Anji Russell
Poetry and Design
Finding a voice and using agency in a patriarchal society
Among the consequences of the ‘fall’, Genesis 3:16 tells us “Women would be subject to men’s rule.” We also know that at this time patriarchy was born and polygamy appeared. Matthews (2017, p5) writes, “After Adam and Eve left the garden, wives became collectable property.” Patriarchy, male domination of the female, was not what God intended when He created Adam and Eve. In a patriarchal society a woman is first under the authority of her father, then her husband after marriage; and if he dies then she would be under the authority of a male in her husband’s family. Many of the strong women in the Old Testament however, found their voice, used their agency and had the capacity to not only make their own choices but also to take action, even in a patriarchal society. Paris-Lopez (2022, p 4) writes about five well-known women in the Old Testament and notes that “These are just a few of the many women in the Bible whose strength, courage, and wisdom save themselves and others. They defy toxic patriarchal conventions of ‘proper’ womanhood. Together, they reveal that God’s desire is not for restrictive gender roles.”
Voice
Many of these poems show how important a woman’s voice was and how many women used it for good. Examples of this are Esther using her voice to save a nation and Abigail using it to demonstrate humility, honour, and respect. Others who used their voice for good, for change and to benefit others, were Tirzah and her sisters when they boldly asked for the inheritance laws to be altered after their father died, and with great success! Other women used their voice to cry out to God in their barrenness, such as Hannah and Rebekah. Yet others used it to deceive, manipulate or even encourage or deliver violence, for example Jael and the Wise Woman of Abel Beth Maacah. At times the decisions they made resulted in trouble for themselves and others. This was certainly true of Eve! Could Bathsheba have used her voice to deny David his request?
Some of the women were not recorded as using their voice at all. Dinah is one example of a woman who was probably unable to use her voice due to her shame at being raped. We have no idea whether she used her voice before that dreadful event. With 12 strong brothers, maybe she wasn’t able to be heard, but there again maybe she did shout loudly so as not to be left out. Maybe these young men loved and cared for their only sister and listened to what she had to say. Whatever their intention or experience, in or out of their wilderness, in the lineage of Jesus or not, there are definitely many very strong women in the Old Testament who not only find their strong voice, but use it well. The hardest part was possibly being heard.
Agency
The word agency, meaning a person's capacity to make choices and act in accordance with their values and desires, is used now more than ever before. Many women in the Old Testament certainly had agency and used it! According to Tippins (2024, p3), Eve was the first woman to demonstrate agency. He writes, “Eve is often portrayed as a symbol of moral weakness, but when we dig deeper into her story, we uncover a figure that embodies the complexity of human agency. Eve’s choice to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represents more than a simple act of disobedience. It is the first instance of a human grappling with choice, consequence, and autonomy. Her story sets the stage for understanding women’s significant role throughout Scripture, not just as passive participants but as active agents in the unfolding of God’s plan. When we re-examine Eve’s role through this lens we find that Eve’s actions reflect a paradigm of agency echoed in the lives of many other biblical women. Figures like Sarah, Deborah, Ruth and Esther all make bold choices that carry significant moral and spiritual weight. In reflection, Eve’s decision-making lays the groundwork for a broader biblical narrative in which women are not merely objects or bystanders but are central to the development of history and theology.”
Achsah, who asked her father for land with water, and Rebekah, are both excellent examples of women with agency. “The first indication that Rebekah has an unusual amount of agency appears when Abraham’s servant expecting to leave with the new bride, is asked by the family for a delay of ten days, perhaps in an attempt to negotiate further concessions from the affluent suitor. When the servant balks, the family strikingly decides to ask Rebekah directly if she desires this union. Rebekah’s approval ends the discussion, and she leaves immediately after her father and brother send her off with a blessing that she will produce mighty and numerous progeny.” (Brand, 2023, p2,3). This decision clearly demonstrates that Rebekah had agency and used it.
“The portrayal of Rebekah as a woman of immense agency and choice in her marriage and destiny is pivotal to highlighting the legitimacy of the selection of Jacob over Esau. At the same time, Rebekah’s ability to make bold decisions and actively shape her own narrative challenges the apparent conventions of her time and sets her apart as a significant character in the biblical narrative. (Brand, 2023, p6). “Hagar, enslaved Egyptian handmaiden of Sarah and Abraham, is the only person in the Bible with the boldness to name God. The most powerful part of Hagar’s story is how she never loses sight of herself. She reclaims her agency even after being forced to live for others and ensures the physical, emotional, spiritual, and even cultural survival of herself and her descendants.” (Paris-Lopez, 2022, p1.2) “Without Miriam’s boldness and brilliance even in childhood, and without Jochebed’s defiance of Pharaoh’s orders and fierce motherly love, Moses could not have grown into the leader and liberator he became.” (Paris-Lopez, 2022 p4). Along with Pharaoh’s daughter, these three are definitely women with agency.
Often, the actual actions and decisions that women in the Old Testament took were very bold and definitely risky. An example of this is the two midwives, Shiphrah and Puah in Exodus as they ignored Pharaoh’s edict to kill the baby boys. They were not only ezer women but truly women with agency. Paris-Lopez (2022, p1), points out that “There are many other women in the Hebrew Bible who defied patriarchal conventions of ‘Biblical womanhood.’ Strong, brave, brilliant, defiant women whose stories teach courage, resilience, and faith in times of struggle. While many of them were also compassionate and nurturing – qualities rightly recognized as praiseworthy in women – it’s important to note that these qualities are equally important in men and that if this is all they had been, scripture, faith, and history would be much poorer.”
Freeman (2004, p1) writes that “there is an outer Bible—a story of men and women, of wars and wonders. And there is an inner Bible, according to ancient traditions, in which each word uncovers fathomless wisdom, beauty and light. From the outside, the women of the bible appear to play only a supportive role in a drama dominated by men. From the inside emerges a story of men manipulated by potent women and nurtured with feminine values. A story that reveals the inner quality of womanhood that transcends the minds of men.” The stories of women in the Old Testament clearly show how they were able to manipulate and nurture situations as well as playing more than ‘just a supportive role’.