Hagar

Hagar is the servant driven into hardship whose story reveals that God sees the afflicted and remains active even in painful family conflict.

Female

Old Testament

Patriarchs

Beginner

Why Study This Person?

Hagar enters the narrative in Genesis as an Egyptian servant of Sarah who becomes the mother of Abraham’s son Ishmael (Genesis 16; 21). After being mistreated and later sent away, she encountered God in the wilderness, where she was seen and provided for in her distress. Her story highlights both hardship and divine care. It provides a study in suffering, God’s awareness of the overlooked, and the experience of being sustained in difficult circumstances.

Trace the Life of

Hagar

in Scripture

First Appearance

Genesis 16:1

Key Passage

Genesis 16:7-13

After fleeing harsh treatment, Hagar encounters the angel of the Lord in the wilderness. God promises that her son Ishmael will become a great nation and assures her that He sees her suffering.

Christ Connection

Hagar’s story highlights the tension between human effort and God’s promise, themes later contrasted with the fulfillment of God’s promise through Christ.

Final Appearance

Genesis 21:21

Genesis 16:3-4; Genesis 21:9-21; Galatians 4:22-31

Hagar bears Ishmael to Abraham but later leaves Abraham's household with her son. God again provides for them in the wilderness. Paul later uses Hagar symbolically when explaining the difference between slavery under the law and freedom through God's promise.

Other Places in Scripture That Mention

Hagar

How to Study

This Person

As you read the passages connected to this person, look for patterns in how they respond to God and how their life fits into the larger story of Scripture.