HAGAR, by nation an Egyptian, and servant to Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Sarah seeing herself old and barren, and knowing that God had promised a numerous posterity to Abraham, believed, that in order to contribute to the accomplishment of these promises, she ought to give her servant to Abraham for a wife, that by her he might have children, who should be heirs to the divine In the year of the World 2093, before J. C. 1907, before the Vulgar Æra 1911. a Gen. xvi. 1, 2, 3, & seq.promises. Abraham therefore took Hagar to wife at the sollicitation of Sarah a.
But Hagar finding herself to be with child, began to despise her mistress Sarah. Whereupon Sarah told Abraham, that he treated her unjustly, that she had given him her servant to wife, who, since she had conceived, used her with contempt. And let the Lord judge between me and thee, said she. Abraham answered her, Behold thy servant, she is in thy hands, do with her as thou pleasest.
Sarah therefore having used her ill, Hagar fled; and the Angel of the Lord finding her in the wilderness, near a fountain or well, in the way to Shur, commanded her to return to her mistress, and humble herself under her hands. He added, I will multiply thy race, and make it so numerous, that it shall be scarce possible to compute its number. Thou hast conceived a son, whom thou shalt call Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard thee in thy affliction. He shall be fierce and wild; his hand shall be lifted up against every man, and every man’s hand shall be lifted up against him: he shall set up his tents over against all his brothers. Hagar discovering, that it was an Angel who spoke to her, said, Is it possible then for me to live, after having seen the Lord? She called this well therefore, the well of him that liveth and seeth me. She returned afterwards to Abraham’s house, and submitted herself to Sarah; and some time after was delivered of a son, whom she named Ishmael. Abraham was then fourscore and six years old, in the year of the World 2094, before Jesus Christ 1906, before the Vulgar Æra 1910.
Fourteen years after, the Lord visited Sarah, and she brought forth Isaac b. Abraham was then an hundred years old. The child being weaned, young Ishmael, who was then seventeen years of age, was jesting with In the year of the World 2108, before J. C. 1892, before the Vulgar Æra 1896.1, 2, 3, &c.Isaac in too familiar a manner, Galat. iv. 29. As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit.and in a way which looked like raillery, or insult, or even like bad usage; so that Sarah desired Abraham to expel Hagar and her son out of his family, because they ought not, she said, to be heirs with Isaac. Abraham was afflicted at this discourse; and could scarce resolve with himself to put them out of his house: but the Lord appeared to him, and injoined him to do as Sarah said; for, added he, in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And as to the son of the bond-woman, I will make him the father of a great people, because he is sprung from thee. Abraham therefore rising in the morning, took bread and a bottle of water, and put it upon Hagar’s shoulder, gave her her son, and sent her away. Hagar intending to return into Egypt, which was her native country, lost her way, and went about wandering in the wilderness of Beersheba. The water which she carried with her, began to fail, she left her son therefore under one of the trees there, and going to the distance of a bow -shot from him, sat down, saying, I will not see him die: and she lifted up her voice and wept.
Now God heard Ishmael’s voice, and the Angel of the Lord calling Hagar, comforted her, and told her, that God had heard her son’s voice, and commanded her to rise, and conduct him to a well which he discovered to her, in order to refresh him. She took Ishmael therefore, gave him some water to drink, filled his bottle, and retired to the wilderness of Paran, where the child grew and dwelt. He became very expert at drawing the bow, and his mother married him to an Egyptian woman. Ishmael was the father of twelve sons, who were the Heads of twelve Gen. xxv. 12.Tribes in Arabia, where they settled, and possessed the country which reaches from Havilah, near the place where the Tigris and Euphrates meet, as far as Shur, a city bordering upon Egypt.
We do not know when Hagar died. The Rabbins1 are of opinion, that she was Pharaoh’s daughter; but St. Chrysostom2 asserts, that she was one of those slaves, which Pharaoh gave to Abraham. Gen. xii. 16. Jarchi. Eliezer.The Chaldee Paraphrasts, and many of the Jews, believe Hagar and Keturah to have been the same person, whose marriage with Abraham is related Gen. xxv. But this last opinion is not credible. The characters whereby Keturah is described in Scripture, are very different from those which are ascribed to Hagar. Philo thinks that Hagar embraced Abraham’s Religion, which is very Philo de Abraham.probable.
The Mussulmen, who are descended from Ishmael the son of Hagar, speak mightily in commendation of this woman, and relate her history very differently from Moses. They call her in the way of eminency, D’Herbelot Bibl. Orient. p. 421. Hagiar.Mother Hagar, and maintain, that she was not barely Abraham’s concubine, but his lawful wife; that she was the mother of Ishmael, the eldest son of this Patriarch, who as such possessed Arabia, which very much exceeds, both in extent and riches, the land of Canaan, which was given to his youngest son Isaac.
They tell us farther, that Hagar was born in Egypt, in the city or neighbourhood of Farma, which was, as they say, the Capital of Egypt, and the Royal Seat of Pharaoh. This city was afterwards so totally destroyed, that not the least footsteps of it remained; the place only of its situation was shewn upon an eminence in the way from Cairo to Syria, as travellers passed over the sands of Costir. The Fatimites, that is to say, the descendants of Hali and Fatima, Mahomet’s daughter, rebuilt it, but it was demolished by Baldwin King of Jerusalem.
They pretend that Hagar died at Mecca, and was buried in the outward inclosure of the Temple there, which they call the Square House. You may see, if you please, what we have said in the Article Isaac.
Gal. iv. 24.Hagar, according to St. Paul, is the figure of the Synagogue, which produces only slaves. She is forced from the house of her husband, and master, with her son under her care; they both wander about in the wilderness, overwhelmed with weariness, grief, and thirst: all which denotes the infidel and incredulous Jews, who persecuted Jesus Christ, and were banished from their country, their temple, and their father’s house. They wander like vagabonds amidst the nations, and are scattered among Christians, odious to all the world, a burthen to themselves and others, with a vail before their eyes, which hinders them from seeing the light which surrounds them, and discovering the well of living water, which might satisfy their thirst. But God at last will be touched with their calamities, and open their eyes; Hagar will be eased of Ishmael: the Lord will open their eyes3 to see the light, and that they may come to the fountain of life, to Baptism, whereby they may be saved.
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