Sarah
שָׂרָה · sa.rah · H8283Σάρρα · Sarra · G45641 other spelling“lady; princess; princess of the multitude” Hitchcock's 186948 mentions in 5 books, most in Genesis (43)
Who she was
Sarah, initially named Sarai, was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac. She was born in Ur of the Chaldeans and married Abraham (then known as Abram) while they lived in Haran (Genesis 11:29–31). Sarah accompanied Abraham when God called him to leave Haran and go to the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:5). Despite God's promise that Abraham would have numerous descendants, Sarah was barren (Genesis 11:30). In her impatience, she gave her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, to Abraham as a wife to bear a child on her behalf (Genesis 16:1–4). This resulted in the birth of Ishmael (Genesis 16:15–16). When Abraham was 99 years old, God reaffirmed His covenant with him, changed his name from Abram to Abraham, and changed Sarai's name to Sarah (Gen.17.5, 15). God promised that Sarah would bear a son, Isaac, through whom the covenant would be established (Gen.17.19, 21; 18.10-14). Sarah initially laughed at this idea due to her advanced age (Genesis 18:12–15). However, as God had promised, Sarah conceived and gave birth to Isaac when she was 90 years old (Genesis 21:1–7). Sarah's faith is commended in Hebrews 11:11, which states that she received the ability to conceive because she considered God faithful to His promise. Sarah died at the age of 127 in Kirjath-arba (Hebron), and Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah as a burial site for her (Genesis 23:1–20). Her life story demonstrates the importance of faith, patience, and trust in God's promises, even in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances.
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Family
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
48 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Genesis43 mentions
Genesis 11:29Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah.Genesis 11:30Sarai was barren. She had no child.Genesis 11:31Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They…Genesis 12:5Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan.…Genesis 12:11When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.Genesis 12:17Yahweh afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.Genesis 16:1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.Genesis 16:2Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.Genesis 16:3Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.Genesis 16:5Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, she despised me. May Yahweh judge between me and you.”Genesis 16:6But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.Genesis 16:8He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”Genesis 17:15God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah.Genesis 17:17Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?”Genesis 17:19God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.Genesis 17:21But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”Genesis 18:6Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”Genesis 18:9They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “There, in the tent.”Genesis 18:10He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.Genesis 18:11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.Genesis 18:12Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”Genesis 18:13Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child when I am old?’Genesis 18:14Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.”Genesis 18:15Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”Genesis 20:2Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.Genesis 20:14Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him.Genesis 20:16To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.”Genesis 20:18For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.Genesis 21:1Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken.Genesis 21:2Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.Genesis 21:3Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.Genesis 21:6Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”Genesis 21:7She said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”Genesis 21:9Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.Genesis 21:12God said to Abraham, “Don’t let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your servant. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be…Genesis 23:1Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.Genesis 23:2Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.Genesis 23:19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.Genesis 24:36Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.Genesis 24:67Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.Genesis 25:10the field which Abraham purchased from the children of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife.Genesis 25:12Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.Genesis 49:31There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:
Romans2 mentions
What the dictionary says
Princess, the wife and at the same time the half-sister of Abraham (Gen. 11:29; 20:12).
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain