A bondwoman, also referred to as a handmaid or maidservant, is a female servant or slave in biblical times. The term is often used in the context of the patriarchal narratives in the Old Testament, where social and familial structures included various forms of servitude. The role and status of a bondwoman were distinct from those of a free woman, and her life was typically characterized by service to her master or mistress.

Hagar: The Archetypal Bondwoman

One of the most notable bondwomen in the Bible is Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant of Sarah, Abraham's wife. Hagar's account is pivotal in understanding the dynamics of servitude and God's providence. In Genesis 16:1-2 , we read, "Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, 'Please now, the LORD has prevented me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.'" Hagar's role as a bondwoman becomes central when she bears Ishmael, Abraham's first son.

Hagar's experience highlights the complex relationships between bondwomen and their mistresses. After conceiving, Hagar's relationship with Sarah becomes strained, leading to her temporary flight into the wilderness. In Genesis 16:7-9 , the Angel of the LORD finds Hagar and instructs her, "Return to your mistress and submit to her authority." This encounter underscores the expectation of submission and obedience that bondwomen were to exhibit, even amidst personal hardship.

Legal and Social Status

The Mosaic Law provided certain protections for bondwomen, although their status remained subordinate to free individuals. Exodus 21:7-11 outlines specific regulations regarding the treatment of female servants, emphasizing the importance of fair treatment and the provision of rights, especially in the context of marriage. These laws reflect a societal structure where bondwomen, while not possessing the full rights of free women, were nonetheless afforded certain legal considerations.

Symbolic and Theological Implications

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul uses the allegory of Hagar and Sarah to illustrate the difference between the old and new covenants. In Galatians 4:22-24 , Paul writes, "For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise." Here, Hagar represents the old covenant of the Law, while Sarah symbolizes the new covenant of grace through faith in Christ.

This allegorical interpretation serves to highlight the transition from bondage under the Law to the freedom found in the Gospel. The bondwoman, therefore, becomes a powerful symbol of the limitations of human effort and the liberating promise of divine grace.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near Eastern context, the presence of bondwomen in households was a common practice. They were often acquired through purchase, war, or as part of dowries. Bondwomen performed various domestic duties and could also be given as concubines to bear children, as seen in the case of Hagar. Their status was often precarious, dependent on the goodwill of their masters and mistresses.

The narratives involving bondwomen in the Bible provide insight into the social hierarchies and familial structures of the time. They also reveal the ways in which God's purposes were worked out through individuals of varying social standings, demonstrating His sovereignty and care for all people, regardless of their societal status.(n.) A woman who is a slave, or in bondage.3814. paidiske -- a young girl, maidservant
... of pais Definition a young girl, maidservant NASB Word Usage bondwoman (5),
servant-girl (4), servant-girls (1), slave-girl (2), slaves* (1), women (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3814.htm - 6k

1399. doule -- female slave, bondmaid.
... of doulos Definition female slave, bondmaid. female slave, bondwoman Feminine of
doulos; a female slave (involuntarily or voluntarily) -- handmaid(-en). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1399.htm - 6k

8198. shiphchah -- maid, maidservant
... 1), slave girl (1), slaves* (4), women (1). handmaiden, bondwoman,
woman-servant. Feminine from an unused root meaning to spread ...
/hebrew/8198.htm - 6k

519. amah -- a maid, handmaid
... handmaid, bondwoman, maidservant. Apparently a primitive word; a maid-servant or
female slave -- (hand-)bondmaid(-woman), maid(-servant). 518, 519. ...
/hebrew/519.htm - 6k

The Old Testament is Properly one Thing --The Old Instrument ...
... more evidently, although he did not say either old or new, he distinguished the
two testaments and the two sons of Abraham, the one of the bondwoman, the other ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 12 the old testament is.htm

Letter clxvii . To Rusticus, Bishop of Gallia Narbonensis, with ...
... And so a wife is different from a concubine, even as a bondwoman from a
freewoman. For which reason also the Apostle in order to ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/letter clxvii to rusticus.htm

Scriptural Uses of the General Words for Prayer
... And she vowed (naw-dar') a vow (neh'-der) and said: O Lord of hosts, if you will
indeed look on the humiliation of your bondwoman and remember me and forget ...
/.../origen/origen on prayer/chapter ii scriptural uses of.htm

The Two Covenants --In Christian Experience
... But the Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother. So then, brethren,
we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. ...
/.../murray/the two covenants/chapter v the two covenantsin.htm

Free Grace
... "Cast out," said the Scripture, "the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the
bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman." Now we, in the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/free grace.htm

Compassion for Souls
... Ishmael, the elder son of Abraham, by the bondwoman Hagar, resided at home with
his father till he was about eighteen years of age; but when he began to mock ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/compassion for souls.htm

Jesus and Abraham.
... Hagar, the bondwoman, was sent forth from the home of Abraham. ... Ye are not truly free,
but servants of sin, children of the bondwoman who was cast out. ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/jesus and abraham.htm

Of Spiritual Knowledge.
... of things past and visible, as it is repeated in this way by the Apostle: "For it
is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondwoman, the other by a ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter viii of spiritual knowledge.htm

Choosing the Tens
... "Nay; I know," Rachel murmured, arranging her dress. The garb of the average bondwoman
was of startling simplicity. ... Beauty is a curse to a bondwoman. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter i choosing the tens.htm

Letter Xciii. (AD 408. )
... flock with his rod. 6. Did not Sarah, when she had the power, choose rather
to afflict the insolent bondwoman? And truly she did ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter xciii a d 408.htm

Bondwoman (17 Occurrences)
...Bondwoman (17 Occurrences). ... (See NAS). Galatians 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. (KJV NAS) ...
/b/bondwoman.htm - 11k

Bondwoman's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Bondwoman's (1 Occurrence). Exodus 21:27 And if
he smite out his man-servant's tooth, or his maid-servant's ...
/b/bondwoman's.htm - 6k

Freewoman (4 Occurrences)
... of promise, of freedom, of the spirit, the children of the freewoman, in contrast
with the Jews who are the children of the letter, of bondage, of the bondwoman...
/f/freewoman.htm - 8k

Woman's (20 Occurrences)
... Genesis 21:10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham: 'Cast out this bondwoman and her
son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with ...
/w/woman's.htm - 12k

Bondwomen (10 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Plural of Bondwoman. Multi-Version Concordance
Bondwomen (10 Occurrences). Acts 2:18 yea, even upon ...
/b/bondwomen.htm - 9k

Nevertheless (153 Occurrences)
... scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman
shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (KJV WBS). ...
/n/nevertheless.htm - 37k

Hagar (15 Occurrences)
... So next morning the bondwoman and her son were sent forth with the bare provision
of bread and a skin of water into the wilderness of Beersheba. ...
/h/hagar.htm - 22k

Share (138 Occurrences)
... Genesis 21:10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham: 'Cast out this bondwoman and her
son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with ...
/s/share.htm - 37k

Lad (66 Occurrences)
... Genesis 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because
of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto ...
/l/lad.htm - 27k

Gender (2 Occurrences)
... gennoa, "to beget") to bondage," the Revised Version (British and American) "bearing
children unto bondage" (like Hagar, Abraham's bondwoman), and in 2 Timothy ...
/g/gender.htm - 8k

What is a bondservant / bond-servant? | GotQuestions.org

Bondwoman: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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