Hagar and Ishmael

Sarah gets tired of waiting for a child and gives her servant Hagar to Abraham — and it backfires immediately.

patriarchsOld Testament

What Happened

Hagar gets pregnant and starts looking down on Sarah, so Sarah treats her so harshly that Hagar runs away. An angel finds Hagar in the wilderness and tells her to go back, promising that her son Ishmael will become a great nation too. It's the first time in the Bible that God sends an angel to comfort someone in distress.

Read It

Genesis

The God Who Sees the Overlooked

When Sarai and Abram try to force God's promise on their own terms, everything falls apart. But in the wreckage, God meets the person no one else was looking out for — and she gives Him a name no one had used before.

Key People

AbrahamSarahHagarIshmael

Key Places

Canaan

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