Protos

Who was Sarah in the Bible?

Lived in the age of the patriarchs

Sarah initially named Sarai, was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac. She was born in Ur of the Chaldeans and married Abraham (then known as Abram) while they lived in Haran (Gen.11.29-31). Sarah appears in 33 verses across 5 books of the Bible.

Sarah Hears and Laughs, c. 1896-1901 by James Tissot
Sarah Hears and Laughs, c. 1896-1901 by James Tissot · James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

What does the Bible say about Sarah?

Sarah, initially named Sarai, was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac. She was born in Ur of the Chaldeans and married Abraham (then known as Abram) while they lived in Haran (Gen.11.29-31). Sarah accompanied Abraham when God called him to leave Haran and go to the land of Canaan (Gen.12.5). Despite God's promise that Abraham would have numerous descendants, Sarah was barren (Gen.11.30). In her impatience, she gave her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, to Abraham as a wife to bear a child on her behalf (Gen.16.1-4). This resulted in the birth of Ishmael (Gen.16.15-16). When Abraham was 99 years old, God reaffirmed His covenant with him, changed his name from Abram to Abraham, and changed Sarai's name to Sarah (Gen.17.5, 15). God promised that Sarah would bear a son, Isaac, through whom the covenant would be established (Gen.17.19, 21; 18.10-14). Sarah initially laughed at this idea due to her advanced age (Gen.18.12-15). However, as God had promised, Sarah conceived and gave birth to Isaac when she was 90 years old (Gen.21.1-7). Sarah's faith is commended in Heb.11.11, which states that she received the ability to conceive because she considered God faithful to His promise. Sarah died at the age of 127 in Kirjath-arba (Hebron), and Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah as a burial site for her (Gen.23.1-20). Her life story demonstrates the importance of faith, patience, and trust in God's promises, even in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances.

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Sarah appear in the Bible?

Sarah is referenced in 33 verses across 5 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

Genesis 28Romans 21 Peter 1Hebrews 1Isaiah 1

Showing the first 24 of 33.

Open all 33 references in Protos

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Sarah.

AbrahamIsaacWifeTentAbimelechCovenant

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Sarah?

Sarah appears in 33 verses across 5 books, most often in Genesis, which accounts for 28 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Sarah?

Genesis, Romans, 1 Peter, Hebrews, Isaiah.

Where can I read every verse about Sarah?

This page lists 24 of them. Protos carries all 33, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read Genesis with Sarah explained on the verse.

Tap any name, place, or word you do not recognize and the background opens on the verse you are reading. No second tab, no search, no losing your place.

The Protos reader open on Genesis 1 with the How to Read Genesis background sheet raised over it
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Fabio Jonathan ArifinFabio JonathanFounder of Protos · Portland Bible College graduate

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