Women of the Bible Sarah Part 3

In this study we will take a look at the women within the Bible. We will look at each one of them and see how their story influences our lives today.

As we continue with our study on ‘The Women of the Bible’, we now look at Sarah, wife of Abraham.

The story of Sarah contains 7 episodes in which we shall Unravel: 

1  Sarah and the Pharaoh of Egypt, Genesis 11:29-12:1-20

2  Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael, Genesis 16

3  The Promise, Genesis 17

4  The Three Visitors, Genesis 18

5  Yahweh Warns Abimelek Off Sarah, Genesis 20

6  The Birth of Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away, Genesis 21

7  The End of Sarah's Story, Genesis 22, 23:1-2 

In our last study we continued with the story on Sarah. We learned in Chapter 17 that Yahweh not only changed the name of Abraham from Abram, but also changed Sarai (princely) to Sarah (princess). Then in Chapter 18 we read about the 3 visitors to Abraham, which the conversation led to the where about of Sarah and once again repeating the fact that Sarah will produce a son from Abraham

14   Is anything too hard = Here we have a figure of Speech called Erotesis; or, Interrogating

The Asking of Questions without waiting for the Answer

Er´-ô-tee´-sis. Greek, ἐρώτησις, interrogation (from ἐρωτᾶν, to ask, to enquire, to question: also to request)

This figure is used when a speaker or writer asks animated questions, but not to obtain information. Instead of making a plain and direct statement, he suddenly changes his style, and puts what he was about to say or could otherwise have said, into the form of a question, without waiting for an answer. Instead of declaring a conviction, or expressing indignation, or vindicating authority, he puts it in the form of a question without expecting any reply

Listening from behind the curtain, Sarah hears this, and laughs. It is after all an absurd thing at her age. The English version of the Bible describes her as 'old', but the original Hebrew word is more like 'worn out', as if she was an old rag ready to be thrown away. Her laughter suggests that she and Abraham have not had sexual intercourse for a long time.

Episode 5 Yahweh Warns Abimelek of Sarah Genesis 20

Just as you think things are straightening out for Sarah and Abraham, they blot their copybook yet again. There is a repetition of the grubby incident in Egypt, where Abraham tricked Pharaoh

Passing through Gerar, a town in the south of Canaan, Abraham again tells people that Sarah is his sister, not his wife. The same old lie. This time it is a king, Abimelek, who is taken in and who sends for Sarah 

Abraham's lie is almost as a beggar’s belief. Yahweh has promised him a son by Sarah, and yet he allows another man the chance to have sex with his wife 

Does he doubt his own ability to have sexual intercourse with Sarah, and to father a child? Or is he intent only in saving his skin when he is in danger? 

The storyteller tries to lessen Abraham's lie by saying that it is, after all, only a half lie. Sarah is Abraham's half sister as well as his wife, which is true. Marriage of a man and woman with the same father but different mothers was a fairly common practice then, though later forbidden  

(3-7) Yahweh threatens judgment upon Abimelek for taking Sarah

(8-10) Abraham once again suffers rebuke from a heathen king 

(11-13) Abraham’s excuse

(14-18) Abimelech’s gift recompenses Sarah, and Abraham prays for him.

Once again, I read from the Legends of the Old Testament on the birth of Isaac. This can be found on page 163

Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!

Have any questions? Feel free to email me; keitner2024@outlook.com