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“Slave/maidservant of the Lord” - this is how Mary calls herself in response to the Angel Gabriel’s announcement that she will give birth to the “Son of the Most High”. This article explores the varied interpretations of this self-description in Luke 1:38.48 and reflects theologically on the hermeneutical problems of religious slavery metaphors in the Bible. Gender plays a crucial role here, as giving birth to a child by their lord was part of their destiny for many enslaved women in Antiquity and colonial history. Against this background, Mary’s traditionally positively valued title “slave of the Lord” takes on ambivalent connotations and requires theological and hermeneutical reflection.