Sarai, later known as Sarah, is a prominent figure in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the Book of Genesis. She is the wife of Abram (later Abraham) and the mother of Isaac. Sarai's account is integral to the narrative of the patriarchs and the unfolding of God's covenant with Abraham.

Name and Meaning

The name Sarai is believed to mean "my princess" or "princess." In Genesis 17:15, God changes her name to Sarah, which also means "princess," signifying her role as the matriarch of nations and the mother of kings.

Family and Early Life

Sarai was the daughter of Terah, making her Abram's half-sister, as they shared the same father but not the same mother (Genesis 20:12). She was born in Ur of the Chaldeans, a city in ancient Mesopotamia. Sarai and Abram were married before they left Ur to journey to Canaan, following God's call to Abram.

Journey to Canaan

Sarai accompanied Abram on his journey from Ur to Haran and then to Canaan, as described in Genesis 12. This journey was marked by faith and obedience to God's command. Despite the challenges they faced, including a famine that led them to Egypt, Sarai remained a steadfast partner to Abram.

Sarai in Egypt

During their sojourn in Egypt, Abram, fearing for his life due to Sarai's beauty, asked her to say she was his sister. Pharaoh took Sarai into his palace, but God intervened by sending plagues upon Pharaoh's household, leading to Sarai's release (Genesis 12:10-20).

Promise of a Son

Sarai was initially barren, which was a source of great distress for her. In Genesis 15, God promised Abram that he would have a son, but Sarai, doubting due to her advanced age, gave her maidservant Hagar to Abram as a wife to bear a child on her behalf. This union resulted in the birth of Ishmael (Genesis 16).

Covenant and Name Change

In Genesis 17, God reaffirmed His covenant with Abram, changing his name to Abraham and Sarai's name to Sarah. God promised that Sarah would bear a son, Isaac, through whom the covenant would be established. Despite her initial laughter at the prospect due to her old age, Sarah's faith was ultimately rewarded (Genesis 17:15-19).

Birth of Isaac

As promised, Sarah gave birth to Isaac when Abraham was 100 years old, and she was 90. This miraculous event is recorded in Genesis 21:1-7. Isaac's birth was a fulfillment of God's promise and a testament to His faithfulness.

Legacy

Sarah's life is a testament to faith and the fulfillment of God's promises. She is honored in the New Testament as a woman of faith. In Hebrews 11:11, it is written, "By faith even Sarah herself, when she was barren, received power to conceive a child, even when she was past the age, since she considered Him faithful who had promised."

Sarah is also mentioned in 1 Peter 3:6 as an example of a godly wife, highlighting her obedience and respect for Abraham. Her legacy as the mother of nations and a key figure in the lineage of the Messiah underscores her importance in biblical history.8297. Saray -- a wife of Abram
... 8296b, 8297. Saray. 8298 . a wife of Abram. Transliteration: Saray Phonetic
Spelling: (saw-rah'-ee) Short Definition: Sarai. ... Sarai. ...
/hebrew/8297.htm - 6k

Chapter xvi
... Yahweh's grace will give him, man can contribute nothing. The experience of this
chapter makes this fact most clearly apparent to Abram and to Sarai. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xvi.htm

Scenes in the Lives of the Patriarchs.
... valleys, was Abram. A worshipper of the Infinite One, he married Sarai, a
maiden of elevated piety and personal beauty. And doubtless ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/scenes in the lives of.htm

Abraham --The Father of the Faithful.
... He took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his nephew, and some servants, and cows, and
sheep, and camels, and asses, and went into the land of Canaan. ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter iii abrahamthe father of.htm

How Abram Our Forefather Went Out of the Land of the Chaldeans ...
... 1. Now Abram, having no son of his own, adopted Lot, his brother Haran's son, and
his wife Sarai's brother; and he left the land of Chaldea when he was seventy ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 how abram our.htm

How Abram Fought with the Assyrians, and Overcame Them, and Saved ...
... Accordingly Sarai, at God's command, brought to his bed one of her handmaidens,
a woman of Egyptian descent, in order to obtain children by her; and when this ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 how abram fought.htm

Chapter xii
... his early life prior to the time of the first call in Ur of Chaldees"concerning,
which period we know absolutely nothing except that Abram took Sarai to wife ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xii.htm

Chapter xi
... Now Abram and Nahor married: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of
Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xi.htm

Sarai's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Sarai's (1 Occurrence). Genesis 16:8 He said,
"Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where ...
/s/sarai's.htm - 6k

Hagar (15 Occurrences)
... HAGAR. ha'-gar (haghar, "emigration," "flight"; Hagar, Agar): An Egyptian woman,
the handmaid or slave of Sarai; a present, perhaps, from Pharaoh when Abram ...
/h/hagar.htm - 22k

Goest (79 Occurrences)
... (ASV JPS). Genesis 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, whence camest thou? ...
And she said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai. (ASV JPS). ...
/g/goest.htm - 32k

I'm (30 Occurrences)
... (WEB). Genesis 16:8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come
from? Where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from ...
/i/i'm.htm - 14k

Fleeing (38 Occurrences)
... (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Flee. Multi-Version Concordance Fleeing (38 Occurrences). Genesis
16:8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? ...
/f/fleeing.htm - 18k

Mistress (20 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Genesis 16:8 He said, "Hagar,
Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you ...
/m/mistress.htm - 14k

Maidservant (73 Occurrences)
... Genesis 16:1 And Sarai Abram's wife did not bear him children. ... Genesis 16:2 And Sarai
said to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah has shut me up, that I do not bear. ...
/m/maidservant.htm - 28k

Master's (52 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Genesis 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come
from and where are you going? And she said, I am running ...
/m/master's.htm - 23k

Comest (50 Occurrences)
... Genesis 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maidservant, whence comest thou? ... And she
said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai. (DBY). ...
/c/comest.htm - 22k

Camest (27 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY WBS). Genesis 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest
thou? ... And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. (KJV JPS ASV WBS). ...
/c/camest.htm - 15k

Why did God punish Pharaoh for Abram's lie (Genesis 12:17)? | GotQuestions.org

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