Bible Figure
Hagar
biblical character, Egyptian handmaid of Sarah, wife of Abraham
Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian servant who bore Abraham's son Ishmael and twice experienced God's preserving care in the wilderness.
Biography
Because Sarah remained childless, she gave Hagar to Abraham as a wife or concubine so that a child might be obtained through her. After Hagar conceived, conflict arose between the women and Hagar fled. The angel of the Lord found her by a spring, instructed her to return, and promised numerous descendants through the son she was to name Ishmael. Years later, after Isaac's birth, Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away. Their water exhausted in the wilderness of Beersheba, Hagar expected her son to die, but God heard the boy, reassured her, opened her eyes to a well, and promised to make Ishmael a great nation.
Biblical Significance
Hagar is the first person in Scripture explicitly described as encountering the angel of the Lord in such a personal wilderness episode. Her story emphasizes God's attention to the afflicted and His providential care for Ishmael even while the covenant line proceeds through Isaac.