The Image of Hagar in Samaritan Exegesis

The article deals with the Samaritan exegetes' reliance on Judeo-Arabic commentaries on the biblical accounts of Hagar, and with the image of Hagar as reflected in these commentaries. Samaritan exegetes relied mostly on the commentary of the Karaite Yeshua b. Yehuda (11th century), but whereas Sadaqa b. Munajja (13th century) used only those motifs in Yeshua's commentary that portray Hagar in a positive light, Meshleme b. Ab Sikwa (18th century) quoted Yeshua almost verbatim, including those parts that shed negative light on Hagar. My suggestion is that Sadaqa was influenced by the commentary of the Karaite Yefet b. Eli (10th century), who was sensitive to the inner feelings of female characters, and therefore Sadaqa preferred to portray Hagar in a positive light.