"Bad Girls" of the Bible: How They Subvert the "Virgin/Whore" Framework
In the previous article, we explored how the Virgin Mary, under the violent, black-and-white framework of the "virgin/whore" dichotomy, was stripped of the complex and authentic desires and agency of her humanity. Her story reveals how this binary opposition limits our imagination of womanhood, the divine, and even ourselves. However, Mary is not the only biblical figure who challenges this framework. In fact, the biblical narrative is filled with many "bad girls"—their stories are messy, controversial, and yet, because of this, they radiate an awe-inspiring vitality.
The actions of these women, if judged by rigid moral standards, are undoubtedly "indiscreet," "deceitful," or even "cruel." They are the characters who are often glossed over in Sunday school or "sanitized" in sermons. But it is precisely they who, in the crevices of a patriarchal society, used their bodies, wisdom, and courage to live out subversive testimonies. Their stories are the Bible's own profound critique of the "virgin/whore" framework.
The "Righteous Prostitute" Surviving in the Cracks of Patriarchy: Tamar
Genesis 38 tells the story of Tamar. As Judah's daughter-in-law, after losing two consecutive husbands, she was exiled by her father-in-law Judah under the pretext of "remaining a widow," cutting off her right to an identity and security within the family through an heir. In an era where women could not own property and were solely dependent on men, this was tantamount to pushing her to the social margins.
To help readers who may be unfamiliar with ancient Near Eastern customs, it's necessary to first explain an important background: Levirate marriage. According to Deuteronomy 25, if a man dies without a son, his brother is obligated to marry the widow and have intercourse with her. The first son born to them would be raised up in the name of the deceased brother to inherit his name and property, ensuring "his name will not be blotted out of Israel." In ancient clan-based societies, this institution served to perpetuate the family line, protect property from being transferred outside the family, and provide economic security for the dependent widow. Therefore, Judah's refusal to let Tamar be with his youngest son Shelah was not only a violation of his promise to her but also a deprivation of her only legal right to survival and inheritance under this patriarchal system.
Faced with injustice, Tamar did not choose silent suffering. She took off her widow's garments, covered her face with a veil, and posed as a prostitute by the road where Judah would pass. She "seduced" her unknowing father-in-law and took his seal, cord, and staff as a pledge. When her pregnancy was discovered, Judah was furious and ordered the "adulteress" to be burned to death. Just before the execution, Tamar produced the pledge, forcing Judah to admit that he was the one who had broken his promise.
Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." (Genesis 38:26)
By playing the "whore," Tamar exercised her deprived right and was ultimately declared "more righteous." Her story is a stunning revelation: in an unjust system, so-called "immoral" means may be the only path to justice. She did not challenge morality itself, but the patriarchal structure that forced her into such a position.
The Loyal Woman Who Launched a Night Raid on the Threshing Floor: Ruth
The story of Ruth is often depicted as a heartwarming and romantic idyll, but behind it lies bold action and erotic tension. As a desperate Moabite widow, Ruth, at the instigation of her mother-in-law Naomi, went to Boaz's threshing floor in the middle of the night.
She "uncovered his feet and lay down" (Ruth 3:7). To understand the subversiveness of this act, we must know that in the Hebrew Bible, "feet" is often a euphemism for "genitals." Therefore, Ruth's action—"uncovering his feet"—was far from a literal act of warming him up, but a highly sexually suggestive proposal of marriage that put her at great risk. She staked her reputation and physical safety entirely on Boaz's character.
However, the narrative never portrays Ruth's actions as "promiscuous." Instead, Boaz praises her as a "woman of noble character" (Ruth 3:11) and commends her for her "kindness" (Hesed, steadfast love) to the family. Ruth's proactive, bold, and erotically charged action is ultimately interpreted as loyalty to the covenant. Her story proves that a woman's worth lies not in passive submission, but in the courage to actively pursue and build relationships.
The Housewife Who Set a Death Trap with Hospitality and Sex: Jael
If Ruth's story challenged the boundaries of sexual morality, Jael subverts the imagination of gender roles and violence in an even more astonishing way.
In the prose version of Judges chapter 4, Jael's story is relatively "clean": she warmly welcomes the fleeing enemy general Sisera, gives him milk to drink, and lets him sleep peacefully. Then, this housewife takes a tent peg and a hammer and drives it through his temple in one blow.
However, in the much older poetic version—the Song of Deborah (Judges chapter 5)—the scene is filled with sexual tension. It describes Sisera's death thus:
Between her feet he sank,
he fell, he lay;
where he sank, there he fell dead.
Here again, the pun on "feet" appears. "Sank between her feet, he fell, he lay" strongly suggests that Jael seduced Sisera and killed him in his post-coital exhaustion. This detail, full of lust and violence, was omitted in later versions, perhaps to "purify" the image of this heroine.
Jael's story, when the two versions are contrasted, becomes more three-dimensional. She turned the most "feminine" domestic space and acts of hospitality into a deadly trap; she fused sexual seduction with lethal violence, blurring the lines between tenderness and cruelty, victim and perpetrator. In the Song of Deborah, her actions are praised in the highest terms (Judges 5:24), reminding us that female strength can be both the most gentle and the most lethal.
The Holy Killer Who Saved a City-State with Beauty and Wisdom: Judith
(Note: The Book of Judith is part of the deuterocanonical/apocryphal books, considered part of the Bible by Catholic and Orthodox traditions.)
The story of Judith blends the traits of the "virgin" and the "whore" to the extreme. She was a young, beautiful widow, renowned for her piety and wisdom. When her city-state was besieged by the Assyrian general Holofernes and on the brink of collapse, the city elders were helpless and could only pray.
Judith, however, chose action. After praying to God, she took off her mourning clothes, put on her most splendid attire, and adorned herself with perfumes, jewels, and wine to appear utterly seductive. She went deep into the enemy camp, bewitching Holofernes with her beauty and wisdom. At a private banquet, she got the general drunk, then took his own sword, beheaded him, and carried his head back to the city in a food bag.
Judith simultaneously played the roles of a pious saint, a seductive femme fatale, and a cool-headed assassin. She used her body and feminine charm as weapons, not for personal desire, but for the liberation of her entire nation. She is a "holy killer," and her story perfectly combines prayer and action, sacredness and violence, chastity and seduction, completely shattering any simple binary classification.
Inspiration for Contemporary Christians
These "bad girls'" stories, spanning millennia, still speak to us living in the 21st century. Their lives offer us several profound insights:
- Redefining "Righteousness" and "Morality": Their stories compel us to reconsider what true "righteousness" is. Is it conforming to rules and maintaining a seemingly peaceful but oppressive status quo? Or is it, like them, breaking the rules when necessary to respond to injustice with chaos and struggle? This is a powerful gospel for those who have been judged by the church for their sexual orientation, gender identity, or sexual history.
- Embracing "Messiness" and "Agency" in Faith: The faith of these women was never passive. They were actors, planners, even warriors. Their lives were filled with ambiguity and moral tension. This encourages us to embrace the complexity of our own lives, acknowledging that faith is not always a clear and smooth path. God is present with us precisely in our moments of chaos, struggle, and risk.
- Seeing the Power of the Marginalized: Prostitutes, widows, foreign women... God's grand narrative is repeatedly advanced by these figures marginalized by mainstream society. This reminds the church today to listen to the suppressed and excluded voices—women, queer communities, victims, and all who are labeled "unclean." For the front line of God's work is often in these unexpected places.
- Challenging the "Perfect Victim" Myth: These women did not wait for men to save them. They fought back in their own ways, sometimes even with violence for violence. They were not meek, innocent "perfect victims." This is extremely meaningful for us living in the #MeToo era, as it affirms the right and power of women to resist, plan, and even strike back when facing harm and injustice.
In conclusion, the "bad girls" of the Bible are God's love letter to all who are trapped by the "virgin/whore" framework. With their lives, they declare: your worth is not defined by your sexual history, your power is not constrained by social expectations, and your faith can blossom in chaos and struggle. They invite us into a broader, more complex, and more grace-filled world of faith, where there are no absolute virgins or whores, only real and whole individuals, used and blessed in God's hands.