testament all the protagonists are married, eg., Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, etc.
One similarity is that many of them are presented as being barren, and then when elderly give birth to a child thanks to God’s intervention. Examples from the Old Testament are Abraham’s wife Sarah, Samson’s mother, the prophet Samuel’s mother Hannah, and even Jacob’s wife Rachel. Elizabeth was also barren, until God answered Zachariah’s prayer and allowed her to become pregnant.
I don’t really see any similarity between Hagar and Elizabeth; the most obvious similarity is between Sarah and Elizabeth. Yet if I had to answer the question, I would say that both their children were destined to take second place (or were the forerunners) to a more important child than theirs: in Hagar’s case Ismael would take second place to his half-brother Isaac, who inherited his father’s birthright, and in Elizabeth’s case, John takes second place to his cousin Jesus.
Another similarity is that women take a second role in both testaments; the few exceptions being the prophetess Deborah, Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, and Queen Esther from the OT, and Martha and her sister Mary from the NT. Basically, the only time their names are mentioned are when they give birth to sons, or if something bad happens to them, such as Dinah (Jacob’s daughter) and Tamar (David’s daughter), who are raped, or Saul’s daughter Meirav, who is promised to David in marriage but then Saul reneges, or Bathsheba who has an extramarital affair with King David.
One of the differences is that there is much less mention of women in the New Testament because most of the protagonists, i.e. Jesus and his disciples, are not married; while in the Old Testament all the protagonists are married, eg., Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, etc.
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