Hagar in the Bible is an Egyptian servant of Sarah (then Sarai) who becomes the mother of Abraham’s first son, Ishmael, and a powerful symbol of being seen by God in suffering.

Who Is Hagar in the Bible?

Hagar first appears in Genesis 16 as the Egyptian maidservant of Sarai, Abraham’s wife. Because Sarai is unable to conceive, she gives Hagar to Abram as a secondary wife/concubine so he can have an heir through her, which was a known practice in the ancient Near East. Hagar becomes pregnant and bears Abram a son named Ishmael, making her the mother of Abraham’s firstborn.

Key Facts at a Glance

  • Hagar is an Egyptian slave/maidservant in Abraham’s household.
  • She is given to Abram by Sarai to bear a child on Sarai’s behalf.
  • She becomes the mother of Ishmael, Abraham’s first son.
  • She twice encounters a divine messenger in the wilderness and receives promises for her son.
  • She is the first person in Scripture to give God a name, calling Him “El Roi” (“the God who sees me”).
  • Ishmael is promised to become a “great nation,” traditionally connected with Arab peoples.

Her Story in Genesis

1. Hagar, Sarai, and Abram (Genesis 16)

Sarai, unable to have children, tells Abram to sleep with Hagar so she might “build a family” through her. Hagar conceives, and tension erupts: Hagar looks down on Sarai, and Sarai in turn treats Hagar harshly. Hagar flees into the wilderness, where “the angel of the Lord” finds her by a spring on the way to Shur.

There, the angel tells her to return and submit to Sarai but also gives a striking promise: she will have a son named Ishmael (“God hears”), and his descendants will be many. In response, Hagar names God “El Roi,” saying that He is the God who sees her in her distress.

2. Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away (Genesis 21)

Years later, after Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah, conflict rises again. Sarah sees Ishmael “mocking” or “taunting” and demands that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away so Isaac alone will inherit. Abraham is distressed but, after divine reassurance, gives Hagar bread and water and sends them into the wilderness of Beersheba.

When the water runs out, Hagar places Ishmael under a bush and weeps, unable to watch her son die. God hears the boy’s cries, sends an angel to comfort Hagar, opens her eyes to a well of water, and reiterates the promise that Ishmael will become a great nation. Hagar later finds Ishmael a wife from Egypt, and they settle in the Desert of Paran.

How Different Traditions View Hagar

In Jewish and Christian Interpretation

  • Many Jewish and Christian writers see Hagar as both a victim of injustice and an example of God’s care for the oppressed.
  • Some traditional Jewish commentaries portray her pride after conceiving, saying she looked down on Sarah.
  • Others emphasize that God listens to and sees her, even though she is a foreign, enslaved woman.

The apostle Paul later uses Hagar and Sarah symbolically in Galatians 4 to talk about two “covenants,” though that is a theological reinterpretation rather than a retelling of her life.

In Islamic Tradition

In Islam, Hagar (Hajar) is honored as the mother of Ishmael (Isma’il), considered an ancestor of the Arabs and connected to the origins of the holy city of Mecca, though those traditions develop outside the Genesis narrative. Her perseverance in the desert and God’s provision of water are central themes in Islamic remembrance of her story.

Why Hagar’s Story Still Resonates

Modern readers often see Hagar as a voice for people who are marginalized: she is a foreigner, enslaved, mistreated, a single mother, and yet directly encountered and comforted by God. Her naming of God as “El Roi” highlights a central theme: even those pushed to the edges of society are seen and heard by God.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.