Assessing her inability to have children, Sarai came up with the idea of having her husband sleep with her servant, Hagar, in order to produce children. Scripture implies that the children Hagar produced would be Sarai’s children since Hagar was Sarai’s maidservant or slave. Abram went in unto Hagar, she conceived, and when Hagar saw that she had conceived, she despised Sarai.

Although Abram did not give Sarai permission to mistreat Hagar, he did give Sarai permission to do with Hagar as she pleased and that permission led to harsh treatment toward Hagar.

Abram was 86 when Ishmael, the son by Hagar, was born. The name Ishmael, was not chosen by Hagar, but by the angel of YeHoVaH and given to Hagar to name the child.