The visit of the angel was seen by Ha'gar as a special providence of God, and she accepted his message as the voice of God. She believed all that he told her, and the place where the angel appeared to her was afterwards called: " The well of the living one who sees me."
Ha'gar returned to the home of Ab'ram, and hereafter showed proper respect for Sa'rai. In due time she gave birth to a son, whom she named Ish'ma-el as commanded by the Heavenly messenger. From Ish'ma-el there descended a people who became noted for their numbers and strength, and whom we shall learn more in later chapters. Thus did God permit an alien in the house of faith to rise from the lowly place of a bondservant. As a wife of the man whose name was soon changed to mean "father of a multitude," she had a part in founding one of the largest groups of the human family.
For thirteen years after the birth of Ish'ma-el Ha'gar remains in Ab'ram's home, caring for her son, and helping her mistress Sa'rai. They were filled with doubts and fears for Ab'ram and Sa'rai, but they remained faithful to God; making no further effort to interfere with God's fulfillment of the promise for a son of their very own. God then appears to His servant, talks with him face to face, and again assures him that Sar'ai shall give birth to a son who shall be the true heir to the promised heritage of Canaan. The Covenant was renewed and enlarged, with the rite of circumcision prescribed for Ab'ram and all male children descending from him. His name was changed from Ab'ram to A'bra-ham, which means "father of a multitude." The name of his wife Sa'rai was changed to Sa'rah, which means "princess."
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