Exiled - Hagar and Ishmael. Did God love them?

Genesis 16:8-16; 21:9-21; 25:1-18

Hagar Flees with Ishmael

In the tapestry of Genesis, the story of Hagar and Ishmael is overshadowed by the promised line of Isaac. Yet within Torah Portion Vayera and its surrounding chapters, we find a profound testimony: that God sees, hears, and loves even those cast aside. Hagar’s journey—marked by flight, return, exile, and divine encounter—reveals a God who attends to the exiles and preserves the threads of mercy.

Before Isaac’s birth, Hagar fled into the wilderness, pregnant and angry at Sarah (Genesis 16). Alone and vulnerable, she encountered a messenger of YHWH by a spring in the desert. There, she received a promise:

“You are pregnant and will bear a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for YHWH has heard your affliction.” (Genesis 16:11)

The name Ishmael—“God hears”—became a living memorial to divine attentiveness. Hagar responded with awe:

“You are El-Roi,” she declared, “the God who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13)

This was the first recorded theophany to a woman in Scripture. This is amazing to me! Not only did God see her suffering, He gave her a future. As instructed, she returned to Abraham’s household, bearing the son whose name would echo compassion.

Years later, after Isaac was born, Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away (Genesis 21:9–10). Abraham was deeply distressed, but God reassured him:

“Do not be distressed… I will also make a nation of the son of the maidservant, because he is your seed.” (Genesis 21:12–13)

So Abraham rose early, gave Hagar bread and water, and sent her into the wilderness. When the water ran out, Hagar placed Ishmael under a bush and wept at a distance, saying, “Let me not see the death of the child” (Genesis 21:16).

But once again, God intervened:

“God heard the voice of the boy… and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven.” (Genesis 21:17)

God opened her eyes to a well of water and reaffirmed His promise: Ishmael would become a great nation. The boy grew in the wilderness, skilled with the bow, and dwelt in Paran. Hagar took a wife for him from Egypt. God was with him and he became the father of 12 tribes.

Though separated, tradition holds that Abraham never forgot Hagar or Ishmael. His grief at their departure was real, and his love endured. When Abraham died, Scripture records:

“His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah.” (Genesis 25:9)

This moment—two sons reunited in mourning—speaks volumes. Despite their divergent paths, Isaac and Ishmael remained connected. Jewish tradition affirms that Abraham’s legacy extended to both, and that reconciliation was possible.

After Sarah’s death, Abraham took another wife named Keturah (Genesis 25:1). Jewish tradition offers layered interpretations:

• Rashi identifies Keturah as Hagar herself, restored to Abraham after Sarah’s passing. The name Keturah (meaning “incense”) symbolizes righteousness and prayer, suggesting that Hagar’s deeds were pleasing to God.

• Midrashic sources affirm that Isaac initiated the reunion, bringing Hagar back to his father—a gesture of healing between the lines.

Whether Keturah was Hagar or another woman, the children born to her—Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah—became Arab nations in their own right. Abraham gave them gifts and sent them eastward, preserving Isaac’s inheritance while honoring the broader family.

Though separated by covenantal distinction, Ishmael and Isaac never appeared to be enemies (not true of Jacob and Esau and their descendants). Their burial of Abraham was not merely an act—it was a sign of shared memory, mutual respect, and an enduring bond. Rabbinic tradition holds that Ishmael repented later in life and was righteous. The Torah’s silence on conflict between them is itself a testimony: reconciliation is possible, even after exile.

Hagar’s story is prophetic. She names God as El-Roi, and her son’s name, Ishmael, becomes a permanent reminder that God hears the cry of the afflicted. Abraham’s love for both sons, Isaac’s possible gesture of reunion, and the possibility that Hagar returned as Keturah all point to a deeper truth: God’s mercy is not limited by human boundaries.

In every wilderness, in every exile, in every cry—God sees. God hears. And God restores. He has great mercy!

Blessings,

Leisa

Sources Referenced:

Rashi’s Commentary (Genesis 25:1)

• Rashi states that Keturah is Hagar, explaining that she was renamed to reflect her spiritual refinement: “She was called Keturah because her deeds were as pleasing as ketoret (incense).”

Bereishit Rabbah 61:4

• This Midrash not only identifies Keturah as Hagar, but also adds that Isaac brought her back to Abraham after Sarah’s death.

• The act is seen as one of reconciliation and restoration, with Isaac facilitating the reunion between his father and Hagar, now purified and renamed.