Hagar (Genesis 16:1–4; Genesis 16:5–6; Genesis 16:7–14; Genesis 16:15–16; Genesis 21:8–13; Genesis 21:14; Genesis 21:15–21; Genesis 25:12; Galatians 4:21–31)

The Egyptian Handmaid, Mother of Ishmael

The Egyptian handmaid of Sarai, given to Abram to be his wife, who fled from her mistress, was found by the angel of the LORD at a fountain in the wilderness, bore Ishmael, and was later sent away with her son, when the angel of God called to her out of heaven and God opened her eyes to a well.

Genesis introduces her in one verse: “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar” (Genesis 16:1). Sarai “took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife” (Genesis 16:3). When Hagar conceived, “her mistress was despised in her eyes” (Genesis 16:4); Sarai dealt hardly with her, and “she fled from her face” (Genesis 16:6). The angel of the LORD found her by a fountain in the wilderness, told her to return and submit, promised to multiply her seed, and named her unborn son Ishmael. She called the name of the LORD who spoke to her “Thou art a God that seeth” (Genesis 16:13), and “Hagar bare Abram a son” (Genesis 16:15).

At the feast when Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw the son of Hagar mocking and said, “Cast out this handmaid and her son” (Genesis 21:10). God told Abraham to hearken to Sarah, and added, “also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed” (Genesis 21:13). Abraham gave Hagar bread and a bottle of water and sent her away; when the water was spent she sat down a bowshot from the child and wept. “God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven” (Genesis 21:17), and God opened her eyes to a well of water.

Ishmael dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, “and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt” (Genesis 21:21). Genesis later opens the generations of Ishmael as the son “whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham” (Genesis 25:12). In Galatians Paul writes of Abraham’s two sons, one by the handmaid and one by the freewoman, and says of them, “Which things contain an allegory” (Galatians 4:24), naming Hagar in that allegory.

Strengths

• Naming the God who saw her

Weaknesses

• Despising her mistress

Themes

• Handmaid and mistress
• Flight into the wilderness
• A God that seeth
• Ishmael’s promise
• Sent away
• Paul’s allegory

Given to Abram as his wife (Genesis 16:1–4)

Sarai, who has borne no children, gives her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to Abram; Hagar conceives, and her mistress is despised in her eyes.

Sarai’s complaint and Hagar’s flight (Genesis 16:5–6)

Sarai lays her wrong upon Abram, Abram puts Hagar into Sarai’s hand, and Sarai deals hardly with her so that she flees.

The angel at the fountain (Genesis 16:7–14)

The angel of the LORD finds Hagar by a fountain on the way to Shur, tells her to return and submit, promises her seed, and she names God as one who seeth.

The angel at the fountain

“And the angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur” (Genesis 16:7). He asked, “Hagar, Sarai’s handmaid, whence camest thou? and whither goest thou?” (Genesis 16:8) and she answered, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai” (Genesis 16:8).

“Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands” (Genesis 16:9). The angel added, “I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude” (Genesis 16:10), and “thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath heard thy affliction” (Genesis 16:11).

“And she called the name of Jehovah that spake unto her, Thou art a God that seeth: for she said, Have I even here looked after him that seeth me?” (Genesis 16:13). “Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered” (Genesis 16:14). The text does not narrate her return; it next says “Hagar bare Abram a son” (Genesis 16:15).

Ishmael is born (Genesis 16:15–16)

Hagar bears Abram a son, and Abram calls his name Ishmael, being fourscore and six years old.

Sarah asks that the handmaid and her son be cast out (Genesis 21:8–13)

At the feast when Isaac is weaned, Sarah sees the son of Hagar mocking and asks Abraham to cast them out; God tells Abraham to hearken to her and promises to make a nation of the son of the handmaid.

Sarah asks that the handmaid and her son be cast out

“And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking” (Genesis 21:8-9). She said, “Cast out this handmaid and her son: for the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac” (Genesis 21:10). “And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son” (Genesis 21:11).

“And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed” (Genesis 21:12-13).

Sent away with bread and water (Genesis 21:14)

Abraham rises early, gives Hagar bread and a bottle of water and the child, and sends her away; she wanders in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

The water spent, and the well (Genesis 21:15–21)

When the water is spent Hagar sits a bowshot from the child and weeps; the angel of God calls to her out of heaven, and God opens her eyes to a well of water.

The water spent, and the well

“And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not look upon the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept” (Genesis 21:15-16).

“And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 21:17-18).

“And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink” (Genesis 21:19). “And God was with the lad, and he grew” (Genesis 21:20); he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, “and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt” (Genesis 21:21). No words of Hagar are recorded after this.

Paul’s allegory of the two women (Galatians 4:21–31)

Paul writes that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid and one by the freewoman, and says these things contain an allegory in which Hagar is named.

Paul’s allegory of the two women

“For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman. Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise” (Galatians 4:22-23).

“Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar. Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children” (Galatians 4:24-25).

He cites Scripture, “Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman” (Galatians 4:30), and concludes, “Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman” (Galatians 4:31).

Abraham (Genesis 16:3; Genesis 16:15–16; Genesis 21:14)

Sarai gave Hagar to Abram to be his wife, she bore him Ishmael, and Abraham sent her away with bread and a bottle of water.

Sarah (Genesis 16:3–6; Genesis 21:9–10)

Her mistress, who gave her to Abram, dealt hardly with her, and asked that the handmaid and her son be cast out.

Ishmael (Genesis 16:11; Genesis 21:14–21)

Her son, named by the angel before his birth; she was with him in the wilderness, and she took him a wife out of Egypt.

The LORD (Genesis 16:7–13; Genesis 21:17–19)

The angel of the LORD found her at the fountain and the angel of God called to her out of heaven; God opened her eyes to the well.

Major sections

• Genesis 16
• Genesis 21:8–21
• Genesis 25:12
• Galatians 4:21–31

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