Genesis 16

Abram Marries & Impregnates Hagar

Abram’s and his wife, Sarai, didn’t have any kids. Sarai had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar [which means “flight”], so Sarai told her husband,

“The Existing One has prevented us from having any kids, so why don’t you marry my maid? Maybe we’ll build our family through her.”

At that time, they had been living in Canaan for 10 years, and Abram listened to Sarai and married Hagar. He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant.

Conflict Between Sarai & Hagar

When she found out she was pregnant, she started looking down on Sarai, so Sarai told Abram,

“I hope you are equally as affected by all this unfairness as I am. I let my maid sleep with you, and now that she’s pregnant, she’s looking down on me. I want the Existing One to evaluate my perspective and yours and choose one of us to side with.”

Abram said,

“You’re still in charge of your maid. Treat her however you see fit.”

So Sarai Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she actually ran away.

God Sees Hagar & Promises Numerous Descendants

The Existing One’s messenger found Hagar in the wilderness next to the spring on the way to Shur [a place across the Egyptian border]. He asked her, 

“Hagar, why are you here? Where are you going?”

She answered,

“I’m running away from my boss, Sarai.”

The Existing One’s messenger said, 

“Go back to her, and submit yourself to her authority. I will cause your descendants to multiply so much that no one will be able to count them. You’re pregnant with a son. Name him Ishmael [which means “God will hear”], because the Existing One recognizes your affliction. Ishmael will be a wild donkey of a man. He will be hostile towards everyone, and everyone will be hostile towards him. He’ll end up living east of all his brothers.”

Then Hagar told the Existing One who spoke to her,

“You are a God who sees. You’ve seen me, and now I’ve seen you.”

The well in that location became known as Beer-lahai-roi [which means “well of the Living One who sees me”]. It’s located between Kadesh and Bered [south of Israel].

So when Abram was 86, Hagar gave birth to his son, and Abram named him Ishmael.