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Sarah


Sair´uh

Abraham’s wife, who shared his journey to the promised land and his sojournings there. God promised to Abraham numerous descendants, but Genesis relates how this promise is repeatedly endangered when Abraham passes Sarah off as his sister and she is taken into the harem of, first, Pharaoh (Gen 12) and then Abimelech (Gen 26). Another obstacle to the fulfillment of the promise of numerous progeny was Sarah’s barrenness (Gen 11:30; Gen 16:1); she seeks to resolve this by giving her Egyptian maid Hagar to Abraham (Gen 16), which results in the birth of Ishmael. Finally, when Abraham and Sarah are too old for childbearing, God reiterates the promise of progeny. Sarah laughs (Gen 18:1-15; Gen 17:17-17) and, so, when the long-awaited heir is born, he is named Isaac, meaning “laughter.” Sarah dies at the age of 127, and Abraham purchases the cave of Machpelah from the Hittites for her burial place. Sarah is mentioned in the NT in (Rom 4:19; Rom 9:9; Heb 11:11; 1Pet 3:6); and the allegory of (Gal 4:21-31).

  • Powell, Mark Allan, ed. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Abridged Edition. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009.