Hagrite
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According to the Bible, the Hagrite tribe (also spelled Hagarite) were a nomadic Arabian tribe descended from Hagar. The Hagrites lived in the desert region east of Gilead. They frequently came into conflict with the Israelites, and defeated Reuben's tribe in battle during the reign of King Saul However, Reuben was later able to take the Hagrite's land with the aid of Gad and the Manasseh tribe. According to First Chronicles 5:18-22, the Reubenites, Gadites, and tribe of Manasseh brought 44,760 to battle with the Hagrites and defeated them because of their faith in God. Through the battle the Reubenites captured the Hagrite land as well as 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys. Finally, the Reubenites captured 100,000 Hagrites and held them as captives.
Due to the Israelite feud with the Hagrites, Asaph uttered a harsh prayer against them in Psalms 83:6. On the other hand, King David of Israel ignored the feud and made Jazziz the Hagrite steward of his flocks. The Hagrites are not mentioned in the Bible after the reign of King David and were eventually displaced from their lands by the Assyrian invasion after which time they assimilated into other groups.
[edit] References
- Comfort, Philip and Walter Elwell. Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001. ISBN 0-8423-7089-7
- "Ishmael" Retrieved May 6, 2006.
