Encyclopedia entry · Person
Sarah
Curator's research file
Subject · person
Sarah
Identity
- Name meaning
- princess; lady
Family
- Parent(s)
- —
- Spouse
- —
- Children
- —
- Tribe / people
- —
Era & origin
- Era
- 2000–1900 BC (traditional chronology)
- Region
- —
- Contemporary of
- —
Role
- Role
- Wife of Abraham; mother of Isaac; matriarch of Israel
- Notable for
- Sarah was Abraham's wife and half-sister, and mother of Isaac, the child of God's promise.
Scripture
- First mention
- Genesis 11:29
- Most cited
- Genesis 18
Network
- Referenced by
- 26 entries
- Voices
- —
Life and Covenant
Sarah appears first in *Genesis 11:29* as Sarai, the wife of Abram. She was his half-sister, sharing the same father but different mothers (*Genesis 20:12*). When God established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham, He renamed both: Abram became Abraham ("father of many nations"), and Sarai became Sarah ("princess for all the race"), reflecting her new role as mother of the promised heir. For years she remained childless, a source of deep sorrow in ancient culture, yet she remained bound to Abraham through his sojourning in Canaan and Egypt.
Mother of Isaac
At an advanced age, Sarah bore Isaac, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham. Her delayed motherhood became a sign of divine power and faithfulness. After Isaac's birth, Sarah lived to see him grow, dying at the remarkable age of 127 years—*the only instance in Scripture where a woman's age at death is recorded (Genesis 23:1*). Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah at Hebron as a family burial place for her, establishing the first patriarchal tomb in the Promised Land.
Legacy and Type
Sarah's faithfulness is honored throughout Scripture. In *1 Peter 3:6, she exemplifies conjugal obedience, and in Hebrews 11:11*, she is counted among the Old Testament faithful who "all died in faith." Paul's allegory in *Galatians 4:22–31 presents her as a type of the "Jerusalem which is above,"* symbolizing the church and the promise of God. Her life demonstrates that faith and trust in God's promises sustain even through long seasons of waiting.
Key passages
See also
Source · AI-drafted from public-domain sources (Smith's 1884, Easton's 1897), synthesized + modernized; auto-verified for fidelity. Final gospel.bot review recommended.












