How does Agar’s pregnancy lead to conflict and her encounter in the wilderness?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

After Sarai gives Agar to Abram as a wife, Agar becomes pregnant and despises Sarai. Sarai afflicts her, and she runs away. The angel of the Lord finds Agar, tells her to return, and gives promises concerning her descendants and her son Ismael.

Chapter breakdown

Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne no children. She had an Egyptian maidservant named Agar. Sarai told Abram that the Lord had kept her from bearing children and asked him to have a child with her maidservant, hoping she might have children through Agar. Abram agreed. Ten years after they first lived in Chanaan, Sarai gave Agar to her husband as a wife.

Challoner’s note explains that having more than one wife was contrary to the original institution of marriage, citing Genesis 2:24. He says it was nevertheless allowed to the patriarchs by divine permission. He adds that this permission seems to have continued under the law of Moses, and that Christ restored marriage to its original institution, referring to Matthew 19. The word “seems” belongs to the note and preserves its stated uncertainty.

Abram had relations with Agar. When she realised she was pregnant, she despised her mistress. Sarai told Abram that he was treating her unjustly: she had given him her maidservant, and Agar now despised her. She called on the Lord to judge between them. Abram answered that Agar was in Sarai’s hands and that Sarai could treat her as she pleased. Sarai afflicted Agar, and Agar ran away.

The angel of the Lord found Agar by a spring in the wilderness, on the way to Sur. He addressed her as Agar, Sarai’s maidservant, and asked where she had come from and where she was going. She answered that she was fleeing from Sarai, her mistress. The angel told her to return to her mistress and humble herself under her authority.

The angel said that he would make Agar’s descendants too numerous to count. He told her that she was pregnant and would bear a son. She was to name him Ismael because the Lord had heard her affliction. He said that Ismael would be a wild man, with his hand against all men and their hands against him. He would pitch his tents opposite all his brothers.

Agar called the Lord who spoke to her “Thou the God who hast seen me.” She said that here she had seen “the hinder parts of him that seeth me”—the back of the one who sees her, in this edition’s wording. She named the well “the well of him that liveth and seeth me.” The account locates it between Cades and Barad.

Agar bore a son to Abram, and Abram named him Ismael. Abram was 86 years old when Agar bore Ismael to him.

The story inside

The chapter follows Agar from Sarai’s proposal to the birth of Ismael, but it does not explain every person’s private motives. Sarai says she hopes to have children through her maidservant, and Abram agrees. Once Agar is pregnant, she despises Sarai; Sarai complains to Abram, then afflicts Agar after his reply. Agar’s own answer to the angel confirms why she has run away: she is fleeing from her mistress. The encounter does not stop at the command to return. The angel also promises many descendants, announces a son, gives his name, and says that the Lord has heard Agar’s affliction. Agar then speaks of the God who has seen her and names the well accordingly. Hearing and seeing connect the angel’s explanation of the name with Agar’s response. The closing verses report the birth and Abram’s naming of Ismael. They do not narrate the journey back or the household’s reaction.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The conflict has a recorded chain of actions. Sarai proposes the arrangement, Abram agrees, Agar becomes pregnant and despises Sarai, Sarai complains, and Agar runs away after Sarai afflicts her. Keeping these words and actions explains the episode without inventing jealousy, impatience, or a legal custom.
2
Challoner’s commentary must be kept distinct from the narrative. His note on the second wife refers to the original institution of marriage, permission for the patriarchs, its apparent continuation under Moses, and Christ’s restoration. Retaining “seems” matters because it keeps the note’s own limit instead of turning a qualified statement into certainty.
3
The encounter gives Agar both a command and promises. The angel asks about her journey, tells her to return, promises descendants beyond counting, and names the son in connection with the Lord hearing her affliction. Agar’s response concerns the God who sees her. Keeping both the difficult command and these assurances preserves the full encounter, rather than reducing it to only one part.

Test your recall

How does the household conflict lead to Agar’s flight, and how does the angel’s answer address her situation?

Show answer

After Agar becomes pregnant, she despises Sarai. Sarai complains to Abram, who leaves Agar in Sarai’s hands; Sarai afflicts her, and Agar flees. The angel finds her, tells her to return and humble herself, and promises many descendants. Her son will be named Ismael because the Lord has heard her affliction.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 1654–1667
Genesis Chapter 16 Abram marrieth Agar, who bringeth forth Ismael. 16:1. Now Sarai, the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children: but having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar, 16:2. She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request, 16:3. She took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife.
Lines 1669–1673
To wife.... Plurality of wives, though contrary to the primitive institution of marriage, Gen. 2.24, was by divine dispensation allowed to the patriarchs: which allowance seems to have continued during the time of the law of Moses. But Christ our Lord reduced marriage to its primitive institution. Matt. 19.
Lines 1675–1684
16:4. And he went in to her. But she perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress. 16:5. And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly with me: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and she perceiving herself to be with child, despiseth me. The Lord judge between me and thee. 16:6. And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away.
Lines 1686–1694
16:7. And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert, 16:8. He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress. 16:9. And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand.
Lines 1696–1705
16:10. And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude. 16:11. And again: Behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Ismael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. 16:12. He shall be a wild man: his hand will be against all men, and all men’s hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all his brethren.
Lines 1707–1712
16:13. And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou the God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily, here have I seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me. 16:14. Therefore she called that well, the well of him that liveth and seeth me. The same is between Cades and Barad.
Lines 1714–1720
16:15. And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael. 16:16. Abram was four score and six years old when Agar brought him forth Ismael.