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J. Cheryl Exum

J. Cheryl Exum is Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield. She is the executive editor of the journal Biblical Interpretation and a director of Sheffield Phoenix Press. She is the author of numerous scholarly works on the Hebrew Bible, which include Tragedy and Biblical Narrative: Arrows of the Almighty ; Fragmented Women: Feminist (Sub)versions of Biblical Narratives; Plotted, Shot, and Painted: Cultural Representations of Biblical Women; Was sagt das Richterbuch den Frauen?; and, most recently, The Song of Songs: A Commentary. She is currently writing a book titled Cultural Industry: The Bible and the Arts.

Articles by this author

Delilah: Bible

Although Delilah’s story centers on her narrative with Samson, she is portrayed as independent from the men around her. She is named without the context of a male relative or spouse, although her identity remains unclear. Delilah accepts a bribe to betray Samson and expresses no doubt about her choice.

Mother of Samson: Bible

Though her name is never mentioned, Samson’s mother plays a vital role in shaping her son, one of the greatest among the Judges. When notified by a divine messenger that her son must be a Nazirite, she herself keeps the Nazirite vows, ensuring that he could grow up to become a hero to Israel.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "J. Cheryl Exum." (Viewed on December 25, 2024) <https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/author/exum-j>.