And Sarai Abram's Wife Took Hagar Here Maid The Egyptian After Abram Had Dwelt Ten Years In The Land Of Canaan & Gave Her To Her Husband Abram To Be His Wife Gen.Ch.XVI. V.3.

Description

This engraving depicts a scene described in Genesis, chapter 16, verse 3, of the Old Testament. The childless Sarah offers her Egyptian slave Hagar to her husband Abraham. This event occurred because Sarah was unable to bear children despite God's promise of many generations to Abraham. This event marks a significant turning point in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic theology. Hagar's child is Ishmael, who, according to Islamic tradition, is the ancestor of the Arabs. Sarah's child is Isaac, from whom the Jewish people will descend. In the engraving, Sarah's guiding hand, Hagar's submissive posture, and Abraham's accepting gesture symbolize patriarchal, social, and religious dynamics. The large curtain on the stage reinforces the intimacy and significance of the event.