Literally translated, the title means '[Great] Lady', with the word being the feminine counterpart to gəḇīr (גְּבִיר), 'lord'. However, given that this title is most often attributed to a queen mother, the two have become synonymous, and therefore gəḇīrā is most often translated as 'Queen Mother'. When romanised, "gebirah" can be used as both a common noun ("a gebirah", "the gebirah") or a proper noun ("the Gebirah"), as with most royal titles. Although not present in the Masoretic Texts, the plural form gəḇīrōṯ (גְּבִירוֹת) is commonly used by academics to avoid the intra-word switching of "gebirahs".
The gebirah is believed by some scholars to have held great power as counsel of the king. In 1 Kings 2:20, Solomon said to his Mother Bathsheba, seated on a throne at his right, "Make your request, Mother, for I will not refuse you". The position of the queen mother was a privilege of the highest honour, and was the highest authority for a woman in Israel or Judah. In fact, the only time a woman held higher office was in the case of Athaliah, who usurped the throne of Judah.
To further complicate matters, the word gəḇereṯ (גְּבֶרֶת; also גְּבִרְתgəḇīrət and גְבָרֶתgəḇāreṯ, meaning 'lady', 'mistress', or 'queen') occurs 9 times in the Masoretic Text. In comparison, gəḇīrā occurs only 6 times. Scholars generally take one of two stances with gəḇereṯ: either classing it as an acceptable variation of the word gəḇīrā within the ketiv (featuring a common qere), or opting for a distinct separation of the two words, despite their converged meanings.
Ackerman, Susan (1993). "The Queen Mother and the Cult in Ancient Israel". Journal of Biblical Literature. 112 (3): 385–401. doi:10.2307/3267740. JSTOR3267740.
Andreasen, Niels-Erik (1983). "The Role of the Queen Mother in Israelite Society". Catholic Biblical Quarterly. 45 (2): 179–194.
Ben-Barak, Zafrira (1991). "The Status and Right of the Gĕbîrâ". Journal of Biblical Literature. 110 (1): 23–34. doi:10.2307/3267147. JSTOR3267147.
Bowen, Nancy (2001). "The Quest for the Historical Gĕbîrâ". Catholic Biblical Quarterly. 64: 597–618.
Brewer-Boydston, Ginny M. (2016), Good Queen Mothers, Bad Queen Mothers: The Theological Presentation of the Queen Mother in 1 and 2 Kings, Catholic Biblical Association of America.
Cushman, Beverly W. (2006). "The Politics of the Royal Harem and the Case of Bat-Sheba". Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. 33 (3): 327–343. doi:10.1177/0309089206063438. S2CID145638498.
Spanier, Ktziah (1994). "The Queen Mother in the Judaean Royal Court: Maacah - A Case Study". In Brenner, Athalya (ed.). A Feminist Companion to Samuel and Kings. A Feminist Companion to the Bible. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press. pp. 186–195. ISBN9781850754800.
