Meaning & History
Agar is a form of Hagar used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament. The name appears in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) and the Latin Vulgate, where it transliterates the Hebrew name Hagar. The name Hagar is of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "flight" in Hebrew, but it may also derive from Egyptian. In the Old Testament, Hagar was the second wife of Abraham and the mother of Ishmael, considered the progenitor of the Arab peoples. After Sarah, Abraham's first wife, bore Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael were expelled into the desert, where God saved them, as recounted in Genesis 16–21.
In religious contexts, the name Agar has been used to reference the biblical figure in Greek and Latin traditions, including in commentaries and theological texts. It is distinct from the unrelated term agar (a jelly-like substance derived from algae), though the name and the word share similar spellings.
Related Forms and Variants
Agar is the Greek and Latin counterpart of several other forms: Hagar in English and Hebrew, Hajir in Arabic, Hajar in Persian, Həcər in Azerbaijani, and Hacer in Turkish. These names all share the same biblical origin.
- Meaning: Possibly "flight" (Hebrew) or unknown Egyptian origin
- Origin: Greek and Latin form of Hagar
- Types: Biblical, historical
- Usage Regions: Christian Greek and Latin scriptural traditions