Hagar

the one God saw

Who was Hagar?

Sarah’s Egyptian slave. Sarah gave her to Abraham so that she could have children through her. Genesis 16:1-3
She fled to the desert, and the angel of the Lord spoke to her. She told God that he had seen her in her affliction. Genesis 16:6-7, 13
She was the mother of Ishmael. When they were sent away into the desert, God heard the boy and showed them a well. Genesis 16:15; Genesis 21:14-19

From: From Egypt Genesis 16:1
Occupation: Sarah’s slave Genesis 16:1

What the Bible says

Genesis 16:1-3

¹Now Sarai the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children; but having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar, ²She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request, ³She took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife.

Genesis 16:6-7, 13

⁶And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away. ⁷And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert, ¹³And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou the God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily here have I seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me.

Genesis 16:15; Genesis 21:14-19

And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Hagar

Before Jesus. Hagar was an Egyptian slave who belonged to Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Genesis 16:1
Before Jesus. Sarah had no children. So she gave Hagar to Abraham as a wife, to have children through her. Genesis 16:1-3
With Jesus. Hagar became pregnant and began to look down on Sarah. Sarah mistreated her, and Hagar ran away. Genesis 16:4-6
With Jesus. By a spring in the desert, the angel of the Lord asked her to go back. He told her she would have a son, Ishmael. Genesis 16:7-11
With Jesus. Hagar told God that he had seen her in her affliction. Then she gave birth to Ishmael. Genesis 16:13, 15
Afterward. When Isaac grew up, Sarah asked Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. This hurt Abraham very much. Genesis 21:8-11
Afterward. God told Abraham to listen to Sarah. Abraham gave Hagar bread and a skin of water, and sent her away. Genesis 21:12-14
Afterward. In the desert the water ran out. God heard the boy’s voice and showed Hagar a well. Genesis 21:15-19

Words of Hagar

“I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress.” Genesis 16:8

When the angel of the Lord asked her where she came from and where she was going.

“Thou the God who hast seen me.” Genesis 16:13

After the Lord spoke to her by the spring in the desert.

“I will not see the boy die.” Genesis 21:16

In the desert, when the water ran out and she sat down far from her son.

What they were like

When Sarah mistreated her, she did not stay: she ran away into the desert. Genesis 16:6
She answered the angel plainly about where she came from: she was running away from Sarah, her mistress. Genesis 16:8
To the Lord who had spoken to her, she said that he had seen her in her affliction. Genesis 16:13

The greatest thing they did

The angel of the Lord promised her descendants so many that they could not be counted. Genesis 16:10
In the desert, God promised her that he would make Ishmael a great nation. Genesis 21:18
God was with her son as he grew up. Genesis 21:20

Not to be confused with

Sarah: Sarah was Abraham’s wife and the mother of Isaac. Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian slave and the mother of Ishmael. Genesis 16:1, 15; Genesis 21:2-3

In the Church today

In art, recognized by: In the desert, with a skin or a jar of water, and an angel calling to her From Gn 21, 14-19; this is how Christian art often shows her

What people ask

Why did Hagar have a child with Abraham?

Sarah had no children, so she gave Hagar to Abraham to have children through her. A NAB note says the laws of that time allowed this. Genesis 16:1-3; NAB note on Gn 16, 1-6

What name did Hagar give to God?

In Hebrew she called him El-roi, “the God who sees me”. A NAB note explains that she was amazed to have seen God and still be alive. Genesis 16:13; NAB note on Gn 16, 13

Why were Hagar and Ishmael sent away?

Sarah saw Ishmael playing with Isaac and did not want Ishmael to share Isaac’s inheritance. God told Abraham to listen to her, and said that he would also make Ishmael a great nation. Genesis 21:9-13

What does Saint Paul say about Hagar?

In the Letter to the Galatians he uses Hagar and Sarah as a picture of two covenants. A NAB note explains that this is Paul’s argument, not a judgment on Hagar. Galatians 4:22-26; NAB note on Gal 4, 21-31

What she went through When she became pregnant, she began to look down on Sarah. Genesis 16:4 Sarah mistreated her so badly that Hagar ran away. Genesis 16:6 She had…

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Who Hagar is connected to

Ishmael · mother and son
Abraham · parents of Ishmael
Sarah · her mistress · two covenants

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

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