Queen Mother

Biblical Text

In the Korean Revised Version (New Revised Edition), the term rendered "queen mother" appears mainly in passages from the period of the monarchy.

• 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16: When his mother Maachah made an abominable image of Asherah, King Asa of Judah removed her from her position as queen mother, cut down the image, and burned it by the brook Kidron. Maachah is also identified as the mother of Abijam, Asa's father (1 Kings 15:2, 10). For this reason, many interpreters regard her as Asa's grandmother.
• 2 Kings 10:13: After Jehu led a revolt in the northern kingdom of Israel, the brothers of King Ahaziah of Judah said they were going down "to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen." The queen here is understood to be Jezebel.

Background and Original Language

The Hebrew word gebirah, translated "queen mother," originally means "mistress" or "lady." The same word is used of Sarai, the mistress of Hagar (Genesis 16:4, 8). In a royal context, it usually refers to the mother of the reigning king.

When introducing a king of Judah, the books of Kings frequently record the name of his mother. For this reason, it is widely held that the king's mother occupied a definite official position at court. The scene in which Solomon had a seat set at his right hand for his mother Bathsheba (1 Kings 2:19) is often cited as an example of this position. Scripture, however, does not describe the specific scope of its authority in detail, and scholars differ in their views.

The same Hebrew word also appears in Jeremiah 13:18 and 29:2. There it appears to refer to the mother of King Jehoiachin (Jeconiah), and translations render the word in different ways.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The queen mother was less a formal institution than a position that reflected the influence surrounding royal power. Scripture records cases in which this position became a channel for spreading idolatry, as with Maachah's worship of Asherah and Jezebel's worship of Baal. Asa's removal of his grandmother (or mother), in which he placed faith in the LORD above family ties, is presented as a representative example of his reforms.

The institution does not carry over directly into the New Testament. According to one explanation, "Candace" in the account of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:27) was not a personal name but a title borne by the king's mother, though this interpretation rests on historical sources outside the Bible.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

Some Catholic theology and apologetics regard the Old Testament queen mother, particularly the figure of Bathsheba, as a type of Mary. This interpretation serves as one of the grounds for honoring Mary, the mother of Christ, as the "Queen of Heaven."

Many Protestant denominations generally reject this connection, regarding it as an interpretation not directly taught by the biblical text. Protestants tend to read the queen mother as a historical custom of ancient Near Eastern royal courts.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, the term "queen mother" appears chiefly in sermons on the reforms of King Asa. The removal of Maachah is often cited as an example of the need to act decisively when even family members or close associates go against the principles of faith.