Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 16
Overview
This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.Barren Women
The story of Avraham’s and Sarah’s struggle to conceive parallels many other stories of infertility in Tanakh.
Tools
- See Makbilot Bamikra for a list of and links to the various stories In Tanakh about barren women.
Articles
- See Barren Women for an exploration of the parallels between the six Biblical narratives of barren women who give birth to leaders of Israel and commentators’ perspectives on the possible reasons for their barrenness. Some suggest that their barrenness was an impetus for their spiritual growth, others maintain that it was a means of engendering greater love for the children they would eventually bear, while yet others view it as proof of Hashem’s miraculous intervention in the births of their children.