-=The Queenship of Mary=-
Recently, I picked up a book by Edward Sri titled, Queen Mother: A Biblical Theology of Mary's Queenship. The book is a thesis he'd written on the biblical basis for Mary's queenship. After I'd read it, I made an attempt to summarize all the fascinating points that biblically explain Mary as Queen Mother. My hope is that non-Catholics will look at this and understand why Catholics (and Orthodox) call Mary 'queen'. This is the best treatment on Mary's queenship I've ever come across, and it's one that is rooted in scripture. For Catholics (and Orthodox), the notes will be really fascinating to read through and the implications may be applicable to our daily lives. Well, what follows are my jumbled thoughts....
In order to understand how Mary is a queen, a lot of background is necessaary. Often times, protestants find it repulsive how we Catholics pray the 'Hail, Holy Queen, mother of mercy, etc". After all, Mary is never explicitly called a queen. And then there's the issue of so-called idolatry, or more specifically mariolatry. Certainly many protestants do not see the difference between veneration and worship, which Catholics and Orthodox both understand. This book wasn't written to defend veneration, that's a whole different matter. However, the question of her queenship, to my surprise, has a biblical basis. This book I believe can serve as a great source for ecumenical dialogue. Sri devotes an entire chapter to the various ways Mary's queenship is understood which primarily seems to be without a scriptural basis. It seems the Church Fathers didn't really discuss it, and simply declared her as queen as if it was a no-brainer. I was also surprised to discover that much of the veneration given towards our Lady grew in the East than in the West. That would explain why the Byzantine icon of the annunciation depicts Mary sitting on a throne. Her queenship is right there in that icon! In anycase, I read that chapter, but for my purpose, I simply skipped over the entire chapter and went directly to the scriptures.
The Bible describes Mary as the mother of Jesus, who is called a 'son of david', meaning he is the Davidic king. When the Davidic kingdom was established, I suppose it can be argued that the kingdom was modeled after the other kingdoms in the Ancient Near East, since the Israelite people wanted a king to lead them, "as all the other nations have" (1 Sam 8:5).
-=A look into the queen mother in the Ancient Near East=-
The significance is that in the Ancient Near East, there existed queens who apparently reigned along with the kings. Yet they weren't the wives of the kings as the modern day understanding of royalty is understood. Rather, they were the mothers of the kings. And the reason for this is probably real obvious: King Solomon had 700 wives (1 Kings 11:3), so which woman would become his queen? And which of the children would be heir to the king? Certainly polygamy doesn't make it easy for Solomon! So ultimately, Bathsheba, his mother became the queen. The queen mother also played a significant role in choosing the successor to the throne. So the succeeding king would then owe his kingship to the role of the queen mother.
Edward Sri on the role of the queen mother in the ANE
Here's what Edward Sri says about the queen mother in the ANE, from his book, Queen Mother: A Biblical Theology of Mary's Queenship (and for the sake of brevity, I took out the footnotes):
Let us now consider the prominent role given to the mother of the sovereign in a few, specific ancient Near Eastern kingdoms. It has been pointed out that in Hittite and Ugaritic texts, the mother of the heir-apparent ruled as queen, participating in political, military, economic, and religious affairs. In fact, during a king's extended absences or upon a king's death, the queen mother served as regent. Holding an office independent of the king's, she retained her position even after the death of her son. Although she could be removed from her office for serious crimes against the state, this was a rarity. Her preeminent position is seen in a tale of a Ugaritic king who himself even honors his mother by calling her, "the Queen, my Mother" and then falling at her feet as a sign of respect.
In Egypt, too, the queen mother was greatly revered. The Egyptians viewed the birth of a Pharoah as resulting from sexual union between the Pharaoh's mother and a deity. The queen mother held great importance because it was therefore believed that she was the instrument for bestowing divine status from the deity to her royal son. Thus, she was honored with titles of dignity, was mentioned with Pharaoh, and participated in the affairs of the state.
In Assyria, the king's mother was an important lady in the royal court. Called "the mother of the king, my lord," the queen mother received official letters from servants of the state about sacrifices and military operations. The Assyrian version of the Gilgamesh epic portrays the queen mother as "versed in all knowledge," a wise counselor and a powerful intercessor for her royal son.
Finally, some suggest that Daniel 5:10-12 offers a glimpse of the queen mother's prestigious role in the Persian Empire. The scene following the mysterious hand writing on the wall during King Belshazzar's feast shows the queen mother's dignity and influence in the kingdom: "The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall; and the queen said, 'O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your colour change. There is in your kingdom a man in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. . . . Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation'" (Dan. 5:10-12). Ahern concludes, "It is noteworthy that the queen mother dominates the whole scene. She it is who takes charge of the critical situation and gives the counsel which is immediately carried out" (p. 46-47)
Fascinating. All of the above ultimately sets the understanding of the Davidic Queen mother. Speaking of which, the phrase queen mother doesn't seem to appear in many English translations, but in Hebrew, it's gebirah, which literally means 'great lady' or 'mother'. So the phrase is certainly not without a basis.
-=The significance of the gebirah in relation to the Davidic king=-
According to Raymond Brown, in his book titled, Birth of the Messiah:
The Queen Mother had an official position in the Davidic monarchy in Judah (but not in the Northern kingdom), and her name is always mentioned in the introduction to each reign in the Book of Kings." (p 192)
Thus when we read 1 and 2 Kings we see passages like the following:
In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. (1 Kings 15:2)Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. (1 Kings 22:42)
Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. (2 Kings 8:26)
So the names of all the kings (for the most part) are mentioned along with their respective mothers. This lead some scholars believe that the mothers of these kings are as important as the king himself. Furthermore, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacks Jerusalem, scripture tells us:
Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him. (2 Kings 24:12)
This reveals that the king's mother was important. If she was insignificant, then why would the author of 1 & 2 Kings place his mother in some kind of authoritative position along with nobles, and officials? Clearly, this indicates that she held a significant political position. Jeremiah also lists the mother as second after the king (Jeremiah 29:2). And the fact that she is mentioned immediately after the king, yet before officials, nobles and attendants, may indicate that her status is higher than theirs. Significantly, none of Jehoiachin's wives are mentioned, indicating these wives have no power. Nahum 3:10 also reveals how those who were captured during Babylonian exile were 'honored men' and 'great men', which implies that the queen mother was among those who were highly honored.
-=The Queen Mother's influence=-
She possessed royal authority:
Let's take a look at Bathsheba's before and after:
Under King David's reign (before Bathsheba became the queen mother)
Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. "What is it you want?" the king asked. She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the LORD your God: 'Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.' ...... Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, "May my lord King David live forever (1 Kings 1:16-17,31)
Under King Solomon's reign (after Bathsheba became the queen mother)
When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat down at his right hand. "I have one small request to make of you," she said. "Do not refuse me." The king replied, "Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you." (1 Kings 2:19-20)
Quite a constrast! And both are 1 chapter apart. When she was merely the king's wife, she bows to King David. Yet under Solomon's reign, the KING bows and gives her a throne to sit at his right hand, which is reminiscent of Psalm 110:1: The kings of David were given the privilege to sit at God's right hand (Psalm 110:1). Thus Bathsheba is given precedence above the rest of the kingdom, yet under the king's power. On a tangent, a queen mother was deposed by the king in 1 Kings 15:13 because she created an idol.
One instance of the Queen Mother's influence is depicted in 2 Kings 11:1-3. When King Ahaziah died, Athaliah sought out to destroy the royal family so she could reign. Yet the narrative tells us that Joash (one of the sons) was taken away into safety for six years 'while Athaliah ruled the land' (1 Kings 11:3). Apparently, the queen got away with it, and it clearly reveals the queen's influence over the kingdom. Otherwise, the queen would've be able to reign!
Lastly, scripture reveals one instance where God speaks to a Davidic king and his mother:
Say to the king and to the queen mother, "Come down from your thrones, for your glorious crowns will fall from your heads.... Lift up your eyes and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock that was entrusted to you, the sheep of which you boasted? (Jeremiah 13:18,20)
In this oracle, God is holding both the king and the queen mother accountable. Apparently, they both had thrones and crowns, which will be taken away from them. They were also both responsible for the 'flock'. All of this indicates that the queen mother shares in the king's reign. Evidently, the queen had royal authority.
She is an advocate
In 1 Kings 2, Adonijah (Solomon's brother) approach Bathsheba and makes a request to her. He asks her to go to the king on his behalf:
So he continued, "Please ask King Solomon�he will not refuse you�to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife." (1 Kings 2:17)
Clearly, Adonijah recognized her influence as queen mother, when he says, "he will not refuse you". So she responds:
"Very well," Bathsheba replied, "I will speak to the king for you." (1 Kings 2:18)
After Solomon bows and gives her a throne to sit on his right side (1 Kings 2:19), she says boldly:
"I have one small request to make of you," she said. "Do not refuse me." (1 Kings 2:20)
The king responds by promising:
"Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you." (1 Kings 2:20) *
Solomon's words reveal his commitment to her petition. This is precisely what Mary, as the Davidic queen mother does for us. She approaches the king with a request on our behalf.
* note - It turns out that the king denies the request. Why? Adonijah requested marriage with Abishag the Shunammite. King Solomon discerned the evil scheme behind it and denied the request. Abishag was King David's concubine (1 Kings 1:1-4). In chapter 1, as King David was aged in his years, Adonijah attempted to become king (1 Kings 1:5-10). So when king David finds out, he immediately appoints Solomon as king before all the people, who celebrate his coronation at Adonijah's disappointment. Solomon then says of Adonijah: "If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die" (1 Kings 1:52)
So Adonijah's request to marry Abishag was a means to usurp the king. Taking the king's concubines was a means to usurp the kingdom (see 2 Sam. 16:20-23). He himself admits to Bathsheba:
"As you know," he said, "the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the LORD. Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me." "You may make it," she said.
If he married Abishag (David's wife), then he can undermine Solomon's kingship by becoming the king. Solomon, realizing Adonijah's evil schemes, says to Bathsheba:
"Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him�after all, he is my older brother�yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah. Then King Solomon swore by the LORD : "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request (1 Kings 2:22-23)
Ultimately, none of this undermines the way the queen acts as an intermediary. The sinful request brought about a negative consequence, just as a positive request would presumably result in something positive. The significance of this passage however, is not that it wasn't granted, it's that the king generally accepted the queen mother's request because King Solomon's words are quite clear, "Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you".
This would explain why we go to Mary for her intercession.
She is a counselor
In Proverbs 31, we see an example of the queen mother giving advice to his son, the king. She is giving counsel to the king on what kind of women are dangerous and such.
In 2 Chronicles 22:3, we are told that because of the queen mother's evil influence, King Ahazziah did evil. Clearly, not all counsel is good, but for our sake, the queen mother had powerful influence in causing his son to do evil.
The counsel that Mary gives us is scriptural, "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5). This is precisely what Mary desires of us: To do His will.