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.

man who is reported to have built Ono and Lod and their towns, a deed that is understood within this context as an expression of divine blessing on the one who performed it. In other words, although the status of the divorcee was constructed as lower than that of the new, "current" wife, her children may still serve as potential leaders in Israel. One should mention also that this account carries an additional level of meaning. Divorce here is associated with geographical (and ideological) borders. Shaharaim bore sons by Hodesh in (the Field of) Moab, after he divorced his two earlier wives. At least one of the two is explicitly associated with lands in which Benjamin settled, through her descendents, and by association, both are⁴¹.

4. Daughter in Law - Mother

        There is one case of this situation, that of Tamar in 1 Chr 2,4⁴². The story alluded to here is that of Genesis 38⁴³. If the reference to Tamar evoked in the readership the memory of that story, as is likely, then the pro-active and decisive role of Tamar in maintaining the (patrilineal) Judahite lineage and eventually the Davidic one was also brought to their attention. This is one particular version of a common motif that may be encapsulated in "when the men fail to fulfill their duties then their wives take action and save the day" (cf. Judith). This version, however, addresses matters of sexual and reproductive