Hagar and Ishmael 1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children; and she had an Egyptian servant woman, and her name was Hagar.
Bede · AD 735 Therefore Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. She said to her husband, "Behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, so go into my maidservant; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And when he agreed to her request, she took Hagar the Egyptian maidservant after ten years of dwelling in the land of Canaan,…
2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has kept me from bearing. Go in, please, to my servant; perhaps I will be built up from her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Some might still be struck by the fact that Abraham had a relationship with his slave girl when he was already conversing with God, as it is written: "Sarah said to Abraham, 'See now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my maid to make children from her.' " And this is exactly what happened.
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 The apostle saw in these women the type of the two covenants, in accordance with the rule of allegory, but since what the text narrates actually took place, the literal sense also deserves consideration. The saints entered the married life not to pursue pleasure but for the sake of children.
Jerome · AD 420 (Chapter 16, Verse 2) Behold, the Lord has made me barren, so go in to my maidservant; perhaps I shall obtain children by her. Take careful note that the procreation of children is written in Hebrew as building. For it is read there: Go in to my maidservant, that I may perhaps build through her.
3 And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant — at the end of ten years of Abram’s living in the land of Canaan — and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife for him.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 It was not because he was ablaze with the heat of some unbridled passion, not because he was overcome by the charm of seductive beauty that Abraham gave preference to a relationship with a slave girl over the conjugal bed, but through a desire to procure a posterity and to enlarge his progeny. After the flood the human race was still numerically sparse.
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 Virtue's purpose was, as we have said, that the wise man do training exercises first in preliminary education and shadow so that later, with this training behind him, he might arrive at greater things—which is the proper procedural order. It is likewise illogical that after the knowledge of perfect things one should turn back to petty things.
4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became small in her eyes.
5 And Sarai said to Abram, “The wrong done to me is on you! I gave my servant into your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, I became small in her eyes. May the LORD judge between me and you.”
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 The words ek sou can be understood in two ways: either "by you" or "from the time that." The interpretation "by you" gives the following sense: When one who has engaged the preparatory exercises in view of virtue and perfect wisdom [the promise of faith] remains at that preparatory level [that is, the relation with Hagar], in a sense he wrongs virtue, because he has not properl…
6 And Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your servant is in your hand; do to her what is good in your eyes.” And Sarai afflicted her, and she fled from her presence.
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 There is a kind of maltreatment of the slave girl that we have likened, by anagogy, to the preparatory exercises (progymnasmata): the shadow [Hagar] of things to come [the generative promise] is transcended. For one who is hastening toward perfection no longer needs that which is preparatory.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 And here follow the times of Abraham's sons, the one by Hagar the bondmaid, the other by Sarah the free woman, about whom we have already spoken in the previous book. As regards this transaction, Abraham is in no way to be branded as guilty concerning this concubine.
7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 It is well too that Hagar was found "by a spring of water," for beginners find themselves engaged in purifications, which are signified by water. By contrast, those who are more fully matured come into a desert place, no longer needing purifications, having already rid themselves of vices and having been endowed with virtue.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 7) And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the desert, by the fountain on the way to Shur. Then the Egyptian woman hurriedly went on the way to Shur, which leads through the desert to Egypt.
Bede · AD 735 And when the angel found her by the spring of water in the wilderness on the road to Shur, he said to her, "Hagar, maidservant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" Consequently, the Egyptian on the road to Shur, which leads through the desert to Egypt, was hastening. For the desert of Shur stretches up to the Red Sea, which reaches the borders of Egypt.
8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” And she said, “From the presence of Sarai my mistress I am fleeing.”
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 Moreover, when the beauty of the spiritual law is illuminated, that which is no more than shadow flees. Sacrifices that are luminous compared with those of "the shadow" were in fact announced in the transmitted teaching and have been effectively introduced in practice. Likewise too "that which was only partial" is abolished when that which is perfect is present.
9 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and humble yourself under her hands.”
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 The literal sense is clear enough. From the point of view of allegory, it is suggested that even in the case of one who has done a purposeless act that he believes to be obligatory for those who revere the shadow of the law and who is in a sense fleeing from its spiritual sense, the Word of the Master brings him back to the original divine intention.
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 As in concrete image, we see here foreshadowed the fact that once the Emmanuel has appeared and his mystery has been shown to the world, the types of the Mosaic cult necessarily disappear, giving way to the evangelical teachings, the better and more perfect precepts. Of what image am I speaking?
10 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “I will greatly multiply your seed, so that it cannot be counted for multitude.”
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 It is not implausible that one who is living the life of a beginner should also be judged worthy of a blessing, for, if his progress continues toward the appropriate goal, he will arrive at perfection.
11 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Look, you are with child, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Ishmael — for the LORD has heard your affliction.
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 At that time, giving birth to children was regarded as a matter of great importance in view of the multiplication of human beings, as we have explained—this, moreover, at a time when virginity and the teaching on virtue did not yet have much credibility. This is why even prayers were said for conception and they counted such a thing as giving birth among the blessings.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 11) And she called his name Ishmael; for God has heard my affliction. Ishmael means, God hears.
Bede · AD 735 Behold, he said, you have conceived and will bear a son, and you shall call his name Ishmael. Ishmael means God hears, and the reason for the name is explained when it is immediately added: because the Lord has heard your affliction.
12 And he shall be a wild donkey of a man — his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the face of all his brothers.”
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 There are a number of differences that distinguish a man who is studious, sophisticated and urbane from a man who is none of these things.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 12) This will be a rustic man. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand against him, and he will dwell against the face of all his brothers. In Hebrew, Phara () is written for rustic, which means onager.
Bede · AD 735 He will be a wild man, his hand against everyone, and everyone's hand against him, and he will dwell opposite all his brothers. His offspring will inhabit the desert, that is, the wandering Saracens with uncertain dwellings, who attack all the nations bordering the desert and are attacked by all: but this was in ancient times.
13 And she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees me” — for she said, “Have I really seen, here, the back of the one who sees me?”
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 It is well too that the vision of the instructing Word was seen "between Kadesh and Bered." Kadesh in fact is interpreted to mean "holy," and Bered, "lightning." It is between these two things that divine education takes place: the holy, on the one hand, to which it belongs (to see the divine things) and the lightning, on the other, which is a luminous state.
Bede · AD 735 She called on the name of the Lord who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me." For she said, "Surely here I have seen the back of the one who sees me," therefore she called that well, "The well of the living one who sees me." It is clear from these words that Hagar could not see the face of the angel speaking with her, but only the back as he was departing; nevertheless, s…
14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi — look, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 There was indeed on earth, so long as it was needed, a symbol and foreshadowing image of this city, which served the purpose of reminding men that such a city was to be rather than of making it present; and this image was itself called the holy city, as a symbol of the future city, though not itself the reality.
16 And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Didymus the Blind · AD 398 It is plausible to say that it was to establish the fact that Hagar was a serious woman and Ishmael an authentic son of Abraham that Scripture went out of its way to remark that Hagar bore a son "to Abram." What follows is clear as to the literal sense, but let us examine too the anagogical [mystical] sense.