Why Hagar Despised Sarah After She Conceived

The Midrash of Philo 4:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·March 24, 2026

What is the meaning of, "When she saw that she had conceived her mistress was despised before her?" (Genesis 16:4).

Themes

Creation Women Abraham Matriarchs Adam Eve

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Legends of the JewsAbraham Meets a Woman Searching for Her Lost ChildThat feeling, that fleeting nature of time, echoes in a powerful story about Abraham from Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews. Abraham, not yet the patriarch we know Midrash MishleiThe Woman of Valor and the Secrets of CreationThe Midrash Mishlei, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Proverbs, takes that poem and runs with it. It's not just about one ideal woman, but about a Targum JonathanSeventy Angels Descend to Scatter the Tower BuildersThe Hebrew Bible says God "came down" to see the Tower of Babel and confused humanity's language (Genesis 11:7). But the ancient Aramaic translators of Targum J Bereshit RabbahTrial of SaraiOur story centers on Sarai (later Sarah) and Abram (later Abraham), a couple facing the heartbreaking reality of childlessness. Sarai, in a desperate attempt to Bereshit RabbahAbraham — Ketura at the Dawn of CreationThe Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is so concise, that every word, every phrase, even a name, can hold layers of meaning. Take Ketura, for exa Devarim RabbahSometimes Listening to Others Leads You AstrayDevarim Rabbah turns to Sometimes Listening to Others Leads You Astray. The book of Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Deuteronom