Hagar

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: Uncertain; possibly related to “sojourn/flight” (traditional association), reflecting her experiences in Genesis.
• Period/Era: Patriarchal Period
• Main References: Genesis 16; Genesis 21:8–21
• Key Connections: Sarai/Sarah (mistress); Abram/Abraham; Ishmael (son); angel of the LORD (divine messenger)

Who was Hagar?

Hagar was an Egyptian servant woman in Sarai’s household during the patriarchal period.
She bore Abram a son, Ishmael, after Sarai gave her to Abram as a wife/concubine.
Her story centers on conflict in Abraham’s family and divine care shown to her in the wilderness.
She later lived in the Wilderness of Paran with Ishmael.

Key Events & Achievements

• Event 1: Conceived Ishmael through Abram after Sarai’s arrangement, leading to tension within the household (Genesis 16:1–6).
• Event 2: Encountered the angel of the LORD at a spring in the wilderness, received promises concerning Ishmael, and named God “El Roi” (Genesis 16:7–14).
• Event 3: Was sent away with Ishmael; God provided water and reaffirmed Ishmael’s future, and she obtained an Egyptian wife for him (Genesis 21:14–21).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Hagar’s account records God’s attention to vulnerable outsiders within the patriarchal family narratives and preserves Ishmael’s origins in Israel’s genealogical memory.

Key Verse

"You are the God who sees me," — Genesis 16:13, NIV