Bible Women: Sarah

While the story of Eve was probably familiar to you in detail, the story of Sarah might be less familiar. There is actually much more to Sarah's story than the incidents included below which focus on the birth of her son Isaac late in life. For more about Sarah's younger life, see the article in Wikipedia. You will also find out more about Sarah in the story of her servant Hagar which you will read next.

[Notes by LKG]

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This story is part of the Bible Women unit. Story source: King James Bible (1611): Genesis 18 [LIBRIVOX AUDIO].

Sarah

(Abraham and Sarah at Mamre)

And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said, "My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant."

And they said, "So do, as thou hast said."

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth."

And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

And they said unto him, "Where is Sarah thy wife?"

And he said, "Behold, in the tent."

And he said, "I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son."

And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

And the LORD said unto Abraham, "Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?' Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."

Then Sarah denied, saying, "I laughed not;" for she was afraid.

And he said, "Nay; but thou didst laugh."

(Abraham, Sarah, and the Angel, by Jan Provoost)

And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

And Sarah said, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me."

And she said, "Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age."

And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

Next: Hagar

(500 words)