Lexical Summary Saray: Sarai, Sarai's Original Word: שָׂרַי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Sarai From sar; dominative; Sarai, the wife of Abraham -- Sarai. see HEBREW sar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as sar Definition a wife of Abram NASB Translation Sarai (16), Sarai's (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שָׂרַי proper name, feminine wife of Abram (NöZMG xiii (1888). 484 Ges§ 80l Köii. 1. 427 make = foregoing, with old feminine ending ַ י; > LagBN 92, Anm. *, emphasizing different in ᵐ5, derived from a √ ![]() ![]() שָׂשׂוֺן, שָׂשׂן see שׂוֺשׂ. שֵׂת see שְׂאֵת below נשׂא p.673a. Topical Lexicon Personal Background and Family Connections Sarai, later renamed Sarah, is introduced in Genesis 11:29 as the wife of Abram (later Abraham) and the half-sister daughter of Terah (Genesis 20:12). Her lineage places her within Shem’s covenantal line, and her marriage to Abram unites the promises given to that lineage with the unfolding plan of redemption that centers on Abraham. Life Chronology in Genesis • Genesis 11:29–31 establishes Sarai in Ur and Haran, joining Abram in the family’s migration toward Canaan. The Struggle with Barrenness and Faith Seventeen references to Sarai in Genesis repeatedly highlight her infertility (Genesis 11:30; 16:1). Out of cultural desperation she presents Hagar to Abram (Genesis 16:2), yet the attempt to secure a child by human means generates discord (Genesis 16:5-6). Scripture portrays her impatience honestly while affirming God’s faithfulness to fulfill His word in His timing. Sarai’s initial unbelief contrasts with her later faith, providing a theology of growth: God refines His servants through delays and disappointments. Interactions with Foreign Kings In Egypt (Genesis 12) and later in Gerar as “Sarah” (Genesis 20), Sarai’s beauty brings her into royal courts, but divine intervention protects her. These incidents demonstrate: 1. God’s safeguarding of the messianic line. Renaming and Covenant Significance Changing “Sarai” to “Sarah” (Genesis 17:15) occurs immediately after the covenant of circumcision. The new name, meaning “princess,” confirms that kings and ultimately the Messiah would descend from her (Genesis 17:16). The moment signals God’s irrevocable election of Sarah as the mother of promise, excluding any alternative lineage through Hagar. Lessons in Discipleship and Sanctification Sarai’s life illustrates: Her eventual laughter of disbelief (as Sarah in Genesis 18:12) turns to laughter of joy at Isaac’s birth (Genesis 21:6), epitomizing the transformation from doubt to faith. New Testament Commentary Paul references “the free woman” Sarah to expound freedom in Christ (Galatians 4:22-31), rooting gospel liberty in the history that began with Sarai. Hebrews 11:11 commends her faith, demonstrating the authenticity of her eventual trust. Peter holds her submission as a model for Christian wives (1 Peter 3:6). Each passage relies on the Genesis narrative, treating Sarai/Sarah as a single, unified witness to saving faith. Typological and Messianic Implications Sarai’s miraculous conception foreshadows the greater miracle of the virgin birth; both involve divinely initiated life where it was naturally impossible. Her motherhood of Isaac prefigures the coming Seed through whom all nations are blessed (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16). Ministry Applications 1. Faith communities learn endurance from Sarai’s prolonged waiting. Conclusion Strong’s Hebrew 8297 points not merely to a historical matriarch but to a life woven inseparably into the fabric of redemption. Sarai’s journey from barrenness to blessing, from fear to faith, and from a private name to a covenantal title magnifies the God who “calls things that are not as though they are” (see Romans 4:17). Forms and Transliterations וְשָׂרַי֙ ושרי שָׂרַ֔י שָׂרַ֖י שָׂרַ֗י שָׂרַ֛י שָׂרַ֜י שָׂרַ֣י שָׂרַ֨י שָׂרָ֑י שָׂרָ֔י שָׂרָֽי׃ שרי שרי׃ śā·ray śā·rāy saRai śāray śārāy vesaRai wə·śā·ray wəśārayLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 11:29 HEB: אֵֽשֶׁת־ אַבְרָם֙ שָׂרָ֔י וְשֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־ NAS: wife was Sarai; and the name KJV: wife [was] Sarai; and the name INT: wife of Abram's was Sarai and the name wife Genesis 11:30 Genesis 11:31 Genesis 12:5 Genesis 12:11 Genesis 12:17 Genesis 16:1 Genesis 16:2 Genesis 16:2 Genesis 16:3 Genesis 16:5 Genesis 16:6 Genesis 16:6 Genesis 16:8 Genesis 16:8 Genesis 17:15 Genesis 17:15 17 Occurrences |