HAGAR in the BIBLE: Sarah's slave, Abraham's concubine Hagar means ‘stranger’. She was from Egypt, never fully accepted into the tribe. Sarah may be a short version of Ummu-sarra, ‘the great mother is queen’. Abraham means ‘ancestor of many people’. Ishmael means ‘God hears’. Hagar was lost twice, but God heard her cry for help. Note: At the beginning of the story of Hagar, Sarah and Abraham are called Sarai and Abram; later in the story, God makes a promise to them, a covenant, and changes their names to Sarah and Abraham. To minimize confusion, ‘Sarah’ and ‘Abraham’ are used throughout. Main themes of the story Nothing is impossible to God. God had promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations, so when Sarah became post-menopausal she looked for ways to make this happen. She did not trust in God enough to leave the matter in His hands. The foundation of the Arab nations. According to the Koran, Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael were ancestors of the Arab nations, and of the prophet Mohammed.

The Koran says it was at Mecca that God saved Hagar and her son from death by thirst. Muslim ritual reflects this: every year for thirteen centuries Muslims performing the Hajj have retraced Hagar’s steps as she desperately searched for water. Hagar represents women in the Bible who are excluded or despised. This might happen because they are childless in a society that valued mothers (as Sarah was at first) or a slave in a hierarchical society (as Hagar was at first). Mother and beloved child The story has two episodes: 1 The conception and birth of Hagar’s son Ishmael ( Genesis 16:1-16 ). Hagar was an Egyptian slave girl in the tribe of Abraham. She belonged to Sarah, the alpha female of the tribe. When Sarah could not conceive she gave Hagar to her husband as a surrogate. Hagar became pregnant, and God promised that her child would be the ancestor of a great nation. She bore a son, Ishmael. 2 The expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael ( Genesis 21:1-21 ).

Hagar was never fully accepted into the tribe despite being the mother of Abraham’s child, and in the end she was rejected completely and expelled into the desert. But God protected her twice from Sarah’s hatred by sending an angel, and eventually Hagar lived as a free woman, not a slave. See MAPS OF BIBLE LANDS for the location of this story Hagar — victim? or upwardly mobile? Read Genesis 16:1-16 The story of Hagar took place during the late Bronze Age between 2000 and 1550BC, corresponding to the Middle Kingdom period in Egyptian history. Hagar was an Egyptian girl who was a slave in the household of Sarah, a Hebrew princess. Sarah may have acquired Hagar as part of the generous bride-price paid to her husband Abraham by Pharaoh in Egypt (this story is in Genesis 12:10-20 ). Ancient wall painting of beautiful Egyptian women It was an accepted practice at the time to give servants and slaves as part of the dowry of a wealthy young woman. If Hagar was a gift from Pharaoh, she was probably an accomplished servant with valuable skills.

Becoming the servant of a nomadic tribeswoman may have been a step down socially for her. You might take a look at Egyptian love poems in Women in the Bible: the story of Potiphar’s Wife: it will give you some idea of the comparative sophistication of the Egyptians. Hagar was always disadvantaged among the Hebrew women because she was a foreigner and a slave. This was ironic, since she came from a land that was socially and politically advanced and possessed cities, temples and elaborate burial sites. Egypt had a complex economic system that regulated trade and commerce throughout its empire, and its theology and religion were sophisticated and well ordered. Hagar must have found the living conditions of the Hebrews quite primitive by comparison. It seems that Hagar’s new owner Sarah could not conceive a child, which was after all the primary function of a tribal leader’s wife. In her own eyes and in the estimation of the tribe she was a failure, and her barren state was a constant torment. She decided to offer her slave Hagar to Abraham as a surrogate. Hagar would bear the child and look after it, but it would belong to Sarah and be accepted as the child of Sarah and Abraham.

To modern people, the idea of giving another woman to your husband to bear a child seems strange and brutal, but in ancient Near Eastern family law the practice was common and acceptable. Mural from Beni Hasan, Egypt, showing a nomadic tribe from Syria-Canaan This may give some idea of the appearance of Sarah and Abraham’s tribe Was Hagar consulted in the matter? There is no information on this. Ancient people assumed she would leap at the opportunity. For a woman in Hagar’s position, the prospect of becoming pregnant to the leader of the clan was an honor, and would result in a dramatic rise in her social status. No longer a slave, she would become an important concubine or secondary wife, definitely a step up in the world. Eventually, she might be the mother of the tribe’s leader, which would make her Queen Bee of the tribe. ‘Sarah, Abraham’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.’ Read Genesis 16:1-6 .

Something went wrong between Hagar and Sarah after Hagar became pregnant. Sarah was daily confronted by the other woman’s success at conceiving a child, and believed that Hagar no longer gave her the deference she deserved. For her part, Hagar may have enjoyed being treated with respect for the first time in her life, and did not bother to hide her pleasure. ‘How did people end up as slaves? If they fell into debt and could not pay, they might sell themselves as a slave, though usually for a limited period. Even then, they would be released on payment of the debt. Children could be sold by their parents in payment for a debt.’ Slavery in the Bible The women fell out, and Sarah berated Abraham for what had happened. It was all his fault, she said. Abraham pointed out, quite rightly, that it was not in his power to do anything, since Sarah was still in charge of the women of the tribe, and Hagar was under her jurisdiction, not his. This gives us some inkling of the property rights and social power of the woman who led the tribe. She, not her husband, ruled the other tribal women and was responsible for them.

In response to Abraham’s words, Sarah ‘humbled’ Hagar – the narrator ironically uses the same word that described the treatment of Hebrew slaves in Egypt at the time of Moses. Sarah humbled an Egyptian, as the Egyptians would one day humble Sarah’s descendants. What this ‘humbling’ entailed we do not know, but it was severe enough to drive Hagar away, fleeing from the relative safety of the tribe out into the bleak landscape. Pregnant, she headed south in a desperate attempt to get back to her lost home and family in Egypt. The Angel speaks to Hagar ‘The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said ‘Hagar, slave-girl of Sarah, where have you come from and where are you going?’ She said ‘I am running away from my mistress Sarah’.’ Read Genesis 16:7-16 She followed the road to Shur, which was one of the trade routes passing through the Sinai peninsula. Alone and unaided, it was a heroic effort and a tribute to her tenacity that she got as far as she did.

The country is fearsome: eroded hills like bare bones in the arid landscape, the earth tormented by constant wind. Despite this, Hagar very nearly made it to Egypt. But eventually, exhausted, she stopped at a spring of water in the wilderness of Shur. At this moment, an ‘angel’ spoke to her, telling her to return to Sarah and have her baby among the Hebrews. It would be a special child, a child with a great future. So she retraced her steps and returned to the tribe, and to Sarah. ‘The angel of the Lord’ was a device used by the biblical writers to show that a human being had received a message from God. What the word ‘angel’ meant exactly is an open question. In modern terms we would probably say that a deep conviction of purpose settled on the person involved, guiding them towards a particular course of action. Angels are traditionally portrayed as winged (they carry a message) and genderless (they are spirits without bodies). Hagar was able to return to Sarah, because she now had a purpose in life: to bear a child who had an important destiny to rear that child who would have descendants without number.

Sarah’s son Isaac would be born some fourteen years later. But until then, Hagar’s son Ishmael was Abraham’s son and heir, and Hagar’s status in the clan or group was solidly established. Hagar and Ishmael expelled Read Genesis 21:1-21 Women in multi-wife households, like Sarah and Hagar, spent a good deal of their time planning ways to advance their son’s interests. Despite Hagar’s return, the rivalry between the two women was unresolved. Later, the birth of Sarah’s son Isaac (Genesis 21:1-7) upset the balance of power, and the problem resurfaced. This situation was not uncommon in societies that practised polygamy. The Old Testament recognized the positions of ‘loved wife’ and ‘disliked wife’, and there were specific laws about the inheritance due to the children of both (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). You might read 1 Samuel 1:1-7 for the story of the relationship between Hannah, the beloved but childless wife, and Peninnah, the less loved but fertile wife, both married to Elkanah.

Their story echoed the situation that existed between Hagar and Sarah. Abraham expels Hagar and her son Ishmael For fourteen years Ishmael was seen as the future heir of Abraham. He and Hagar were accustomed to being treated with respect. But when Sarah had her own son, everything changed. The question was, who would be Abraham’s heir: the first-born son, or the son of the principal wife? This was a question that would surface continually to plague Israel throughout its history. Sarah had no doubt about the matter. She saw Ishmael as a threat to her son, and the old enmity between the two women reappeared – now even more savage than it had been before. One telling detail is the way that Sarah never speaks directly to Hagar or says her name – never once in the whole story. ‘The child grew and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had born to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac’.

Read Genesis 21:8-14 ‘The rich fabric of Sarah’s gown and the voluptuous red of Hagar’s says it all. Sarah has power and wealth. Hagar has youth, sexual allure and an unborn child. Sarah drives her out like a stray dog that has overstayed its welcome.’ See Bible Art: Hagar We do not know the details of the bitter power struggle between the two women, but we do know that Hagar lost. Neither of the women had ever trusted or liked each other, but now Sarah had a murderous hatred for Hagar, and actively sought her death. In a climactic scene, Sarah insisted that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away from the tribe. Abraham was uneasy about expelling Hagar and Ishmael into the heat of the open desert, since they had virtually no chance of survival. He argued against it. But Sarah’s power over him was still so strong that she could make him do it. He gave Hagar a gift of bread, the food staple, and a skin of water, a symbol of life – not so much for eating and drinking, but as a signal to the tribe that she remained under his protection, despite her expulsion from the tribe.

It was a warning to Sarah’s servants that they might not kill Hagar when she was out of sight of Abraham. Alone in the desert, Hagar and Ishmael soon used up their tiny supply of water. Hagar searched desperately for more but found none, and saw her son begin to die of thirst. There was nothing she could do to save him except place him in the shade of an overhanging bush and wait. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat a good way off for she said ‘Do not let me look on the death of the child’. Ishmael - First Son of Abraham, Father of Arab Nations By Jack Zavada Updated November 18, 2015. Ishmael was a child of favor, then, like many of us, his life took an unexpected turn. When Sarah , the wife of Abraham , found herself barren, she encouraged her husband to sleep with her maid servant, Hagar, to produce an heir. This was a pagan custom of the tribes around them, but it was not God's way. Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born of that union.

Ishmael means "God hears," because God heard Hagar's prayers. But 13 years later, Sarah did give birth, through a miracle of God, to Isaac . Suddenly, through no fault of his own, Ishmael was no longer the heir. During the time Sarah had been barren, Hagar flaunted her child. When Isaac was weaned, Ishmael mocked his half-brother. Angered, Sarah told Abraham to cast the two out. God, however, did not abandon Hagar and her child. They were stranded in the desert of Beersheba, dying from thirst. An angel of the Lord came to Hagar, showed her a well, and they were saved. Hagar later found an Egyptian wife for Ishmael and he fathered 12 sons, just as Isaac's son Jacob would. Two generations later, God used the descendants of Ishmael to save the Jewish nation. Isaac's grandsons sold their brother Joseph into slavery to Ishmaelite traders. They took Joseph to Egypt and sold him again. Joseph eventually rose to become second in command of the entire country and saved his father and brothers during a great famine.

Ishmael's Accomplishments: Ishmael grew to become a skilled hunter and archer. He fathered the nomadic Arab nations. Ishmael lived to 137 years old. Ishmael's Strengths: Ishmael did his part to help fulfill God's promise to prosper him. He realized the importance of family and had 12 sons. Their warrior tribes eventually inhabited most of the countries in the Middle East. Life Lessons: Our circumstances in life can change quickly, and sometimes for the worse. That is when we should draw near to God and seek his wisdom and strength . We may be tempted to become bitter when bad things happen, but that never helps. Only by following direction from God can we get through those valley experiences. Hometown: Mamre, near Hebron, in Canaan. Referenced in the Bible: Genesis 16, 17, 21, 25; 1 Chronicles 1; Romans 9:7-9; Galatians 4:21-31.

Occupation: ABRAHAM & HAGAR in the BIBLE: Paintings of the slave girl and the forefather of Judaism ‘The Expulsion of Hagar’, Adrien van der Werfft This painting makes an interesting suggestion: that the quarrel was between the adults, not the children. Little Isaac offers his own cloak to his brother Ishmael as the older boy and his mother are ejected into the wilderness. Ishmael turns back not to his father Abraham but to his little brother. Alone and pregnant, she survived Hagar was a lovely young slave belonging to Sarah, the powerful wife of Abraham. Sarah had never had a child, so she decided to give Hagar to her husband, to be a surrogate who would have his child. Legally, the child would belong to Sarah and be Abraham’s heir, and Hagar could do all the hard work of bearing and looking after the baby. Everything went to plan, and Hagar became pregnant. But the girl did not know her place, was not as subservient to Sarah as she should have been. Airs and graces, thought Sarah. The former queen-bee of the tribe felt threatened, probably quite frightened of the power this former slave now had.

It was not just that she resented the ‘nouvelle’. This girl might be carrying the future head of the tribe, and if so she would replace Sarah as chief woman in the tribe. Sarah realized she had lost control of the situation. We don’t know exactly what Sarah did to Hagar – the Bible just says she ‘mistreated’ her, but the heavily pregnant girl fled out into the wilderness, apparently trying to return to her family in Egypt. On the way, beside a spring of water, she had some sort of mystical experience. An angel appeared to her, blessed her, and told her to return to Abraham. The angel promised that a great people would arise out of the tiny baby she carried in her womb. So Hagar returned to Abraham’s house, and had a son whom she named Ishmael. For a while there was an uneasy truce between the two women. The boy grew up, and Abraham circumcised Ishmael when he was thirteen. The next year, to the astonishment of everyone, Abraham’s aged wife Sarah became pregnant with his second son, Isaac. As soon as she held the longed-for baby in her arms the rivalry between the two women flared up again, and quickly became intense.

After a public brawl between the two women, Sarah demanded that Hagar and her young son be expelled from the tribe and cast out into the desert – a virtual death sentence. Abraham provided Hagar and her child – his own son – with bread and a bottle of water and sent them to their fate. They soon ran out of water and began to die. Hagar could not bear to watch her son dying of thirst, so she put him under the only shade she could find and crawled away to die. But again an angel appeared to help her, showing her a spring of water. She and the boy were saved, and lived on in the wilderness of Paran, where Ishmael became an expert in archery. Hagar never returned to the tribe. When the time came she arranged that her boy marry an Egyptian woman, not a Hebrew. He had many sons, who in turn founded many tribes that settled in all the area from Assyria to the northern border of Egypt. Hagar is seen as the foremother of the Arab nations. The Bible text The Birth of Ishmael (the Slave Girl’s story): Genesis 16 1 Now Sar’ai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children.

She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; 2 and Sar’ai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sar’ai. 3 So, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, Sar’ai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sar’ai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my maid to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sar’ai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sar’ai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

7 The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, maid of Sar’ai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sar’ai.” 9 The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will so greatly multiply your descendants that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ish’mael; because the LORD has given heed to your affliction.

12 He shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” 13 So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “Thou art a God of seeing”; for she said, “Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing him?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-la’hai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. 15 And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ish’mael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ish’mael to Abram. The Birth of Isaac: Genesis 21:1-7 1 The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; every one who hears will laugh over me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would suckle children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away: Genesis 8-20 8 And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” 11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the lad and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your descendants be named.

13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went, and sat down over against him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Let me not look upon the death of the child.” And as she sat over against him, the child lifted up his voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. 20 And God was with the lad, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. Hagar - All the Women of the Bible - Bible Gateway Scripture References— Genesis 16; 21:9-17; 25:12; Galatians 4:24, 25 Name Meaning—Hagar, an Egyptian name, closely resembles the root of the Arabic, flight, familiar to us as the history of Mohammed, descendant of Hagar. It may be taken as an adaptation of her original name to the principal circumstances of her life, and understood to mean, fugitive or immigrant, which Hagar became. Family Connections—While the Bible gives us no record of Hagar’s genealogy, legend has supplied her pedigree, as being the daughter of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, the same who coveted the possession of Sarah in vain.

This legendary source affirms that the Egyptian princess became so attached to Sarah that she told her royal father that she would accompany her when she returned to Abraham. “What!” cried the king, “thou wilt be no more than a handmaid to her!” “Better to be a handmaid in the tents of Abraham than a princess in this palace,” the daughter replied. Hagar would not stay behind and join again in the idolatrous rites of her home, so when Abraham and Sarah moved on, she went with them. Sarah was an active missionary of the faith of Jehovah among women, as Abraham was among men, and so Hagar became a convert to the worship of the true God. While this is a pleasing tradition, the likelihood is that Hagar was an Egyptian girl-slave whom Sarah secured for her household while she and Abraham were in Egypt. Hagar bore Abraham his first son, Ishmael, and thus became the foundress of the Ishmaelites and Arab peoples from whom came Mohammed, the founder of Islam. If Hagar was a slave girl then her mistress was legally entitled to do as she pleased with her.

Knowing that it was humanly impossible for her to have children by Abraham, she gave her handmaid to him, that she might have children by her—a custom consistent with moral standards prevailing at that time. Abraham reminded Sarah that her word was law to her own slave and that he had no choice in the matter. Under Sumero-Babylonian law there is this clause in Hammurabi’s Code— If she has given a maid to her husband and she has borne children and afterwards that maid has made herself equal with her mistress, because she has borne children her mistress shall not sell her for money, she shall reduce her to bondage and count her among the female slaves. But Sarah ran ahead of God in giving a Gentile idolater from a pagan country to Abraham to bear the promised seed. Poor Hagar—she became the helpless victim of Sarah’s scheming! The whole affair was a sin before God—a sin all three were guilty of. Sarah distrusted God when she resorted to such a wicked expedient. As a child of faith, did she not know that God was able to raise up children out of stones unto Abraham?

As for this “friend of God,” in spite of current custom, he should have stoutly refused Sarah’s scheme and obeyed the law of God, and believed the divine promise made to him. The attempt to secure the Child of Promise by Hagar was the result of a lack of faith in God’s omnipotence. Then, Hagar, although the least free and the least responsible, should not have yielded to such an unholy alliance merely to gratify any ambition she may have had. What sorrow, anguish and loneliness Hagar reaped for her compliance in such a plan to forestall God’s promise of an heir for Abraham ( Genesis 15:4, 5 ). Although the chapter recording the unworthy method of trying to fulfill a divine purpose is only a short one, yet like the shortest verse in the Bible, it is saturated with tears. Genesis 16 is made up of only sixteen verses and with such we have these three features— The Folly of Sarah We have already seen that Sarah’s folly had its root in unbelief. She was impatient, and wanted the promised child without delay. Her unbelief became contagious for “Abraham hearkened unto her voice.” The pious phrases she uttered were worthless.

“The Lord judge” ( 16:5 ). She should have appealed for judgment to the Lord before she took the wrong step. She was a godly woman ( Hebrews 11:11 ), but fell into the meshes of unbelief. With distrust there came dishonor. She confessed “my wrong,” but Hagar was the real sufferer, and Sarah’s sin bore bitter fruit, for when she gave Hagar to Abraham, she originated a rivalry which has run in the keenest animosity through the ages, and which oceans of blood have not quenched. The Flight of Hagar Strife quickly followed the human arrangement which Sarah had made. Having conceived by Abraham, Hagar chides the childless Sarah, and the jealousy begotten between these two women was transplanted to their maternal hearts and penetrated even their children. Ishmael came to tease and vex Isaac, and discord arose between Abraham and Sarah. The ill treatment accorded to Hagar by Sarah was not only cruel, but also irrational. Had Sarah not instigated the wrongdoing that was the cause of her jealousy? Therefore it was unreasonable for her to lay the blame upon another. As things were, mistress and maid could scarcely dwell together, so Hagar fled.

Better a flight than a fight! Being compelled to flee was a thing forbidden to a bondwoman. Far from home in “the way to Shur,” the appearance of a calm and gracious angelic messenger from God must have been a relief to the poor, pregnant fugitive. As Hagar traveled further from her jealous mistress the Lord was at her heels, and said to her in her distress, “Return to thy mistress.” Hagar had left her position as handmaid without notice and without permission, so she must return. Sarah had wronged her, but she was not permitted to retaliate by doing wrong herself. Two wrongs do not make a right. It was no easy matter for Hagar to return and submit herself to Sarah, but it was the only right course, and a divine revelation helped her to pursue it. At that renowned well Hagar met God, and in awe cried, “Thou God seest me.” He had given her counsel, and although not pleasing to flesh and blood, Hagar took it and went back to Sarah. Had she persisted in remaining in the desert she might have died in it.

God gave her a promise that although the wrongdoing of her master and mistress had led her into a false position, yet His favor would rest upon her and she would have a son who would be the progenitor of a great multitude. The soothing promise of God was a balm for the wounded spirit of the poor and lowly handmaid. Though Ishmael, the name God gave Hagar for her coming son, might not be the Child of Promise as Isaac would be, yet he would be the child of a promise made to her. Is it to be wondered at that she called the well where God spoke to her and revealed the future of her son “Beth-lahairoi,” meaning, “The well of Him that liveth and seeth me”? It was there that the veil fell from Hagar’s eyes, and she received the assurance that she was the object of God’s special care. Dr.

Alexander Whyte extols Hagar for her submission to God in this glowing fashion— Hagar, by reason of the extremity of her sorrow; by reason of the utter desolateness and brokenness of her heart; and by reason of the sovereign grace and abounding mercy of God—Hagar, I say, stands out before us in the very foremost rank of faith, and trust, and experience, and assurance. Hagar, to me, stands out among God’s very electest saints. Hagar has only one or two who can stand beside her in her discovery of God, in her nearness to God, in her face-to-face fellowship with God, in the instructiveness, in the comfort, and in the hopefulness of her so close communion with God.... The best and the most blessed of them all was not more or better blessed than was Hagar the polluted outcast on her weeping way to Shur. The pure in heart shall see God. The Forecast Concerning Ishmael In the strength of the revelation of God received in the desert, Hagar returned to her mistress and bore Abraham his child.

Abraham was 86 years of age ( Genesis 16:16 ) and then, when he reached his 100th year ( Genesis 21:5 ), Sarah bore him Isaac. This means that for over 14 years Hagar and her son lived in the patriarch’s home with all the tension and feeling there must have been as Sarah daily looked upon the son of her husband by another woman. After Isaac was born Hagar and Ishmael began to manifest their jealousy, and when Ishmael began to maltreat Isaac, Sarah could stand it no longer, and compelled Abraham to cast out the bondwoman and her child. As Bible names often set forth some feature of the character or history of those who bore them, so Ishmael meaning “God shall hear,” was fully understood by Hagar when in the wilderness ( Genesis 21:9-21 ) God heard the moaning of her broken heart. How painters and poets have seized upon this pathetic incident of the poor woman and her boy in the wilderness, thirst-ridden and ready to die!

One of the finest masterpieces adorning the Dresden Gallery is the painting called Hagar in the Wilderness—and cold is the heart that can gaze upon it without deep emotion. The boy is pictured on his back, dying with thirst, while his poor but beautiful mother in an agonizing prayer, “lifted up her voice and wept,” saying, “Let me not see the death of the child.” Could anything be more poignant? True, Hagar had “despised Sarah” and “mocked Isaac,” but surely she had not deserved such cruel treatment as this—death from hunger and thirst in a barren land! But how Hagar’s extremity became God’s opportunity. When the last drop of water had gone, and Hagar tenderly places her almost dead boy under the shrubs, God heard the dying cry of the lad, and also the wail of Hagar’s broken heart, for out of heaven came His voice, “What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water, and both she and her boy were saved from death. Abraham had given Hagar a bottle, but it was soon empty.

God gave her a well, and the lad drank and God was with him, and he grew and became an archer in the wilderness. The last glimpse we have of Hagar is of her securing a wife for her son, out of the land of Egypt, her own land ( Genesis 21:21 )—the land of idols and worldliness. Untaught by the piety and instruction of Abraham, and by God’s mercy to herself, Hagar failed Him in the choice of such a wife for the boy whom He had blessed. The practical lessons to be learned from the history of Hagar have been fittingly summarized by Dr. James Crichton in his article on Hagar in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia— The life and experience of Hagar teach, among other truths, the temptations incident to a new position; the foolishness of hasty action in times of trial and difficulty; the care exercised over the lonely by the all-seeing God; the Divine purpose in the life of everyone, however obscure and friendless; how God works out His gracious purposes by seemingly harsh methods; and the strength, comfort and encouragement that ever accompany the hardest experiences of His children.

It only remains to be said that Paul uses the story of Hagar as an allegory to distinguish law from grace ( Galatians 4:21-31 ). Hagar the bondwoman is contrasted with Sarah the freewoman, and Ishmael “born after the flesh” with Isaac “born through promise”; thence freedom and grace appear as the characteristic qualities of Christianity. Hagar represents the Old Covenant and Sarah the New Covenant which is superior to the Old with its ordinances. Under grace all within the household of faith live by faith, and Sarah represents “the Jerusalem that is above”—“our mother” (rv), which is the free spiritual city to which all children of the promise even now belong ( Philippians 3:21 ). © 1988 Zondervan. All Rights Reserved Bible Gateway Genesis 21:9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, Matthew Henry Commentary 21:9-13 Let us not overlook the manner in which this family matter instructs us not to rest in outward privileges, or in our own doings. And let us seek the blessings of the new covenant by faith in its Divine Surety.

Ishmael's conduct was persecution, being done in profane contempt of the covenant and promise, and with malice against Isaac. God takes notice of what children say and do in their play; and will reckon with them, if they say or do amiss, though their parents do not. Mocking is a great sin, and very provoking to God. And the children of promise must expect to be mocked. Abraham was grieved that Ishmael should misbehave, and Sarah demand so severe a punishment. But God showed him that Isaac must be the father of the promised Seed; therefore, send Ishmael away, lest he corrupt the manners, or try to take the rights of Isaac. The covenant seed of Abraham must be a people by themselves, not mingled with those who were out of covenant: Sarah little thought of this; but God turned aright what she said. scripture scripture View all books of the Bible CHAPTER 16 has kept me from bearing children. Have intercourse with my maid; perhaps I will have sons through her.” Abram obeyed Sarai.

* b 3Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant. As soon as Hagar knew she was pregnant, her mistress lost stature in her eyes. * c 5 d So Sarai said to Abram: “This outrage against me is your fault. I myself gave my maid to your embrace; but ever since she knew she was pregnant, I have lost stature in her eyes. May the L ORD “You are now pregnant and shall bear a son; you shall name him Ishmael, * For the L 12He shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; Alongside * all his kindred 15Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael. i 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

* [ 16:1 – 16 ] In the previous chapter Abraham was given a timetable of possession of the land, but nothing was said about when the child was to be born. In this chapter, Sarah takes matters into her own hands, for she has been childless ten years since the promise (cf. 12:4 with 16:16 ). The story is about the two women, Sarah the infertile mistress and Hagar the fertile slave; Abraham has only a single sentence. In the course of the story, God intervenes directly on the side of Hagar, for she is otherwise without resources. * [ 16:2 ] The custom of an infertile wife providing her husband with a concubine to produce children is widely attested in ancient Near Eastern law; e.g., an Old Assyrian marriage contract states that the wife must provide her husband with a concubine if she does not bear children within two years. * [ 16:4 ] Because barrenness was at that time normally blamed on the woman and regarded as a disgrace, it is not surprising that Hagar looks down on Sarah.

Ancient Near Eastern legal practice addresses such cases of insolent slaves and allows disciplining of them. Prv 30:23 uses as an example of intolerable behavior “a maidservant when she ousts her mistress.” * [ 16:7 ] The LORD’s angel: a manifestation of God in human form; in v. 13 the messenger is identified with God. See note on Ex 3:2 . * [ 16:11 ] Ishmael: in Hebrew the name means “God has heard.” It is the same Hebrew verb that is translated “heeded” in the next clause. In other ancient Near Eastern texts, the name commemorated the divine answer to the parents’ prayer to have a child, but here it is broadened to mean that God has “heard” Hagar’s plight. In vv. 13 – 14 , the verb “to see” is similarly broadened to describe God’s special care for those in need. * [ 16:12 ] Alongside: lit., “against the face of”; the same phrase is used of the lands of Ishmael’s descendants in 25:18 .

It can be translated “in opposition to” ( Dt 21:16 ; Jb 1:11 ; 6:28 ; 21:31 ), but here more likely means that Ishmael’s settlement was near but not in the promised land. * [ 16:13 ] God who sees me: Hebrew el-ro’i is multivalent, meaning either “God of seeing,” i.e., extends his protection to me, or “God sees,” which can imply seeing human suffering ( 29:32 ; Ex 2:25 ; Is 57:18 ; 58:3 ). It is probable that Hagar means to express both of these aspects. Remained alive: for the ancient notion that a person died on seeing God, see Gn 32:31 ; Ex 20:19 ; Dt 4:33 ; Jgs 13:22 .

* [ 16:14 ] Beer-lahai-roi: possible translations of the name of the well include: “spring of the living one who sees me”; “the well of the living sight”; or “the one who sees me lives.” See note on v. 13 . Hagar - Jewish History Jewish History Isaac, Our Father One of the most interesting women in the Bible is Hagar, Abraham's second wife, and the mother of Ishmael. The Arab and Bedouin tribes claim to be descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar. According to the Midrash, Hagar was the daughter of King Pharaoh of Egypt. When she saw the miracle which G‑d performed for the sake of Sarah, to save her from the hands of the Egyptian king during Abraham's visit there, she said: "It is better to be a slave in Sarah's house than a princess in my own." Her name "Hagar," according to the Midrash, stems from this beginning of her association with Abraham's house. It comes from "Ha-Agar," meaning this is the reward.

Hagar became Sarah's Maid, but when Sarah was not blessed with children, she persuaded Abraham to take Hagar as his second wife. Sarah hoped that she could bring up Hagar's children and merit G‑d's blessing that way, so that she, too, perhaps might be blessed with a child. Abraham took Sarah's advice and married Hagar. When Sarah's hopes began to be fulfilled, it brought her unexpected suffering. For, as soon as Hagar realized she was to have a child, she began to look down upon her mistress who apparently could not have one. Sarah reminded Hagar that she, Sarah, was the mistress, and Hagar was but her maid, and she made Hagar work harder than ever. Hagar then ran away into the wilderness. There, an angel of G‑d appeared to her and ordered her to return to Sarah and treat her with the respect due to a mistress. He told her that for this she 'would merit giving birth to a son whose voice G‑d would hear (Yishma-El), who would be strong fierce, a man of the wilds and respected among her people.

Our Sages give Hagar much credit for not being frightened at having seen the divine angel, while even Manoah, as the T'nach tells us, feared that he would die because he had seen an angel of G‑d. This, say our Sages, shows how pious Hagar was, and how she had become adjusted to the saintly life of Abraham's house, where angels came and went as constant guests. Later on, after Hagar's return and Ishmael's birth, things went well for all concerned. Sarah, too, was blessed with a son, Isaac. Ishmael was then already thirteen years old and he seemed to have inherited a wild nature through his mother's ancestors, for he was a bad influence on Isaac. According to one view of our Sages, Hagar was a true believer in the G‑d of Abraham. The Torah tells us that Ishmael mocked Isaac and often tried to frighten him. Again Sarah insisted that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away if Isaac were to be prevented from following Ishmael's evil ways. Abraham was very reluctant to send Hagar away, and especially his son.

But G‑d told him to do as Sarah wished and Ishmael would yet become the father of a great nation. Hagar and Ishmael lost their way in the wilderness near Beer-Sheba and ran out of water. A terrible death from thirst threatened them, but they were saved by a Divine miracle. Hagar had put her son in the shade of a bush and moved away some distance, not bearing to watch him suffer, when an angel appeared again to her, assuring her that G‑d had seen her son's suffering and would save him. He would live, and become the father of a mighty nation. As the angel spoke, Hagar immediately noticed a well nearby. Our Sages say that Hagar showed then her faith in G‑d was not genuine. For when her son suffered she doubted G‑d's promise. Many of our ancient Sages speak favorably of Hagar who never remarried. She lived together with her son who had built his home on the edge of the wilderness and became a famous hunter. The Sages say that he possessed Adam's coat which he had taken from King Nimrod. (This coat gave the wearer power over animals).

Despite living with Ishmael so far from Abraham's influence, Hagar remained faithful to him. Therefore, after Sarah's death, Isaac himself went to her and took her back to his father to be again his father's wife. The Torah now calls her "Keturah," meaning "tied" to Abraham, for she had kept her faithful bond to Abraham; and it also means an adornment," for her good deeds. As the Torah tells us, she bore more children to Abraham. None, however, was as important as Ishmael. The Midrash tells us that not only was Hagar reunited with Abraham, but her son, too, became a penitent and returned to the G‑d whom he had served in his father's house, and whom he had forsaken during his wild life as a hunter and ruler of nations. Abraham thus lived to see Ishmael become his true son. Later on in the Bible, we find Hagar indirectly mentioned once more as the mother of several tribes of Hagarites, neighbors of the tribes of Israel. They lived in Trans-Jordan ("Ever HaYarden") and were driven away by the Israelites.

Interesting are also the legends which the Mohammedans tell about Hagar and which, in general, agree with the reports of our own tradition. To them Hagar was the ancestor of their prophet Mohammed, and naturally they attribute all kinds of miracles to her, of which neither the Torah nor the Midrashim tell us. Hagar, as our Sages picture her, was a woman of humility and piety. Indeed, few others were privileged to have an angel of G‑d speak to them twice, and produce miracles for them. Genesis 25:12 This is the account of the family line of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. The Descendants of Ishmael 11It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.

12 Now these are the records of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham; 13and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam… Hagar - Amazing Bible Timeline with World History Amazing Bible Timeline with World History Easily See 6017 Years of Biblical and World History Together! Menu $0.00 0 items Hagar The name Hagar means, “stranger” in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament timeline , Hagar lived between 1930 B.C. and 1840 B.C. Hagar was the handmaid of Sarah , Abraham’s wife. Sarah felt she could no longer wait on God’s promise that she and Abraham would have a child as she was passed the age of child-bearing. Sarah gave her hand maiden over to Abraham so that they might have a child through Hager as the surrogate mother.

Hagar would bear the child and look after it, but it would actually belong to Sarah and be accepted as the child of Sarah and Abraham. [This article continues after a message from the authors] These Articles are Written by the Publishers of The Amazing Bible Timeline Quickly See 6000 Years of Bible and World History Together Unique Circular Format – see more in less space. Learn facts that you can’t learn just from reading the Bible Attractive design ideal for your home, office, church … Limited Time Offer! Find out more now! > Expulsion of Ishmael and His Mother Hagar by Abraham After Hagar had conceived she began to despise and taunt Sarah for her barrenness. Sarah complained to Abraham, who told her to do as she would with Hagar. Apparently she was cruel to Hagar. So much so, that at one point, according to Biblical readings, Hager fled her mistress, Sarah, with the intentions of walking herself back to her own people in Egypt . When Hagar stopped to rest at a spring in the desert on her way back to Shur.

The Angel of the LORD came to her and asked, “Hagar, where have you come from, and where are you going?” Hager responded honestly, “I’m running away from Sarah, my owner.” The Angel said, “Go back to your owner, Sarah, and continue to be her bond servant. The LORD will give you a son, who will be called Ishmael , because God has heard your cry for help. God will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all. However, your son will live far from his relatives; he will be like a wild man, fighting with everyone, and everyone will always be fighting with him.” Hager was obedient to the Angel of the LORD, and returned to Abraham’s camp and Sarah’s rule over her. She would be bearing a child who had an important destiny, and rearing that child who would have descendants without number. When Hagar gave birth to her son, he was named Ishmael. According to the Bible, Sarah’s son Isaac would be born some fourteen years later. However, until then, Hager’s son Ishmael was Abraham’s son and only heir, and Hagar must have had some status in the clan because of that fact.

Even after Isaac’s birth, the rivalry between the two women was unresolved. For fourteen years, Ishmael was seen as the future heir of Abraham. He and Hagar had become accustomed to being treated with some respect. However, when Isaac, the child of promise was born, everything changed. Now there arose a question, “Who would be Abraham’s heir: the first-born son, or the son of the principal wife?” Sarah was going to leave no doubt in the matter. She saw Ishmael as a threat to her son, and the old hostility between the two women reappeared, now with even more spitefulness than ever before. When Isaac was weaned, Abraham made a great feast to celebrate the occasion; however, Sarah noticed Ishmael mocking her son Isaac. So again she goes to Abraham to complain about Hagar. Sarah insisted that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away from the tribe. “Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.” Abraham was not pleased about sending Hagar and his own son Ishmael out into the heat of the open desert, since he believed they had virtually no chance of survival.

However, he conceded after God assured him that the child would grow and become a mighty nation. Early in the morning, he sent Hagar off with bread, and a skin of water. Walking alone in the desert, Hagar and Ishmael soon used up their small supply of water. Hagar saw her son begin to die of thirst, and could not bear to watch. She placed him in the shade of an overhanging bush and went a distance away to wait out his and her own death. In what she believed were the final moments of her life, she began to weep. However, the Bible tells us that God called out upon hearing Ishmael’s cries. Hager’s eyes were opened, and she saw something she had somehow missed before: a well of fresh water. She refilled the skin and took it to her son, gently enticing the parched lips to open. She and her son then continued their journey, and Bible timelines tell us that they lived in the wilderness of Paran, where Ishmael grew to manhood. When it came time for Ishmael to choose a wife, Hagar took good care to find him a wife from her own people.

God kept his promise for Ishmael grew up brave and strong, and became a great archer in the wilderness. Ishmael lived wild and free in the desert, while Isaac lived in the tents where he had been born. Isaac and Ishmael met again one day, and remembered that they were brothers. That was on the day they buried their good and faithful father, Abraham, laying him to rest in the quiet shadows of Mamre, where his beloved wife Sarah had already been at rest for many years. In the New Testament, Paul refers to the Hagar story symbolically to argue the freedom of Christians from the obligations of the law. Important World Leaders and Events During This Time The nations called Moab and Ammon are usually mentioned together because it was brothers by those same names who founded them. These children were born to Lot and his two daughters, after Sodom, Gomorrah , Admah, and Zeboiim were destroyed by God. The city of Damascus of Syria was founded in the second millennium BC. The Hyksos kingdom in Egypt was centered in the eastern Nile Delta and Middle Egypt .

The word Hyksosmeans “foreign rulers” or “shepherd kings” They were an Asiatic people who invaded the eastern Nile Delta around 1720 B.C. The First Intermediate Period of Egypt was a forceful time where the control of Egypt was divided between two conflicting ruling powers. One of those controlling powers ruled from Lower Egypt, and the other from Upper Egypt. This took place between 2200B.C. and 1530 B.C. Probable time of the building of the Great Pyramids in Egypt. Emigration of Indo-German tribes can be roughly be dated around 2200 B.C. Mongolian people began the practice of animal husbandry around 2000 B.C. The period from 4000 B.C. to 2000 B.C. is referred to as the Bronze Age. The settlement of Japan dates back to around 2200 B.C. Emperor Yu , the great colonizer in China, ruled the Tang-Shang Dynasty during 1919 B.C. Fu-hi, the Great Benefactor, founded the silk industry, in approximately 2000 B.C.

Main Bible Characters Abraham, the forefather of the Jewish people. Sarah, foremother of the Jewish people. Isaac, the promised and long-awaited son of Abraham and Sarah Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian bondservant. Ishmael , the first born son of Abraham, which he had through Hagar. References:

Question: In the Bible, who was the son of Abraham and Hagar?
Answer: Ishmael