An examination of the barren mother stories of the Hebrew Bible

Using source criticism and analyzing the text as a whole, I explore the differences in the way the sources J, E, and P address the three barren mother stories of Genesis. I then look at all five barren mother stories (including the accounts in Judges 13 and 1 Samuel 1, 2) as a complete narrative. Though the sources differ, there are elements of the barren mother stories that cross sources. The main theme presented in the barren mother stories is the shift of the roles of the human beings in their interactions with God concerning their children. Across the five stories, there is a transition from the human beings being passive to the human beings becoming more active when they enter into agreements with God. I will also analyze the J source separately and look at the further developments from passive male parent to active female parent that this source presents.