The patriarch Abram's concubine who gave birth to his first-born son Ishmael.
About Hagar
A female servant from Egypt who worked for Sarai (later called Sarah), the wife of Abram (later called Abraham). Abram took Hagar as his concubine (a second wife with lower status) because Sarai insisted he do so. Hagar became the mother of Ishmael, Abram's first son (Genesis 16:1–16; 21:9–21).
When God commanded Abram to leave Mesopotamia, God promised to make Abram the father of a great nation and to give his children a new land (Genesis 12:2, 7). After ten years in Canaan, Sarai and Abram were still childless. Sarai suggested to Abram that he take Hagar as his concubine and have children by her. It was the custom in northeast Mesopotamia that if a wife could not bear a child, she could give her husband a slave for that purpose. Any son the concubine gave birth to was considered the child of the wife (compare 30:1–6).
Family Relationships
Key References
Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.
Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
All Scripture References (12)
Genesis (10)
Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.
And he slept with Hagar, and she conceived. But when Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.
“Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied.
And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.
But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,
Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies.
This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
Galatians (2)
These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar.
Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.