Are Old Testament Characters Stock Characters?
Are Old Testament Characters Stock Characters? When we read the Old Testament, it’s easy to get caught up in the personalities and biographies of its figures—Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon. But if we step back and look through a literary lens, we begin to notice something striking: these characters function less like fully developed individuals and more like stock characters in a grand narrative. They are archetypes, recurring patterns that embody theological themes rather than simply recording human history. What Do We Mean by Stock Characters? In literature, stock characters are recognizable types that serve a particular narrative role: the wise elder, the rebellious son, the tragic king, the faithful outsider. They’re not defined by psychological complexity but by their role in the story. Likewise, the Old Testament often uses its figures as narrative placeholders—symbols pointing to God’s covenant dealings with Israel, the failures of human kingship, or the hope for a new creat...