Sarah



Sarah (formerly Sarai) was the wife of Abraham (Abram). She went with him to the land of Canaan, but did not have any children at the time. Sarah is described as a woman of beautiful countenance, therefore many times when Abraham would go through a country and the king of that country would place her in their harem (because Abraham told the kings that she was his sister), but she would always end up back with Abraham (due to God cursing the nation). Sarah had no children, so she made Abraham have a child with her maid Hagar, but due to Sarah's harsh treatment of her, Hagar ran off, but came back after an encounter with an angel. Hagar had a son, Ishmael, but he was not to be Abraham's heir. Sometime later, three men, whom were actually angels came to Abraham and told him that he would have a son with Sarah, who would be the heir. When Sarah heard this she laughed, however about a year later, Sarah had a son, whom she named Isaac (laughter).

Journey to Canaan
Sarai was the daughter of Terah, but had a different mother than her husband and half-brother Abram. Sarai, Abram, Terah, and Lot (Abram's nephew) went out from the land of Ur to Haran. After Terah's death, the group continued on to Canaan after God spoke to Abram to leave his family and go on to the land God was to give him as an inheritance (Canaan). So Abram took Sarai, Lot, all their possessions, and all their people and went to the land to Canaan. They camped at Shechem and God then promised to give the land to Abram's descendants. After that, they traveled to the mountain east of Bethel and pitched their tents with Bethel to the west and Ai on the east, and Abram built an alter there. After that they continued south.

In Pharaoh's Harem
Soon after, there was a great famine in the land, so Abram took his family to Egypt to stay during the famine. Abram told Sarai as they were close to entering Egypt "Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you." (Gen. 12: 11-13). So when they entered Egypt, Sarai told the Egyptians that she was Abram's sister, so the Egyptians dealt kindly with Abram. However the princes of Egypt saw that Sarai was beautiful, and they told Pharaoh about her and he took her to his house and put her in his harem, and he gave many gifts to Abram. However, soon after, Pharaoh's house was plagued because of Sarai, so Pharaoh called Abram and gave Sarai back to Abram and sent them away. After that, they continued on south.

Sarai and Hagar
Since Sarai bore Abram no children, so Sarai told Abram to "go into" her maid Hagar, so that Sarai might have a child from her. So Abram took Hagar as a wife, laid down with her, and she became pregnant, and she despised Sarai. Sarai blamed Abram for her wrong and for Hagar hating her. So Abram gave her to Sarai to do as she pleased, and Sarai dealt harshly with her and Hagar fled. However, Hagar returned after receiving instruction from the Lord to return. Later, Hagar bore a son named Ishmael.

Sarai's New Name
When Abram was ninety-nine years old and Sarai was ninety, God spoke to Abram and promised to give him abundant descendants and make him a father of kings. The Lord changed his named from Abram to Abraham and gave him instruction on circumcision. God also changed Sarai's name to Sarah, and promised he would bless her and she would have a son and be a mother of nations. Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and asked God how he and Sarah could have a son, them being so old, but God reassured Abraham that Sarah would bare him a son and his name would be Issac.

Sarah's Laughter
Sometime later, the Lord and two angels appeared to Abraham in the image of three men. Abraham went to meet the men and offered them refreshments and rest. So he went into his tent and told Sarah to prepare three measure of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes, while he took a good calf and gave it to a young man to be prepared. Then the three men ate and rested and then they asked Abraham where is wife was. So Abraham answered and the men told him that by the they returned to him, Sarah would have a son. Now Sarah was listening by the tent door and laughed within herself because she and Abraham were too old to have children. Yet the Lord heard her and asked Abraham why she laughed, but Sarah denied it because she was afraid, but God said "No, but you did laugh!" (Gen. 18:15)

In Abimelech's Harem
Later, Abraham went south and stayed in Gerar, and again Abraham told King Abimelech that Sarah was not his wife, but his sister. So Abimelech took Sarah to his harem. However, God visited Abimelech in a dream and told him that he took a woman who was a man's wife, but Abimelech begged God not to kill him for he didn't know she was a wife, and in the early hours of the morning, he took Sarah back to Abraham and Abraham explained his true relation to Sarah and she was restored to him. And Abimelech gave Abraham many gifts, including a thousand pieces of silver as vindication for Sarah.

Issac Is Born
So the Lord came to Sarah and fulfilled his promise to her and Abraham, and she became pregnant. Sarah bore Abraham a son and named him Issac, as the Lord had said. However, when Sarah was Ishmael, Hagar's son scoffing at Issac, Sarah implored Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away, and he did.

Death and Burial
Sarah lived one hundred and twenty seven years and she died in Hebron and Abraham mourned for her. And he asked the sons of Heth for a burial place for her and they allowed him the choicest of placed for her, so Abraham asked them to meet with Ephron son of Zohar for him, so that he could bury his dead in the cave of Machpelah. But Ephron gave him the field and the cave that is in it for four hundred shekels of silver. So Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah.

Family
Sarah had only one son when she was old: Issac, but though Issac came the line of Jacob and his sons and the entire nation of Israel. So eventually, God's promise to Sarah, that she would be a mother of nations, was fulfilled.

New Testament
Sarah is mentioned by Peter in his first letter, where he praises her for he obedience to her husband. She is also mentioned in Romans and in Hebrews faith chapter.

Quotes
"I did not laugh."
 * "See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please go into my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." -Sarah to Abraham concerning Hagar (Gen.15:2)
 * "My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me." -Sarah blaming Abraham for Hagar despising her (Gen 15: 5)
 * "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" -Sarah laughing at the Lord's proclamation of her having a son (Gen. 16: 12)
 * "Why did Sarah laugh, saying 'Shall I surely bare a child, since I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son." 

"No, but you did!"

-God and Sarah arguing about Sarah's laughter (Gen. 18 13-15)
 * "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me." -Sarah naming Issac (Gen. 21: 6)
 * "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Issac." -Sarah commanding Abraham to cast Hagar and Ishmael out of the camp (Gen. 21: 10)

Trivia

 * Sarah is the first woman in the Bible to be given two names
 * Sarah is the first woman in the Bible to have an age of death mentioned and specific details of burial
 * While being Abraham's wife, Sarah was also Abraham's half-sister (the daughter of his father, but not his mother)
 * Sarai means my princess, while Sarah only means princess and it was normally given to a lady of high ranking