What was Lahai Roi?

Lahai Roi, more fully known as Beer-lahai-roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, Be’er-lachai-ro’i), means “Well of the Living One who sees me” in Hebrew. This place is first mentioned in Genesis 16:14, and later in Genesis 24:62 and Genesis 25:11. It is a well in the wilderness where Hagar, the Egyptian servant of Sarai, encountered the Angel of the LORD after fleeing from her mistress. The name emphasizes the living God who sees and cares for the outcast and the afflicted.

Biblical References

• Genesis 16:7-14 – Hagar encounters the Angel of the LORD at the spring in the wilderness.

• Genesis 24:62 – Isaac comes from Beer-lahai-roi.

• Genesis 25:11 – Isaac lives near Beer-lahai-roi after Abraham‘s death.

What Happened at Lahai Roi?

Hagar’s Encounter

After Sarai gave her Egyptian servant Hagar to Abram as a wife (Genesis 16:3), conflict arose when Hagar conceived and looked with contempt upon Sarai. Sarai treated her harshly, leading Hagar to flee into the wilderness. It was there, near a spring on the way to Shur, that the Angel of the LORD found her.

The Angel of the LORD spoke with her, calling her by name and commanding her to return and submit to Sarai. He promised her numerous descendants and foretold the birth of her son, Ishmael (meaning “God hears”). Overwhelmed by this divine encounter, Hagar declared in Genesis 16:13, “You are the God who sees me,” and thus the well was named Beer-lahai-roi, the well of the Living One who sees me.

Later References

Beer-lahai-roi is later noted as the place from which Isaac returned (Genesis 24:62), possibly suggesting he had made it his dwelling place. After Abraham’s death, Isaac settled near this same well (Genesis 25:11), further emphasizing its significance in the patriarchal narrative.

Theological Implications

God Sees the Lowly

Lahai Roi powerfully reveals the character of God as El Roi, the God who sees. Hagar, a non-Israelite servant and pregnant woman in distress, was not outside the view of God. The encounter at the well shows that the Lord is not only involved in the grand narrative of Israel’s patriarchs but also sees and cares for the vulnerable and marginalized.

The Angel of the LORD

The appearance of the Angel of the LORD is more than an ordinary angelic visit—it is often understood by scholars to be a theophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. He speaks as God and gives promises that only God can make. Thus, Lahai Roi may be one of the early glimpses of Christ‘s ministry to the outcast and broken.

Literary Significance

Lahai Roi is more than a geographical marker—it is a place of revelation. In the Hebrew structure of Genesis, this moment stands in contrast to Abram and Sarai‘s attempt to fulfill God’s promise through human means. The naming of the well underscores the theme of divine initiative and grace even when human plans falter.

The repetition of Beer-lahai-roi in Isaac’s story links the past (Hagar’s suffering) to the future (Isaac’s dwelling), forming a thematic thread: God‘s providence and compassion are continuous across generations.

Christ-Centered Connection

Lahai Roi points forward to Jesus Christ, who revealed the heart of God toward the broken, the outcast, and the unseen. Just as the Angel of the LORD saw Hagar and met her in her distress, so Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), another woman marginalized by society. In both encounters, the Living Water speaks, restores, and gives hope.

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of El Roi—He not only sees, but He also saves. He bore the burdens of the rejected and became the wellspring of eternal life for all who thirst.

Broader Biblical Themes

1. God’s Compassion and Omniscience

God sees not just the powerful but also the weak and afflicted (Psalm 34:18). Lahai Roi is an emblem of God’s tender awareness and mercy.

2. Divine Providence

Even in human detours and broken relationships (as seen in Sarai and Hagar’s conflict), God’s sovereign plan advances.

3. Naming as Revelation

In the Bible, names of places often testify to divine encounters. Like Bethel (“House of God”) and Moriah, Lahai Roi captures a revelation of God‘s nature.

4. Gentiles in God’s Story

Hagar, though Egyptian, is seen and blessed. This foreshadows the inclusion of the nations in God’s redemptive plan (Isaiah 49:6).

Reflection Questions

1. Do I believe that God sees me, even in my moments of rejection, pain, or isolation?

2. How does the story of Lahai Roi encourage me to trust God in the wilderness seasons of life?

3. In what ways does Hagar‘s encounter mirror the grace of Jesus toward the marginalized in the Gospels?

4. What might God be revealing about Himself to me through the trials I face?

5. How can I live with the assurance that El Roi, the Living One who sees me, is near?

Beer-lahai-roi remains a place of deep theological and spiritual meaning—where the broken are seen, the forgotten are found, and the grace of God meets people in the wilderness.