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Sarai is Abram’s wife. Sarai remains barren for many years, though God has promised children to her and Abram. Eventually, she takes matters into her own hands by giving her slave, Hagar, to Abram, but after Hagar conceives, Sarai angrily drives her into the desert. When the angel of the LORD reiterates the promise of children, Sarah, now 90, laughs at the thought. However, God fulfills his promise, enabling Sarai to conceive and bear Isaac (whose name means “laughter”). Sarah dies at age 127 and is buried in the cave of Machpelah.
Sarai (Sarah) Quotes in Genesis
The Genesis quotes below are all either spoken by Sarai (Sarah) or refer to Sarai (Sarah). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 18 Quotes
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”
Related Characters:
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Sarai (Sarah) Character Timeline in Genesis
The timeline below shows where the character Sarai (Sarah) appears in Genesis. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 11
...father Terah, in the land of Ur. Meanwhile, his brother Abram took a wife named Sarai, and his brother Nahor took a wife named Milcah. Sarai was barren, or childless. Terah,...
(full context)
Chapter 12
When a famine hits the land, Abram and Sarai go to Egypt. Before they enter Egypt, Abram tells Sarai that because she is beautiful,...
(full context)
Chapter 16
After they have lived in Canaan for 10 years, Sarai has born Abram no children. She tells Abram that because God has kept her from...
(full context)
...LORD finds Hagar by a spring in the wilderness and tells her to return to Sarai. He also promises Hagar that he will give her innumerable offspring. She will soon bear...
(full context)
Chapter 17
Then God says that Abraham’s wife must no longer be called Sarai, but Sarah. God will give Abram a son by her, and from her will come...
(full context)
Chapter 18
...them, urging the men to stop and refresh themselves. When the men agree, Abraham tells Sarah to prepare cakes, and a calf is slaughtered. He sets this feast before the visitors....
(full context)
Chapter 20
Abraham and Sarah settle in Gerar on the way to the Negeb. While there, Abraham pretends that Sarah...
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Chapter 21
The LORD fulfills his promise to Sarah—she conceives and bears Abraham a son, whom Abraham names Isaac. Isaac is circumcised at eight...
(full context)
After Isaac is weaned, Sarah sees Hagar’s son Ishmael playing with Isaac, and she gets angry. She demands that Abraham...
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Chapter 23
Sarah lives for 127 years and dies at Hebron in the land of Canaan. Abraham asks...
(full context)
Chapter 25
...his possessions to Isaac, Abraham dies at age 175. Isaac and Ishmael bury Abraham with Sarah in the cave of Machpelah. Afterward, Isaac settles at Beer-lahai-roi. Ishmael, son of Abraham and...
(full context)
Chapter 49
Jacob commands his sons to bury him in the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah are buried. Then Jacob breathes his last.
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