HAGAR, PATRIARCHY, AND WOMEN’S LIBERATION

A Feminist Hermeneutical Re-reading of the Hagar Narratives in Genesis 16 and 21

Abstract

This article examines the narrative of Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21 using a feminist hermeneutical approach to uncover the dynamics of patriarchal power relations that shape women’s experiences in the Old Testament. Hagar, as a woman, a slave, and a foreigner, represents a subject who undergoes multilayered marginalization within the patriarchal social structure of Abraham’s household. This study aims to reinterpret Hagar’s position not merely as a peripheral figure in salvation history, but as an active theological subject in her relationship with God. The research employs a qualitative method based on biblical studies with a feminist hermeneutical. The analysis is conducted through narrative and exegetical readings of Genesis 16 and 21, including an examination of the historical-social context, narrative structure, and key Hebrew terms. Feminist hermeneutics functions as a critical lens to identify mechanisms of silencing, the objectification of women’s bodies, and forms of resistance and agency embodied by Hagar within the text. The findings indicate that the Hagar narrative not only contains an implicit critique of patriarchy but also affirms God’s preferential concern for the oppressed. Hagar’s experience as a woman who is “seen” by God (El-Roi) reveals an alternative theological dimension within the Old Testament, in which marginalized women are recognized as recipients of divine revelation and as subjects of faith. This article contributes to the development of Old Testament biblical studies by expanding the horizon of critical interpretation that is attentive to women’s lived experiences.