Sarah

Matriarch

Daughter of Terah, wife of the patriarch Abraham, and mother of Isaac.

About Sarah

The wife of Abraham. Sarah's name was originally Sarai (Genesis 11:29). God changed her name to Sarah (which means "princess") when God promised that she would have a son and become the mother of nations and kings (17:15–16). Sarah was both the wife and the half-sister of Abraham (20:12).

Sarah went with Abraham in his journey from Ur of the Chaldees to Haran and eventually into the land of Canaan (Genesis 11:31; 12:5). For many years, she could not have children. When God promised Abraham that he would make of him a great nation (in 12:2) and that the land of Canaan would be given to his seed (verse 7), Sarah remained unable to have children.

After 10 years, Sarah continued without children (compare Genesis 12:4; 16:16). So she gave her Egyptian slave, Hagar, to Abraham as a concubine. Hagar had a son named Ishmael (16:3–4). God promised that a nation would come from Ishmael (17:20). But God said that Ishmael was not the child he had promised. Sarah herself was to be the mother of this child, even though she laughed when the birth was predicted. The fulfillment of this prediction took place with the birth of Isaac (21:2–3). Sarah was 90 years old, 25 years after God first promised Abraham would have children (17:17; 21:5).

When Abraham and Sarah first arrived in Canaan, they had to travel to Egypt because there was not enough food in Canaan. Abraham told the Egyptians that Sarah was only his sister, not his wife. Because Sarah was very beautiful, Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) took her into his palace (Genesis 12:11–15). The Egyptians treated Abraham well instead of killing him. God protected Sarah and Abraham's marriage by sending plagues on Pharaoh's household until he released Sarah.

A similar event happened in Gerar, where King Abimelech took Sarah into his household (chapter 20). Again, God protected Sarah and kept her as the mother of the promised child. God made sure there would be no doubt that Isaac was Abraham and Sarah's son. Isaac was born soon after this event (21:1–5). This was about a year after God had promised his birth (17:21; 18:10–14). Sarah died at the age of 127. She was buried in the cave at Machpelah, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite (chapter 23).

Apart from the book of Genesis, Sarah is referred to in the Old Testament only in Isaiah 51:2. The New Testament mentions her in Romans 4:19, 9:9, Hebrews 11:11, 1 Peter 3:6, and Galatians 4:21–31, although in the Galatians text, she is not mentioned by name.

See also Abraham; Barrenness.

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Family Relationships

Parents
Terah
Partner
Abraham
Half-siblings 3
Abraham, Nahor, Haran
Child
Isaac
Nieces & Nephews 23
Ishmael, Isaac, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah, Uz (Genesis 22:21), Buz, Kemuel, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, Bethuel, Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, Maacah, Lot, Milcah, Iscah

Key References

Genesis 11:29

And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 17:15

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah.

Genesis 21:1

Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised.

Genesis 23:1

Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.

All Scripture References (48)

Genesis (43)
Genesis 11:29

And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 11:30

But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

Genesis 11:31

And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there.

Genesis 12:5

And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

Genesis 12:11

As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,

Genesis 12:17

The LORD, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.

Genesis 16:1

Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.

Genesis 16:2

So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Genesis 16:3

So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.

Genesis 16:5

Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

Genesis 16:6

“Here,” said Abram, “your servant is in your hands. Do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she fled from her.

Genesis 16:8

“Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied.

Genesis 17:15

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah.

Genesis 17:17

Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”

Genesis 17:19

But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

Genesis 17:21

But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”

Genesis 18:6

So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”

Genesis 18:9

“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied.

Genesis 18:10

Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.

Genesis 18:11

And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

Genesis 18:12

So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

Genesis 18:13

And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’

Genesis 18:14

Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”

Genesis 18:15

But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”

Genesis 20:2

Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

Genesis 20:14

So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.

Genesis 20:16

And he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared.”

Genesis 20:18

for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.

Genesis 21:1

Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised.

Genesis 21:2

So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.

Genesis 21:3

And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him.

Genesis 21:6

Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”

Genesis 21:7

She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Genesis 21:9

But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,

Genesis 21:12

But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.

Genesis 23:1

Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.

Genesis 23:2

She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.

Genesis 23:19

After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

Genesis 24:36

My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.

Genesis 24:67

And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death.

Genesis 25:10

This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah.

Genesis 25:12

This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.

Genesis 49:31

There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.

Isaiah (1)
Isaiah 51:2

Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.

Romans (2)
Romans 4:19

Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.

Romans 9:9

For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

Hebrews (1)
Hebrews 11:11

By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.

1 Peter (1)
1 Peter 3:6

just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. And you are her children if you do what is right and refuse to give way to fear.