Hagar

The Mother of the Arab Nation

(Genesis chapters 16 and 21)

 

Now let’s turn our attention to a more detailed study of Hagar.  The first thing we read about her is that she was an Egyptian.  (Genesis 16:1)  Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.  She was really a slave who was given to Sarah as a handmaid or servant girl.       

 

(Genesis 16:3-4)  And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.  And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

 

According to the dictionary the word despise means to scorn; to disdain; to have the lowest opinion of; to abhor.  Those are all pretty strong feelings.