Women who win with words: Deliverance via persuasive communication

Abstract

The Wise Woman of Abel Beth Maacah quells a rebellion (2 Sam. 20). Abigail, a beautiful and intelligent woman, rescues her household (1 Sam. 25). And the older sister of Moses, by tradition Miriam, saves her baby brother’s life (Ex. 2). These two women and a girl represent political saviours who facilitate the deliverance of a city, community, and an individual via persuasive words. As winners with words, these orators contribute dynamically to the biblical text by providing an alternative way of deliverance, one enabling it to come through a means other than the sword. Via perceptive persuasion, they guide those with whom they interact toward choosing life and the common good. This article takes a cross-disciplinary approach to the biblical text by looking at the persuasive communication techniques these two women and a girl employ so successfully.