The 8 Most Important Women of the Bible

Hagar

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Hagar

Hagar means ‘stranger’. She was from Egypt, never fully accepted into the tribe. The first theme of Hagar’s story is that nothing is impossible with God. God had promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations, so when Sarah became post-menopausal she looked for ways to make this happen. She did not trust in God enough to leave the matter in His hands. Sarah was unable to bear children, and so, following a common practice of the time. Sarah offered her servant to Abraham. When Hagar became pregnant, Sarah grew jealous and threw her out of their home. An angel found her alone in the desert. He promised a blessing on her child, naming him Ishmael, which means “God hears”. In response, Hagar declared: “You are the One who sees me.” Hagar returned to Abraham’s household, 14 years later, Sarah bore her own son and again, forced Hagar and Ishmael to leave. They returned to the desert. God again heard their cries. They survived and prospered. Ishmael sired a great nation as God had promised. Hagar represents women in the Bible who are excluded or despised. This might happen because they are childless in a society that valued mothers, as Sarah was at first or a slave in a hierarchical society, as Hagar was at first.