Article written by Sr. Marie-Anne Misenga Dituanya, SCJM, published in the UISG Bulletin 189/2026

Introduction: Context and Aim

The women of the Bible are presented as courageous, unconventional, prophetic, and active in their struggle for justice and life. Despite unfavorable historical contexts, these women, even though they were not considered equal to men, were often leaders, using their intelligence and sensitivity to bring about change. Their commitment to the rights of the weakest continues to inspire consecrated women today.

This article offers a theological and hermeneutical reinterpretation of the biblical figure of Miriam as narrated in Exodus 15:1–21, as an archetype of female leadership. It highlights her symbolic and spiritual impact on women engaged in religious life today, particularly in the African context, where consecrated women often assume prophetic and community roles in environments marked by precariousness and inequality.

I. Miriam, Spiritual and Pastoral Leadership

God’s care for his people is a theme that runs throughout the book of Exodus. The story of this woman is often overlooked in favor of that of her brother, Moses. But who was this courageous woman, and how can she still inspire us today?

a. Her Early Childhood

The name “Miriam” – gr. Maria(m) “Seer or Lady?” – has two meanings, both of which express her character traits. The first, derived from the Hebrew root mar, is “bitterness.” Indeed, Miriam was born at a time when the oppression of slavery was at its peak: “And they [the Egyptians] made their lives bitter [vayemarrerou, from the root mar] with hard labor” (Exod. 1:4). Born of an enslaved people, witness to the massacres ordered by Pharaoh against newborn males, she carried the bitterness and collective pain of Israel from her earliest years. Her early years were marked by the heartbreaking reality of servitude, which was not sterile: it nourished in her a boundless hope for a better future. The other meaning of her name is “rebellion” (from the root meri). Despite the turmoil of her childhood, Miriam rebelled from an early age against the slave mentality that undermined her people. Although she shared the pain of her brothers and sisters, she did not give in to fear or despair. Although she was exposed to the most abject cruelty, she never gave in to despondency. Her method was to be a living example.