SPECIAL TOPIC: SARAI/SARAH

SPECIAL TOPIC: SARAI / SARAH

Both names mean the same thing, but Sarai is the older form. Some think the root is

"princess" (BDB 979 I, KB 1354 I, Sarah – cf. Gen. 17:15, KB 1354 II) from the VERB "to rule"
possibly from the root "to strive." This may be better because of the root's relationship to "Israel" (cf. 32:28, BDB 975 I), which is from the same root "contend" (KB 1354 I).

Sarah is described in several ways

She was Abraham's wife, Gen. 11:29
She was barren, Gen. 11:30; Rom. 4:19
She was his half-sister, Gen. 20:12
She was very beautiful, Gen. 12:10-13; 20:1-7 (if you compare Gen. 12:4 with 17:17, her beauty lasted long past 65 years of age)
She was a jealous lady, Gen. 16; 21:8-21 (i.e., Hagar)
She laughed, as Abraham did, at God's promise about a child, Isaac, Gen. 18:1-10
She died at the age of 127 and was buried at Hebron in the cave of Machpelah, Gen. 23:2-30
She is used by Paul in a typology with Hagar, Rom. 9:6-13; Gal. 4:21-31 (i.e., OT vs. NT)
She is mentioned by Peter as an example of a godly woman to encourage Christian women, 1 Pet. 3:1