Abraham's Family Tree - Abram and Sarai

Abram and Sarai

Sarai is Abram’s wife, and the account in Genesis says that she was beautiful. There are two occasions (years apart) when Abram lies about being married to her because he fears that a local king will kill him and take Sarai for his own wife. The first occasion occurs when they reach Egypt; Abram says that Sarai is his sister and Pharaoh takes her into his harem. When Pharaoh discovers Sarai is really Abram’s wife, he is appalled and he sends back Sarai along with wealth to Abraham and they move on.

Abraham is quoted as saying that actually Sarai is his half-sister since they have the same father but not the same mother. (Though the Law of Moses prohibited marriage between close relatives hundreds of years later, there is no indication that the marriage between Abram and Sarai was considered inappropriate at that time.)

The second occasion is years later, after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham settles in the Negev and a local king takes Sarah as his wife – in good conscience since Abraham does not disclose her married status. God appears to this king in a dream and tells him to give Sarah back to Abraham. Again Sarah is returned with gifts.

Until the birth of Isaac, the account says that Sarah has no children, and when the promise of Isaac is given, it says she laughs at the idea because she is well past her childbearing years.