Lexical Summary Hagar: Hagar Original Word: הָגָר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Hagar Of uncertain (perhaps foreign) derivation; Hagar, the mother of Ishmael -- Hagar. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition Sarah's Eg. maid, the mother of Ishmael NASB Translation Hagar (12). Brown-Driver-Briggs הָגָר proper name, feminine Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian maid, mother of Ishmael, Genesis 16:1,4,8 (all J), Genesis 16:3; Genesis 16:15; Genesis 16:15; Genesis 16:16; Genesis 25:12 (all P), Genesis 21:9,14,17 (twice in verse) (all E). Topical Lexicon Identity and Background Hagar is introduced as “an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar” (Genesis 16:1). She serves Sarai, the barren wife of Abram, during the patriarch’s decade-long sojourn in Canaan. Scripture never records her parentage, tribe, or earlier life in Egypt, underscoring her status as a foreigner brought under Abram’s household authority. Narrative Overview in Genesis 16 and 21 • Genesis 16: Sarai, impatient for the promised heir, gives Hagar to Abram “to be his wife” (Genesis 16:3). Conception quickly follows, and Hagar’s sense of elevation leads to tension: “When Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress” (Genesis 16:4). Sarai retaliates with harsh treatment, and Hagar flees toward Shur. Theophany at the Well Hagar is the first person in Scripture to receive a direct annunciation of descendants from the Angel of the LORD, a privilege normally reserved for patriarchs. Her naming of God, El-Roi, reveals His omniscient compassion for the oppressed. The location, Beer-lahai-roi, later becomes a dwelling place for Isaac (Genesis 24:62), binding the accounts of the two sons geographically even while their lines diverge spiritually. Interpersonal and Covenant Implications Abraham’s union with Hagar surfaces the recurring tension between reliance on divine promise and resort to human strategy. Ishmael’s birth prefigures the conflict between “flesh” and “promise,” a theme Paul expounds in Galatians 4:22-31. Hagar represents the earthly Jerusalem “in slavery with her children,” whereas Sarah prefigures the freewoman whose offspring are born through promise. Yet Scripture records no condemnation of Hagar herself; responsibility rests on Abram and Sarai, whose impatience complicated family dynamics and produced centuries-long national rivalry. Prophetic and Typological Significance 1. Ishmael’s destiny: “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him” (Genesis 16:12). Subsequent Arab tribes trace their identity to this prophecy. Legacy in Redemptive History • Genealogical marker: “These are the generations of Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham” (Genesis 25:12). The line of the flesh is meticulously preserved yet clearly distinguished from the messianic seed of Isaac. Ministry Applications 1. God sees and hears: El-Roi and the well at Beer-lahai-roi encourage believers to trust divine providence when oppressed or invisible. Principal References Genesis 16:1-16; Genesis 21:9-21; Genesis 25:12; Galatians 4:22-31. Forms and Transliterations הָ֠גָר הָגָ֑ר הָגָ֖ר הָגָ֛ר הָגָ֞ר הָגָ֤ר הָגָ֥ר הָגָ֧ר הָגָֽר׃ הָגָר֙ הגר הגר׃ hā·ḡār haGar hāḡār HagorLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 16:1 HEB: מִצְרִ֖ית וּשְׁמָ֥הּ הָגָֽר׃ NAS: maid whose name was Hagar. KJV: an Egyptian, whose name [was] Hagar. INT: had an Egyptian name was Hagar Genesis 16:3 Genesis 16:4 Genesis 16:8 Genesis 16:15 Genesis 16:15 Genesis 16:16 Genesis 21:9 Genesis 21:14 Genesis 21:17 Genesis 21:17 Genesis 25:12 12 Occurrences |
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