How many times is Hagar mentioned in the Bible?
The word Hagar appears 12 times in the King James Version, in 10 verses. It is found in 1 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Hagar 14 times.
Hagar in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Hagar counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Hagar | 12 | 14 |
| Total | 12 | 14 |
What the name Hagar means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Hagar as "a stranger; one that fears".
This is the 1869 traditional meaning; modern scholars often read names differently.
See every name and place with its meaning and count on Bible names and their meanings.
Source: Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869), checked 2026-10-22.
Which books mention Hagar most
Hagar appears in 1 book of the 66 in the King James Version. Genesis has the most (12).
First and last mention of Hagar
Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
The verse that uses it most is Genesis 16:15, 2 times (tied with Genesis 21:17):
And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
Where the two translations differ
0 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 2 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Galatians 4:24: counted in the World English Bible only
Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.
Galatians 4:25: counted in the World English Bible only
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.
Common questions
How many times is Hagar in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 12 of the 12 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Hagar appears in 1 book of the 66 in the King James Version. Genesis has the most (12).
Where is Hagar first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 16:1: "Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar." The last is Genesis 25:12.
What does the name Hagar mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Hagar as "a stranger; one that fears".
More word counts: Enoch, Lamech, Nahor, Eliezer, Jethro, Rahab, Deborah, Delilah, or all 484 words.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-22.