According to the Book of Genesis, Hagar[a] is an Egyptian slave, a handmaiden of Sarah (then known as Sarai), [2] whom Sarah gave to her own husband Abram (later renamed Abraham) as a wife to bear him a child. Abraham's firstborn son through Hagar, Ishmael, became the progenitor of the Ishmaelites, generally taken to be the Arabs.
Hagar was an Egyptian girl who was a slave to Abram’s (Abraham’s) wife, Sarah. We find most of the information about Hagar in Genesis 16. After God had appeared to Abram and promised him a homeland and a heritage (Genesis 12:1–4), ten years went by, and he and Sarah still had no baby (Genesis 16:1).
Within Abraham and Sarah’s story, we discover the faith and perseverance of Hagar, a woman who was pulled in and then cast out into the wilderness by impatient, jealous, and imperfect people.
Hagar: The Woman Who Named God | Genesis 16, 21 | Women of the Bible
Hagar is the matriarch of the Arab people—my people. She bore a son with Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people—also my people. As the child of a Palestinian father and Jewish mother, I’m acutely aware of the conflict between these two people groups, and uniquely interested in its origin.
One of the most interesting women in the Bible is Hagar, Abraham's second wife, and the mother of Ishmael. How much do you know about her?
Hagar in the Bible - Learn 10 Facts About Abraham's Second Wife
Who was Hagar in the Bible? Hagar is best known as the maidservant of Abram’s wife Sarai, who bore Abram’s first son, Ishmael. She features prominently in Genesis 16 and 21, and her story touches on themes of faith, promise, identity, and God’s compassion.