Genesis 16:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Hagar came to understand that Abram would father numerous descendants, but not through her. This was evident to her because he no longer visited her, and once he became aware of her pregnancy, he ceased to approach her. Abram only turned to Hagar at Sarah's request, seeking some solace from her until God fulfilled His promise of joy through her own child. Hagar proclaimed, You are a God who sees, granting insight and revealing Yourself to those who revere You. Furthermore, she expressed, I beheld the vision after You had first regarded me; for initially, the angel appeared without speaking, so as not to frighten her.

Hagar then called out to the Lord who had spoken to her. No longer did she cry out to an angel but to God Himself, for she recognized in the messenger the One who had sent him and in the agent the One who acts; much like Abigail who bowed before David's messengers and addressed them as David himself, saying, “Behold thy servant.” You are the God who sees! For, she exclaimed, even in this place, I perceived the evidence of Him who gazed upon me. To grasp the meaning of these statements, one must understand that Hagar initially viewed the angel as a stranger; gradually, through their conversation, she recognized him, and ultimately, when he became unseen and perhaps in the final moments of the vision shone, she distinctly saw in him the manifestation of God.

The previous passage indicates that the messenger of God addressed her, and now she acknowledges him as Lord and God. It is accurate to assert that the angel, akin to the prophets, acted not on his own authority but on God's behalf. In a certain sense, angels serve and predict future events, thereby performing the role of prophets, and the title 'angel' refers to their function rather than their nature, just as 'prophet' does. The angel conveyed God's message, prompting Hagar to recognize him as God due to His presence within him.