Bible Character Explorer
Patriarchs • c. 2080-2000 BC (approximate)
Hagar
The God Who SeesSarah's Egyptian servant, cast into the wilderness twice, yet met there personally by the God who sees.
"And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?"
Genesis 16:13 (KJV)
Overview
Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian maidservant, given to Abraham as a wife so that Sarah might obtain children through her, according to the custom of the time. When Hagar conceived, tension arose between the two women, and Sarah dealt so harshly with her that Hagar fled into the wilderness. There the angel of the LORD found her by a spring and instructed her to return and submit to Sarah, promising that her son Ishmael would become a great multitude. Hagar responded by naming God 'El Roi,' the God who sees, marking the first time in Scripture anyone gives God a name. Years later, after Isaac was born and weaned, Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away permanently; Abraham, grieved, complied only after God assured him Ishmael would also be blessed. Wandering in the wilderness of Beersheba and nearly out of water, Hagar wept as her son neared death, until God opened her eyes to see a well of water, sparing them both.
Gospel Connection
Hagar's encounter with the God who sees affliction and responds with personal care anticipates the Gospel's declaration that God draws near to the afflicted and outcast, ultimately through Christ, who came seeking those outside the visible covenant community, just as he sought Hagar in the wilderness.
Discover More
See how this life points to Christ in the Gospel Connection section above.