Original Word: הַגְרִי
Part of Speech: proper name, of a people; Adjective, of a people; proper name, masculine
Transliteration: Hagriy
Pronunciation: hag-REE
Phonetic Spelling: (hag-ree')
KJV: Hagarene, Hagarite, Haggeri
NASB: Hagrites, Hagri, Hagrite
Word Origin: [perhaps patronymically from H1904 (הָגָר - Hagar)]

1. a Hagrite or member of a certain Arabian clan

Hagarene, Hagarite, Haggeri

Or (prolonged) Hagris {hag-ree'}; perhaps patronymically from Hagar; a Hagrite or member of a certain Arabian clan -- Hagarene, Hagarite, Haggeri.

see HEBREW Hagar

Word Origin
from Hagar
Definition
a tribe E. of the Jordan, also a member of the tribe, also an Isr.
NASB Translation
Hagri (1), Hagrite (1), Hagrites (4).

הַגְרִי 1. proper name, of a people only plural הַגְרִים Psalm 83:7; הַהַגְרִאִים 1 Chronicles 5:10, הַהַגְרִיאִים 1 Chronicles 5:19,20; a tribe (Aramaean ? Arabian ?) with which the east Jordan Israelites waged successful war; see dubious conjecture as to identity in Glas^{Skizze ii. 407.}

2. adjective, of a people of an officer of David יָזִיז הַהַגְרִי 1 Chronicles 27:31.

3. proper name, masculine father of one of David's warriors בֶּןהַֿגְרִי 1 Chronicles 11:38 (but "" 2 Samuel 23:36 בָּנִי הַגָּדִי so here Öttli, compare Be Th^Sm Dr^Sm).

הַגְרִיאִים, הַגְרִאִים see foregoing.

הֵד see below הדד. below

הדד (perhaps make a loud noise; so Arabic (of a falling building, rain, the sea, a braying camel); crash (of a falling wall, etc.), thunder).

Identity and Meaning of the Ethnonym

הַגְרִי (Hagri) designates a nomadic people group—“the Hagrites” or “Hagarenes”—whose name recalls Hagar, the Egyptian servant of Sarah and mother of Ishmael (Genesis 16). Scripture presents them as desert-dwellers associated with other Ishmaelite clans and with the territories east and southeast of the Jordan River.

Biblical Occurrences
• 1 Chronicles 5:10, 19-20 (three mentions)
• 1 Chronicles 11:38
• 1 Chronicles 27:31
• Psalm 83:6

Historical and Geographical Setting

The Chronicler locates the Hagrites in the lands “east of Gilead” (1 Chronicles 5:10), an area that bordered the Arabian Desert. Their livelihood depended on vast herds—camels, sheep, and donkeys (5:21). Allied sub-tribes are named in 1 Chronicles 5:19 (“Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab”), peoples likewise listed among the sons of Ishmael in Genesis 25:15. Psalm 83 places the Hagrites in league with Edom, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia, confirming their station on the southern and eastern fringe of Israel.

Conflict with the Trans-Jordan Tribes

“During the days of Saul they waged war against the Hagrites, who were defeated by them” (1 Chronicles 5:10). The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh pressed the nomads back and occupied their encampments. A later campaign is recorded in 1 Chronicles 5:19-22. Key elements:

1. Divine Assistance: “They cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers” (5:20).
2. Comprehensive Victory: enormous livestock booty and the capture of 100,000 people (5:21).
3. Moral Lesson: “The battle was God’s” (5:22). The narrative underscores that reliance on the Lord, not numerical strength, secured Israel’s triumph.

Hagrites within Davidic Administration

The tension of earlier generations did not prevent individual Hagrites from serving in Israel’s royal structures.
• Mibhar son of Hagri stands among the valiant warriors who supported David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 11:38).
• Jaziz the Hagrite was placed “over the flocks” in David’s centralized livestock administration (1 Chronicles 27:31).

Their inclusion reflects the king’s ability to integrate capable men from surrounding peoples, foreshadowing the widening scope of God’s covenant blessings.

The Hagrites in Psalm 83

“As they conspire with one mind, they form an alliance against You—the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites” (Psalm 83:5-6). The psalmist pleads for divine intervention against a pan-regional confederacy. The Hagrites’ mention decades after David indicates that, although subdued, they remained a recognizable entity and were willing to join coalitions hostile to Israel’s covenantal vocation.

Relationship to Ishmael and Hagar

The consistent pairing with Ishmaelites (Psalm 83:6) and the vocal resonance of “Hagri” with “Hagar” suggest genealogical linkage. While not every Ishmaelite is a Hagrite, every Hagrite appears to share that broader family tree. Their account therefore illustrates the complicated legacy of Abraham’s household: descendants of the bond-woman are portrayed both as foes requiring defeat and as neighbors capable of peaceful coexistence under righteous leadership.

Ministry and Theological Insights

1. God Hears His People: The Chronicler accents prayer as the decisive element in war (1 Chronicles 5:20), reinforcing the believer’s confidence in divine responsiveness.
2. Sovereign Control of Nations: The Hagrites rise, fall, and even serve within Israel’s structures according to God’s larger redemptive plan (Proverbs 21:1).
3. Inclusion and Mission: The presence of Hagrites in David’s ranks previews the later prophetic vision of Gentile participation in the blessings of Messiah (Isaiah 49:6).
4. Warning Against Hostility: Psalm 83 records the futility of alliances that oppose the Lord’s purposes, a sober reminder for every generation.

Summary

The Hagrites were Ishmaelite-related nomads inhabiting the eastern frontier of Israel. Scripture remembers them chiefly for two things: (1) costly military defeat when God answered Israel’s prayer, and (2) the later assimilation of individual Hagrites into David’s heroic and administrative corps. Their narrative magnifies divine faithfulness, highlights the importance of dependence on God, and anticipates the eventual gathering of all nations under the reign of the Son of David.

הַֽהַגְרִ֑י הַֽהַגְרִאִ֔ים הַֽהַגְרִיאִ֑ים הַֽהַגְרִיאִ֔ים הַגְרִֽי׃ הגרי׃ ההגראים ההגרי ההגריאים וְהַגְרִֽים׃ והגרים׃ ha·haḡ·rî ha·haḡ·ri·’îm ha·haḡ·rî·’îm haḡ·rî hagRi haḡrî hahagRi hahaḡrî hahaḡri’îm hahaḡrî’îm hahagriIm vehagRim wə·haḡ·rîm wəhaḡrîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts