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Introduction to Hagar’s Role in the Household of Abram and Sarai

In Genesis 16:1-4, a significant account unfolds involving Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, Sarai’s Egyptian maidservant. The text states:

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children, but she had a female Egyptian slave whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, ‘Behold now, Jehovah has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.’ And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.”

This passage provides insight into ancient customs, family dynamics, and the unfolding of God’s covenantal promises. The account is rich with cultural, theological, and moral implications.

The Status of Maidservants in Ancient Near Eastern Culture

Hagar is described as an Egyptian maidservant, a position that combined servitude with proximity to her mistress’s household authority. In the patriarchal society of Abram’s time, slave women or maidservants were considered property but also had distinct roles within the family. As legal extensions of their mistresses, they could be employed in various capacities, including domestic work, personal assistance, and, as in Hagar’s case, surrogacy.

Hagar’s Egyptian origin suggests that she may have been acquired during Abram and Sarai’s sojourn in Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20). It was common in the ancient Near East for individuals to gain servants as part of their wealth or spoils of travel. The text does not explicitly state how Hagar entered Sarai’s household, but her presence reflects the interconnectedness of different cultures during this period.

The Use of Surrogacy in Ancient Times

Sarai’s decision to give Hagar to Abram as a wife aligns with the customs of the time. In a world where a woman’s ability to bear children was highly valued, infertility was considered a significant misfortune. In Genesis 15:2-3, Abram had already expressed concern about his childlessness, and Sarai’s barrenness added to the urgency of securing an heir. Sarai’s suggestion, “It may be that I shall obtain children by her,” reflects the practice of surrogacy through slave women.

Legal documents from the ancient Near East, such as the Nuzi tablets, shed light on this practice. They reveal that childless couples often resorted to using a maidservant to bear children on behalf of the wife. The child born from this union would legally belong to the wife, preserving the family line. However, such arrangements often led to tension and conflict, as seen in Sarai and Hagar’s relationship.

Hagar’s Role in the Covenant Context

Hagar’s conception of a child introduces a critical moment in the Genesis narrative. Abram and Sarai’s decision to involve Hagar demonstrates their struggle with trusting Jehovah’s promise of offspring (Genesis 15:4-5). While Jehovah had assured Abram that his descendants would be numerous and come from his own body, the couple’s reliance on human customs to achieve this promise highlights their impatience and lack of faith.

The fact that Hagar conceived immediately underscores her fertility, in contrast to Sarai’s barrenness. This physical reality exacerbated the already complex relationship between mistress and maidservant. When Hagar “looked with contempt on her mistress,” it revealed the social and emotional tension that arose from this arrangement. Hagar’s newfound status as the mother of Abram’s child gave her a sense of superiority, disrupting the hierarchical structure within the household.

Theological Implications of Sarai’s Actions

Sarai’s decision to offer Hagar to Abram reflects a human attempt to fulfill divine promises through natural means. This reliance on human effort contrasts sharply with Jehovah’s plan, which required faith and patience. The account underscores a recurring theme in Scripture: the tension between human initiative and divine sovereignty.

The conflict between Sarai and Hagar also foreshadows the broader tension between their descendants. Hagar’s son, Ishmael, would become the ancestor of a great nation (Genesis 16:10), but the covenantal promise would ultimately pass through Isaac, the son born to Sarai by divine intervention (Genesis 17:19). This distinction emphasizes Jehovah’s role in directing the fulfillment of His promises.

Abram’s Role in the Decision

Abram’s passive role in this account contrasts with his active faith in other parts of the Genesis narrative. The text notes that “Abram listened to the voice of Sarai,” echoing the language of Genesis 3:17, where Adam listened to Eve. This parallel highlights the consequences of failing to consult Jehovah and relying instead on human reasoning. Abram’s agreement to Sarai’s plan, while culturally acceptable, reveals a lapse in his trust in Jehovah’s timing.

Jehovah’s Care for Hagar

Despite the tension and eventual conflict, Jehovah’s care for Hagar is evident in the broader narrative. When Hagar fled from Sarai’s harsh treatment (Genesis 16:6), Jehovah appeared to her by a spring in the wilderness. This marks the first instance in Scripture where Jehovah directly addresses a woman. His promise to Hagar, that her offspring would become a great nation, demonstrates His compassion and faithfulness even to those outside the immediate covenant line. Hagar’s response, naming Jehovah “the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13), reflects her recognition of His personal care.

Lessons from the Account of Hagar and Sarai

The account of Hagar and Sarai provides profound lessons about faith, human relationships, and divine sovereignty. Sarai’s actions, though understandable within her cultural context, reveal the dangers of trying to fulfill divine promises through human means. Hagar’s experience illustrates the consequences of such decisions, as well as Jehovah’s care for the marginalized and mistreated.

Abram’s role as the patriarch highlights the importance of trusting in Jehovah’s timing and seeking His guidance in all decisions. The eventual fulfillment of the covenant through Isaac, despite the complications introduced by Ishmael’s birth, demonstrates that Jehovah’s purposes cannot be thwarted by human actions.

Conclusion

Hagar’s role as Sarai’s maidservant and surrogate mother underscores the cultural and familial complexities of the ancient Near East. Her experience illustrates both the challenges of human attempts to fulfill divine promises and the enduring faithfulness of Jehovah. The account invites readers to reflect on the necessity of faith, patience, and reliance on Jehovah’s sovereignty in the face of life’s uncertainties.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).