Old Testament Saintly Figures

Basic Info

The Old Testament is full of figures upon whom God shows favor. Artworks that depict these figures in the midst of stories are best interpreted using the article on Bible Stories. Artworks that seem to be statues or portraits of the Old Testament figures can best be interpreted through this article.

From a Jewish perspective, what Christians call the Old Testament is a collection that brings together the Torah (the Law or Teaching, which Christians call the Pentateuch or first 5 books of the Bible), the Nevi’im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings). Collectively these books tell the story of God’s activity in Jewish history and the human response to God’s presence. Each figure tends to symbolize a particular approach to, or aspect of, faith in God or responsiveness to the covenant between God and the People of Israel.

One significant trait of the key biblical figures in the Old Testament is that God chooses to work through people who have faults: Moses killed an Egyptian slave master, David impregnated a married woman and had her husband killed, and so on. Today we see this as reflective of the reality of human frailty, but there seems to have been a time in Church history when the darker side of these biblical figures was swept under the carpet, at least as far as the general public was concerned. The art tradition played a part in sustaining the idea that the biblical figures were perfect.

For the most part, Christians have not traditionally referred to Old Testament figures as Saint _________.

The Old Testament figures that are considered saintly can generally be grouped into categories: 

• The fathers and mothers: Adam and Eve; Noah; Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebecca; Jacob (also called Israel) and Esau; Jacob’s wives Leah and Rachel; and Jacob’s sons, the fathers of the 12 Tribes of Israel.
• The prophets, judges and leaders (heroes): Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, Deborah, Samson, Gideon, King Saul, Saul’s son Jonathan, King David, David’s son Absalom, King Solomon, Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Micah.

Historical Notes

Because the Jewish tradition has often frowned upon making images of God and people, the art tradition has relatively few Jewish interpretations of these figures (Marc Chagall’s work is a notable exception). The Christian interpretations are sometimes quite different from the Jewish interpretations. For example, both traditions respect Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac as a test of faith, but Christianity also sees it as a foreshadowing God the Father’s sacrifice of Jesus Christ (the Son of God) for the sake of humanity. 

What to Look For

• How God’s favor is depicted
• Whether the figure is depicted as human or superhuman
• Whether the figure seems to prefigure or foreshadow Jesus Christ or the Christian story in any way

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

Is the artist simply including this figure in a collection of other important biblical figures, or is there something special about this figure?

Does the artwork celebrate the grace God bestowed on this person, or does it depict the tension between the grace and the human frailty?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

Do you find this figure inspiring based on the artwork, or do you feel you would have to know more about the person’s story to appreciate him or her?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation

What might have been going on in the artist’s time and place that made this figure especially relevant or inspiring?

A Reflection on an Artwork Depicting Queen Esther