Sarah (Genesis 11:29–31; Genesis 12:5; Genesis 12:10–20; Genesis 16:1–16; Genesis 17:15–22; Genesis 18:1–15; Genesis 20:1–18; Genesis 21:1–21; Genesis 23:1–20; Genesis 24:67; Genesis 25:10; Genesis 49:31; Isaiah 51:2; Romans 4:19; Romans 9:9; Hebrews 11:11; 1 Peter 3:6)

Wife of Abraham, Mother of Isaac

Sarai, the barren wife of Abram, who went out with him into Canaan, was taken by Pharaoh and later by Abimelech, gave her handmaid Hagar to Abram, was renamed Sarah, laughed at the promise of a son, bore Isaac, and died at Hebron.

Genesis first names her as Sarai: “the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai” (Genesis 11:29), and at once the text says, “And Sarai was barren; she had no child” (Genesis 11:30). She went out from Ur of the Chaldees with Terah’s household, and when Abram left Haran she went with him: “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered” (Genesis 12:5). Twice her husband calls her his sister, and twice a king takes her, Pharaoh in Egypt and Abimelech in Gerar; each time the LORD acts on account of her (Genesis 12:17; 20:3, 18). At Gerar Abimelech says “she, even she herself said, He is my brother” (Genesis 20:5), and Abraham explains, “she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife” (Genesis 20:12).

Still childless, Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid” (Genesis 16:2), and gave Hagar the Egyptian to him as a wife. When Hagar conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes; Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon thee” (Genesis 16:5), and she dealt hardly with Hagar, who fled. Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be” (Genesis 17:15), and promised, “she shall be a mother of nations” (Genesis 17:16). Overhearing at the tent door, “Sarah laughed within herself” (Genesis 18:12), and when asked about it she denied it and was answered, “Nay; but thou didst laugh” (Genesis 18:15).

“And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said” (Genesis 21:1), and she bore Isaac. When Isaac was weaned she saw Hagar’s son mocking and asked that Hagar and her son be cast out; God told Abraham, “in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice” (Genesis 21:12). “The life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years” (Genesis 23:1); she died at Hebron and Abraham buried her in the cave of Machpelah. Isaac later brought Rebekah into “his mother Sarah’s tent” (Genesis 24:67). Isaiah bids Israel look “unto Sarah that bare you” (Isaiah 51:2); Hebrews says “By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised” (Hebrews 11:11), and 1 Peter says “Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” (1 Peter 3:6).

Strengths

• Counted him faithful who had promised
• Obeyed Abraham
• Joy at the promised son

Weaknesses

• Dealt hardly with Hagar
• Blamed Abram when Hagar despised her
• Laughed at the promise, then denied it

Themes

• Barrenness and promise
• Laughter
• Sister and wife
• Hagar and Ishmael
• Mother of nations

Sarai, barren, goes out with Abram (Genesis 11:29–12:5)

Sarai is named as Abram's wife and said to be barren; she goes out from Ur with Terah's household and then with Abram into the land of Canaan.

Taken into Pharaoh's house (Genesis 12:10–20)

In a famine Abram tells Sarai to say she is his sister, Pharaoh's princes praise her and she is taken into Pharaoh's house, and the LORD plagues Pharaoh's house because of her until she is sent away with Abram.

Taken into Pharaoh's house

When a famine drove Abram down into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon” (Genesis 12:11). He told her what to say: “Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee” (Genesis 12:13). The text gives Abram’s words and records no reply from Sarai.

“And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And he dealt well with Abram for her sake” (Genesis 12:15-16).

“And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife” (Genesis 12:17). Pharaoh called Abram and asked, “why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?” (Genesis 12:18), and then said, “why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way” (Genesis 12:19). Pharaoh's men brought Abram on the way, “and his wife, and all that he had” (Genesis 12:20).

Gives Hagar to Abram (Genesis 16:1–16)

Sarai, having borne no children, gives her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to Abram as a wife; Hagar conceives and despises her, Sarai deals hardly with her, and Hagar flees until the angel of the LORD sends her back and Ishmael is born.

The new name and the promise of a son (Genesis 17:15–22)

God says Sarai shall be called Sarah, that she shall bear Abraham a son whose name is Isaac, and that she shall be a mother of nations; Abraham falls on his face and laughs.

The visitors and the laughter (Genesis 18:1–15)

Three men come to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre and ask for Sarah; she hears at the tent door that she shall have a son, laughs within herself, and denies it when the LORD asks Abraham why she laughed.

The visitors and the laughter

“And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), and three men stood before Abraham. He told Sarah, “Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes” (Genesis 18:6). Then the men asked, “Where is Sarah thy wife?” (Genesis 18:9) and he answered, “Behold, in the tent” (Genesis 18:9).

“And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him” (Genesis 18:10). “Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” (Genesis 18:11-12).

“And Jehovah said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old? Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son” (Genesis 18:13-14).

“Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh” (Genesis 18:15).

Taken by Abimelech at Gerar (Genesis 20:1–18)

At Gerar Abraham says of Sarah, She is my sister, and she says, He is my brother; Abimelech king of Gerar takes her, but God warns him in a dream, and he restores her to Abraham, for the LORD had closed the wombs of his house because of her.

Isaac is born and Hagar is sent away (Genesis 21:1–21)

The LORD visits Sarah and she bears Isaac; when he is weaned she sees Hagar's son mocking and asks that Hagar and her son be cast out, and God tells Abraham to hearken to her voice.

Isaac is born and Hagar is sent away

“And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken. And Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him” (Genesis 21:1-2). Abraham called him Isaac. “And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh; every one that heareth will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? for I have borne him a son in his old age” (Genesis 21:6-7).

“And the child grew, and was weaned” (Genesis 21:8). “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son: for the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac” (Genesis 21:9-10).

“And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed” (Genesis 21:11-13). Abraham rose early, gave Hagar bread and a bottle of water, and sent her away with the child (Genesis 21:14). Scripture does not record Sarah’s words after this.

Dies at Hebron and is buried at Machpelah (Genesis 23:1–20)

Sarah dies at Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron, at a hundred and twenty-seven years; Abraham mourns, buys the field and cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite, and buries her there.

Dies at Hebron and is buried at Machpelah

“And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her” (Genesis 23:1-2). Scripture does not give the cause of her death.

Abraham rose up and said to the children of Heth, “I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight” (Genesis 23:4). Ephron the Hittite offered the field and the cave as a gift, but Abraham said, “I will give the price of the field” (Genesis 23:13), and he “weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named … four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant” (Genesis 23:16).

“And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 23:19). Of the same cave it is later written, “there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife” (Genesis 25:10), and Jacob says, “There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife” (Genesis 49:31).

Abraham (Genesis 11:29; Genesis 12:5; Genesis 16:2; Genesis 20:2; Genesis 20:12; Genesis 21:12; Genesis 23:2; Genesis 23:19)

Her husband, who took her from Haran into Canaan, twice called her his sister, hearkened to her voice, and mourned and buried her at Machpelah.

Isaac (Genesis 21:1–3; Genesis 24:67)

The son she bore in her old age as the LORD had said; after her death he was comforted when he brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent.

Hagar (Genesis 16:1–6; Genesis 21:9–14)

Sarai's Egyptian handmaid, whom she gave to Abram to be his wife; she despised her mistress, was dealt with hardly, and was later sent away.

Ishmael (Genesis 16:15; Genesis 21:9–10)

The son Hagar bore to Abram, whom Sarah saw mocking and called the son of this handmaid, who shall not be heir with Isaac.

Pharaoh (Genesis 12:15–20)

King of Egypt, into whose house she was taken; the LORD plagued his house because of Sarai, and he gave her back to Abram.

Abimelech (Genesis 20:2–7; Genesis 20:14–18)

King of Gerar, who took her, was warned by God in a dream, restored her to Abraham, and told her she was righted.

The LORD (Genesis 17:15–19; Genesis 18:13–14; Genesis 21:1)

Promised Abraham a son by Sarah, asked why she laughed, and visited her as he had said.

Major sections

• Genesis 11:27–12:20
• Genesis 16
• Genesis 17:15–22
• Genesis 18:1–15
• Genesis 20–21
• Genesis 23

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