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Hannah’s Ordeal of Childlessness: Interpreting 1 Samuel 1 through the Prism of a Childless African Woman in a Polygynous Family
- Source :
- Old Testament Essays, Vol 28, Iss 3 (2015)
- Publication Year :
- 2015
- Publisher :
- Old Testament Society of South Africa, 2015.
-
Abstract
- The practice of polygyny (polygamy) is attested to in many parts of Africa. One reason among many for consolidating this practice in some African cultures is the emphasis families place on having male progeny. For many polygamous men, it serves as a way-out of childlessness and “sonlessness.†But what becomes of the childless wives in such polygamous marriages? In those patriarchal African societies, where men are at the centre of the stage, the plight of childless or “sonless†wives in a polygamous marriage often goes unnoticed or ignored. By using the childless ordeal of Hannah (1 Sam 1) to mirror the plight of childless women in some polyga­mous African families, this article highlights the silent sufferings of such childless women and makes a clarion call for an informed and just response to their plight. In addition,it calls attention to the “silent†ordeal of Hannah in 1 Sam 1; an aspect of the text that until now has received very little attention.
Details
- Language :
- Afrikaans, German, English, French, Sotho, Southern, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
- ISSN :
- 10109919 and 23123621
- Volume :
- 28
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Old Testament Essays
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.87b7127490c848cfaf1e50ec3cb8a925
- Document Type :
- article