The Bible tells readers many curious and soul-taking stories. We meet interesting characters who perform feats, sometimes falling into fantastic or difficult circumstances, but with the help of God remain unharmed.
The story of Abraham, the progenitor of the Jewish family, and his wife is a story of deep trust in the Almighty. The life of these ancient people was full of trials, difficulties, passions, mistakes, but they always followed God, even when it was hard and did not believe that the Lord would fulfill his promises.
One of the most striking female characters in the Old Testament was the wife of the forefather of the Jewish people. What was the name of Abraham’s wife, her life story, behavior, character, purpose and destiny will be shown in this article.
How it all started
The Bible tells us that Abram lived with his father and brothers in the Sumerian city of Ur, located on the banks of the Euphrates River. Ur was famous for ports, in which there were many ships. This large city quickly grew rich in trade with other lands, including Canaan. Abram's father, Farrah, decided to leave Ur and go the hard way to Canaan. When they reached a place called Harran, his father died, and Abram became the head of the clan.
At that time, God appeared to Abram and said that he should leave the house in Haran and follow to the lands that the Lord would show him. This choice was difficult for Abraham. He loved life in the city, but did not want to run away from God, he listened to the voice of the Creator and trusted Him. The Lord said that Abram would become the progenitor of an entire nation if he obeyed Him. God changed his name to Abraham, which means "parent of many." In the 12th chapter of Genesis we read the following lines:
And the Lord said to Abram: go from thy land, from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make a great nation from you, and I will bless you, and I will magnify your name, and you will be a blessing.
In Harran, Abraham left the household to his brother, Nahor, and he himself chose the path of a Bedouin herder. The rich lands left Abraham with his nephew Lot and faithful wife. The name of Abraham's wife is Sarah.
The meaning of the name and appearance of Sarah
Let us dwell on the image of the wife of Abraham. The wife of Abraham in the biblical tradition bore the name of Sarah. Translated from the Hebrew name, Sarah means "princess", "mistress of many." At birth, Sarah had a different name - Sarah or Sarai, which had the meaning of "noble." But God, when he added the second letter a to Abram, he did the same with Sarah, only added the second r to the name. This began to mean that Sarah would be the mother of a large nation.
Sarah became the wife of Abraham in Ur of the Chaldeans, where they grew up and lived until they decided to go to the land of Canaan. She was the half-sister to her husband. Abraham's wife, Sarah, accompanied her husband in all wanderings and was about 10 years younger than him. Sarah is considered the ancestor of the Jewish people. But at the time she left Ur, the nationality of Abraham's wife was not Jewish yet. Jews began to call their descendants. With a greater degree of probability, we can conclude that Sarah was a Chaldean, as she grew up in Mesopotamia, on the right bank of the Euphrates River, where the Chaldeans lived in those days.
It is clear from the Scriptures that Sarah was a very beautiful woman. There are no verses in the Bible that would praise the beauty of Sarah, but if we take the narrative context, we can conclude that Abraham's wife was beautiful.
Looking ahead, we say that his girlfriend was so beautiful that Abraham, fearing for his life, tried to pass off Sarah as his sister, when they lived in the court of the Egyptian pharaoh and in the king of Gerara - Abimelech. There was something for Abraham to fear. Then there were many cases when the rulers, without hesitation, could kill a man, and take the beautiful wife to him. Abraham's wife obediently obeyed her husband's instructions and obeyed him in everything.
Sarah's character
Abraham's wife, Sarah, was not an obedient puppet in the arms of her husband.
Yes, she obeyed Abraham, but had a harmful and sometimes stubborn character, thanks to which she could insist on her decision. In chapter 21, verse 12 of Genesis, God personally tells Abraham to obey his wife’s voice:
in all that Sarah tells you, obey her voice.
Abraham regularly asked his wife for advice or advice, and also considered it important for himself to obtain Sarah's approval in order to make a decision.
As described in the Bible, Sarah, the wife of Abraham, indicated that her husband needed to be done, and he complied with her requests. An example is the relationship of Sarah and Hagar. Sarah asked Abraham to drive out the maid, who bore a son from him. Abraham did not want to drive out Hagar, but Sarah showed rigidity in character, and he was forced to obey his wife. Abraham sent the maid with his son into exile, although he did it against his will.
Sarah in Egypt
When Abraham left his house in Harran and roamed the land of Canaan, a severe famine occurred in these parts, there was no food. Therefore, he went to Egypt to feed his family and servants.
When Abraham was in Egypt, he gave Sarah to the palace to Pharaoh. A logical question arises. Why did Abraham give his wife to Pharaoh? The answer lies in the character of Abraham. He was afraid that he would be killed. Even in Canaan, from travelers who met on his way, he heard that the Egyptian pharaohs, if they see a beautiful wife by their husband, would do everything to make a woman an adornment of their yard. Many men suffered from the desire of the rulers to have their wives, and were killed. For this reason, Abraham gave his wife to Pharaoh to stay alive.
In the 12th chapter of Genesis we read that on the way to Egypt Abraham asked Sarah not to tell anyone that they were spouses. He persuaded to say that she was his sister, then he would be left alive and the pharaoh could well give him gifts:
and when the Egyptians see you, they will say: this is his wife ; and they will kill me, but they will leave you alive; tell me that you are my sister, that I may be well for your sake, and that my soul may be alive through you.
Sarah obeyed her husband, as she had done before. She realized that such a move could lead to family enrichment and prosperity. Abraham was a savvy man, before his tricks brought them only profit.
And so it happened. In Egypt, the beauty of Sarah was liked by the nobles of the pharaoh, she was taken to serve in the palace, and “brother” Abraham was given small and large cattle, slaves and slaves.
But God did not want Abraham to live in deception, and did not fulfill his destiny. The Lord struck Pharaoh and his family with a terrible disease, and then a fraud appeared on the part of Abraham.
Once, Pharaoh called to Sarah and Abraham. He asked why they had deceived him, because soon the pharaoh was thinking of playing a wedding with Sarah and marrying her. The ruler of Egypt was very upset, but was merciful and drove the deceivers out of the palace, and his servants led them to the border with Canaan.
Sarah and Hagar
After Egypt, Abraham returned to Canaan with his family, cattle, and slaves. Between Bethel and Gaius, at the sacrificial stone, which he made a long time ago, Abraham thanked God for keeping him on the way and keeping him from the wrath of the pharaoh. In this place, Abraham broke up with his nephew Lot, who decided to separate from his uncle and live independently.
Abraham settled in Hebron, by the oak wood of Mamre. God's promise that Sarah would give birth to a child from whom the descendants of Abraham would descend was not fulfilled. The Lord has repeatedly confirmed his covenant with Abraham that he will give them a child. Time passed, Sarah became old, and the heir was not born. Then Sarah decided to take this problem into her own hands and thought that if she was not destined to have a baby, then the maid would give them offspring with Abraham.
Sarah brought a servant to her husband, whom she brought with her from Egypt. The maid was called Hagar. She told Abraham to spend the night with her so that Hagar could conceive a child. Interestingly, Abraham obeyed Sarah. In Genesis 16: 2 we read:
behold, the Lord has enclosed my womb, lest I should give birth; Come in to my maid: perhaps I will have children from her. Abram obeyed the words of Sarah.
Sarah suggested that when Hagar gives birth to a child, she will be able to take the child to her so that her husband has a long-awaited heir to whom all property could be left.
Without any questions, Abraham followed his wife’s advice and went into the tent to the servant in order to conceive a child. They spent a pleasant night, after which Hagar realized that she was carrying a child.
When Hagar found out that she was pregnant, she hated her mistress, Sarah. From the biblical context it follows that Sarah ran to her husband and began to scold him, express his claims to him, declare Abraham guilty of her position: what is it, I gave you to spend the night with my maid, and she despises me. Of course, a very strange female act: she herself became the organizer, allowed her husband to change with the servant, and then she looks for the guilty on the side. In verse 6 of chapter 16 we read the answer of Abraham:
behold, your servant is in your hands; do whatever you like with her.
Abraham washed his hands and left the fate of Hagar to his wife, because she is her servant, let Sarah herself deal with her. And Sarah began to oppress, insult, and humiliate Hagar. Most likely, the maid was brought to such a state that she could no longer tolerate the mistress of the lady, and left Mamre's oak grove and fled.
When Hagar was in the wilderness, an angel of God appeared to her. He said that she should return to Abraham and Sarah and become obedient to her mistress. The angel transmitted the message to Hagar from God that a great nation would come from it (Genesis 16:10):
multiplying I will multiply your offspring, so that it will be impossible to count it from the multitude.
Hagar returned to Sarah and gave birth to a son, whom she named Ishmael. He is considered the founder of the Arab tribes.
Sarah in this episode is a grumpy, vengeful woman with a sinful human nature. Sarah is an ordinary person. She does not see her mistakes, but tries to blame others for the misfortunes that occur in her life.
Guests of Abraham
When Abraham sat at the entrance to the tent, like a true Bedouin, he noticed that three people were approaching him. Abraham ran to these people and bowed, he somehow found out that one of the guests was the Lord. He was glad that God had come to visit him. The owner of the house began to fuss to feed the guests. Women were in charge of the household. Abraham ran to Sarah and asked her to bake fresh cakes for dear guests, and the servant asked to take the best calf and cook it.
The guests told Abraham that God would give him posterity, fulfill His covenant, that he promised that it would be fulfilled. Sarah overheard what her husband and guests were talking about, and laughed. She was funny that she could still give birth to a child. Sarah understood that she was old, and usually all the reproductive functions of the body at this age are already inactive.
The Lord did not understand Sarah’s laughter. The answer is described in the Bible: Abraham's wife, Sarah, shared her doubt that it is impossible to give birth to a child in old age. To which the Lord told Abraham that the child would be born next year.
When Sarah, the wife of Abraham, heard what one of the guests said, she lied that she did not laugh. But nothing can be hidden from the Lord; He knows the heart of every person. Sarah was afraid that she doubted the words of God, and therefore said a lie.
Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech
Abraham wandered through the land of Canaan and on his way stopped in the city of Gerar, whose king was Abimelech.
In Gerar, the same scenario occurred with Abraham as in Egypt. Abraham does not learn from mistakes, or vice versa, he realized that passing off a wife as a sister can be profitable.
When in Gerar they saw that Abraham’s wife was a very beautiful woman, they told the king about this, and he, in turn, ordered her to be brought to the palace with her man. Abraham, appearing before Abimelech, deceived the king, saying that it was not his wife, but his sister. Sarah was silent and obeyed her husband in everything.
At night, Abimelech in a dream the Lord came. He warned that Abimelech should not touch Sarah and in the morning to separate her husband back. God warned the king that if he did otherwise, He would kill him and the whole Abimelech family.
At dawn, the king called Abraham and his wife to him. Abimelech was indignant at why Abraham did this to him; he asked him what prompted him to do this. Abraham stood before the king and honestly confessed everything. He said that he was afraid that for the beautiful Sarah he might be killed. Abraham explained to Abimelech that they had agreed with his wife that no matter what land they came to, Sarah should say that Abraham was her brother. The forefather of the Jewish people partially lied. Sarah was his wife, but on father they were brother and sister, but their mothers are different.
Abimelech returned his wife to Abraham, gave him money (silver shekels), cattle and slaves. Sarah, king of Gerara, said that now she is justified before the people and pure.
Fulfillment of the covenant
As God promised, the following year Sarah gave birth to a child, and Isaac was named. The birth was not easy, Sarah was old.
After giving birth, Sarah looked at the baby and with a grunt said that people would make fun when they find out that the old woman not only gave birth to a child, but also is able to feed with milk. In the 21st chapter of Genesis we read:
And Sarah said: God made me a laugh; whoever hears about me laughs. And she said: who would say to Abraham: Sarah will breastfeed her children? for in his old age I gave birth to a son. The child has grown and weaned; and Abraham made a great feast that day when Isaac was weaned.
Abraham rejoiced that a heir had been born, promised by God, a child from whom a large nation would descend. On this occasion, when Sarah stopped breastfeeding, he made a rich feast.
Goodbye Hagar
Sarah began to notice that Ishmael, the son of Hagar from Abraham, loved to mock young Isaac - to tease and laugh at him. Sarah did not like this behavior of Ishmael. She came to Abraham and menacingly declared that her husband would drive out the slave and her son.
Sarah was cunning. She took the moment to get rid of the hated servant, the first-born of Abraham - Ishmael, so that her son would receive all the property that he would get from his father.
Abraham obeyed his wife. He remembered the words of the Lord that he should listen to the voice of Sarah.
Early in the morning, Abraham collected bread and water, gave it all to the maid and sent it with Ishmael away from his tent. It was hard for Abraham to part with his firstborn, whom he loved, but did not want to go against the will of his wife and God.
Hagar and his son wandered through the desert and got lost. When water and food ran out, Ishmael was close to die. The desperate Hagar put her son under a tree, and she herself went away so as not to see the death of her beloved lad. Hagar sat on a stone and cried. But God did not leave the Egyptian woman. An angel came and pointed her to a source of water. Happy Hagar and Ishmael ran and drank from the well. They settled next to a source of water. When Ishmael grew up, Hagar found him an Egyptian wife, from whom he had 12 sons.
The death and burial of Sarah
There is a hypothesis that says that Sarah died before Abraham, because her mother’s heart could not stand it when she found out that her husband almost sacrificed his son. Abraham passed the test from God, his faith was strong, but Sarah could not survive such an act of her husband, she was old and her heart began to ache greatly. But this is just the opinion of a number of Bible scholars.
The 23rd chapter of Genesis tells us how Sarah died and in what place she was buried.
Sarah died at 127 years old in Kiriath Arba, this area is now called Hebron. Abraham cried for a long time that his beloved wife was gone, and when the time came to bury Sarah, it turned out that land for her burial was nowhere to be found.
Abraham went to the sons of Heth and began to ask them for a place to bury his wife. They gave a positive answer, saying that Abraham could choose the best plot of burial land for Sarah. Abraham wanted to bury his wife in the cave of Machpelah, which belonged to Ephron. But Efron sold Abraham not only a cave, but also a field for 400 shekels. Sarah was buried in Machpelah, and Abraham said goodbye to his wife.
After Sarah, Abraham had a second wife, Hettur, from whom other children were born to him. But Abraham gave his wealth, cattle and slaves to Isaac.
Abraham died at 175 years old, he was buried next to Sarah.
Now we know what the name of Abraham's wife was, it is clear from the Bible what character she had. She lived a long life, fulfilled her destiny on earth, having given birth to the heir to Abraham - Isaac. Sarah was an ordinary man: an obedient wife, economic, grouchy, vengeful, envious, proud, but strong and faithful to God and husband.