**What Name Did Hagar Give God?
A Detailed Study of “El Roi” in Genesis 16**
The story of Hagar in Genesis 16 contains one of the most profound theological revelations in the entire Old Testament. In a moment of deep distress, isolation, and fear, Hagar became the first person in Scripture to give God a name. This is surprising not only because of her circumstances, but also because of who she was: a foreign servant woman fleeing abuse, alone in the desert.
Her naming of God marks a turning point in her life and reveals significant truths about the character of God.
1. The Name: “El Roi” — The God Who Sees Me
In Genesis 16:13, after encountering the Angel of the LORD at the spring, Hagar declares:
“You are the God who sees me.”
(Hebrew: El Roi)
This name captures the heart of Hagar’s experience:
In her loneliness, God saw her.
In her suffering, God noticed her.
In her despair, God met her.
“El Roi” is one of the most intimate and personal names given to God in Scripture.
2. Why This Name Is Remarkable
a. Hagar is the first person to name God in the Bible
Not Abram, not Noah, not Adam—
but Hagar, an Egyptian slave girl.
This is astounding because:
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She was a servant, with the lowest social status.
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She was a foreigner, outside the covenant family.
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She was a woman in a patriarchal society.
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She was mistreated and fleeing for her life.
Yet God appeared to her, and she responded with a name that reflects deep personal encounter.
b. Her naming reflects spiritual insight
Despite her background, Hagar grasped something profound about God’s nature:
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His omniscience (He sees all)
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His compassion (He sees with concern)
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His personal involvement in human suffering
Her understanding of God was not secondhand—it came from direct experience.
3. The Context: Hagar’s Distress in the Wilderness
Hagar fled into the desert because of Sarai’s harsh treatment. Alone, pregnant, and heading toward Egypt, she would have been at great risk:
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No food
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No water
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No protection
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No certainty of survival
In this desperate condition, God found her:
“The Angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness.”
—Genesis 16:7
God did not wait for her to recover or return—
He pursued her in her suffering.
4. God’s Words That Inspired the Name
The Angel of the LORD spoke to Hagar with divine authority:
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He called her by name
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He asked about her pain
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He instructed her
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He promised to bless her
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He foretold Ishmael’s future
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He gave her hope and dignity
This personal interaction revealed a God who cares deeply for the oppressed.
Hagar responded by recognizing that she had not merely met a messenger—but God Himself.
5. The Full Meaning of “El Roi”
“El Roi” can be translated as:
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The God Who Sees Me
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The God Who Sees
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The God Who Looks After Me
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The God of Vision
The Hebrew root ra’ah means:
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to see
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to notice
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to understand
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to pay attention
Thus “El Roi” conveys the idea of a God who sees with understanding, compassion, and purpose.
He is not a distant deity.
He is a God who looks upon human pain and responds.
6. The Place Named After This Encounter
Genesis 16:14 states:
“Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi.”
Meaning:
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“The well of the Living One who sees me.”
Hagar not only named God, she named the place of her encounter—
enshrining the truth of God’s compassionate vision for generations.
This well later appears again in Genesis:
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Isaac dwelled near it (Genesis 24:62; 25:11)
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It became a location associated with God’s presence and provision
7. Theological Lessons From Hagar’s Naming of God
a. God sees the mistreated
Hagar was oppressed and forgotten by humans—but not by God.
b. God reveals Himself to unexpected people
Her encounter shows that divine revelation is not confined to the powerful or privileged.
c. God values every individual
Hagar learned she was not invisible.
Her life mattered to God.
d. Suffering can become a place of revelation
The desert of despair became the location of divine encounter.
e. God sees our pain before we even speak
Hagar never asked for help—God sought her out.
8. Why Hagar’s Naming Still Matters Today
The name “El Roi” continues to resonate because:
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Many people feel unseen
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Many suffer silently
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Many feel abandoned or alone
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Many carry burdens that no one else notices
Hagar’s story proclaims a powerful truth:
**You are seen by God.
Your struggle is not invisible.
Your suffering is not unnoticed.
Your life matters to the One who sees everything.**
Conclusion
The name Hagar gave God—El Roi, “the God who sees me”—is one of the most beautiful and comforting titles for God in the Bible. Born out of suffering and solitude, it reveals a God who searches for the broken, understands the hurting, and lovingly intervenes in moments of deepest despair.