Why does Hagar call God 'the God who sees' (Genesis 16:13)?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Hagar calling God “the God who sees” was her way of acknowledging God’s omniscience and omnipresence. Sarah (Sarai) had given Abraham (Abram) her Egyptian servant, Hagar, as a surrogate (according to a practice of the day) to have a son for her. But after Hagar conceived, she “looked with contempt” at Sarai (Genesis 16:4). This led Sarai to treat Hagar harshly, causing Hagar to flee to the wilderness (Genesis 16:4–6). An angel of the Lord appeared to her, told her to return and submit to Sarai, and promised to bless her child (Genesis 16:7–12). This angel also tells Hagar “the LORD has listened to your affliction” (Genesis 16:11). Hagar responds, "You are the God who sees me…I have now seen the One who sees me" (Genesis 16:13, NIV). God had made no promises to Hagar like He had to Abraham and Sarah, yet He still saw her affliction, provided for and blessed her, and multiplied her offspring (Genesis 16:10). Hagar acknowledged the all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God. As Hagar’s story shows, Our Lord is aware of even the smallest details in our lives (Psalm 139; Matthew 10:29–31). He also sees the evil in the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9–10; 23:24; John 2:24–25). He is, as Hagar acknowledged, the God who sees.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• After the angel of God speaks to Hagar, Genesis 16:13 indicates, “So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’” Hagar called the Lord "a God of seeing" (Genesis 16:13) because He saw her struggle though no others were present. Hagar was a servant woman with no social status, displaced from her home country, her religion, and her gods, yet God noticed her.
• After Saul disobeyed God and God rejected him as king, God sent Samuel to anoint a new king from among the sons of Jesse. Samuel at first thought the eldest son was the one, but God told Him, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” God sees us with perfect clarity and knows us intimately.
• David’s praise of God in Psalm 139 highlights the Lord’s omniscience and omnipresence: “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:1–4). God knows our thoughts and our heart. We cannot hide anything from Him. Because of His omniscience and love, the Lord knows our needs and provides for us, just as He did for Hagar.
• Chapter 15 of Proverbs contrasts the wise with the foolish and the wicked with the upright. No matter someone’s outward appearance, God knows our hearts and minds: “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). God is ever-present in our lives.
• In chapter 23 of Jeremiah, the prophet presents God’s condemnation of lying prophets who dare to speak messages they falsely claim are from God. Verse 24 states, “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.” These prophets’ lies may deceive people, but the omniscient Creator knows their deceit. God is everywhere and knows everything—including the evil actions of man.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Matthew 10:29–31 conveys God’s knowledge and loving care: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Just as God noticed and cared for Hagar, He notices and cares for even the most seemingly insignificant creatures and the minor components of our lives.
• Jesus gave cautions about doing things only to be seen and praised by others. He said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them … as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:1–4). God knows our hearts and our deeds, we need to announce them to others for human accolades. Instead, we do them unto the Lord.
• Jesus said something similar about prayer: “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).
• John 2:24–25 records Jesus’ awareness of the heart of mankind: “But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”
• Concerning the Lord, Hebrews 4:13 asserts, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Nothing we do is hidden from God. In chapter three, the writer of Hebrews had summarized the disobedience of many of the Israelites Moses led through the wilderness. Hebrews 4:13 connects that to the judgment all will face one day. We cannot hide anything from God, who knows us. Like Hagar, we recognize Him as “the God who sees.”
• Romans 8:26–27 talks about the way the indwelling Holy Spirit knows us: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” God sees what is in our hearts, knows what we need, and acts on our behalf.
• First John 4:15–18 assures, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” Believers have no cause to fear the reality that God sees them. Instead, it is a truth that provides comfort—the God who created us knows us fully and intimately. Because of Christ, we can trust in Him and find rest and freedom in the fullness of His love.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Hagar’s story reminds us that God sees us—not just the important, the powerful, or the visibly spiritual, but also the broken, the rejected, and the alone. Like Hagar, we sometimes find ourselves in seasons where we feel overlooked—maybe in a strained marriage, an underappreciated job, or a quiet struggle with anxiety or failure. But God doesn’t miss a single detail. When a mom cries behind a closed door after a long day, when a student feels invisible at school, when a man silently wrestles with disappointment—God sees. He not only notices, He responds with care.

Knowing that God sees us gives us the courage to keep going when no one else affirms us. It means we can serve faithfully, even if we never receive recognition—like when we clean up after others, pray for people who never know, or choose integrity when no one is watching. It also gives us freedom to be honest with God in prayer, knowing He already understands the things we can’t put into words. And when we feel crushed by guilt or shame, remembering that God sees not just our sin but also our need for mercy helps us run to Him, not hide from Him. God is present in every circumstance. He knows, and He cares. Whether we are in the spotlight or the wilderness, He sees us fully and loves us deeply.

UNDERSTAND

• Hagar called God “the God who sees” because He noticed her affliction and responded with compassion.
• God is aware of our deepest struggles and cares for us personally.
• Nothing is hidden from God; He sees everything—our pain, our needs, our thoughts, and our actions.

REFLECT

• When have you felt unseen or unnoticed, and how does knowing God as “the God who sees” change your perspective on those experiences?
• How does God's ability to see and care for the small details of your life help you trust Him more deeply?
• How can you remind yourself that God sees your current struggles and knows what you need?

ENGAGE

• How does the story of Hagar reveal God’s concern for those who are marginalized or forgotten by society?
• What does God’s omniscience mean for how we approach Him in prayer and confession?
• How can acknowledging that God sees both our pain and our sin shape our understanding of His justice and mercy?