Did Abraham Have Children After the Death Of Sarah?
Keturah
Sometimes people ask: how is it possible that Abraham and Sarah could not have children because Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old, whereas one reads in the Bible that AFTER Sarah Abraham got himself another wife, called Keturah, who bore him 6 sons? What does the Bible say about this?
“Because Abraham was fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.””
Romans 4:18-22 says: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Genesis 25:1-6: “Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.”
“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful Who had made the promise”
Hebrews 11:11-12: “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful Who had made the promise. And so, from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”
NIV 1984: “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age – and Sarah herself was barren – was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful Who had made the promise. And so, from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”
Although it is a fact that Keturah is only mentioned after the death of Sarah – Genesis 23 – that does not necessarily mean that this actually happened after the death of Sarah. Keturah is called in Genesis 25:1 ‘another wife’ and in 1 Chronicles 1:32 the ‘concubine’ of Abraham. This term is not right if Sarah had died already.
It simply means that during his life with Sarah, Abraham had taken other wives, concubines, as well. Even more than one, for verse 6 says: “… he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines [plural] and sent them away…” The verse in Genesis 25:1 says “Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah.” Meaning: besides Sarah.
Because if this had happened after the death of Sarah, Hebrews 11:12 would be wrong, stating “Therefore even from one man, and one who was as good as dead [in these things] at that, there were born descendants who were just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore.” (NASB – New American Standard Bible, edition 1973).
Often it seems to be the case with the authors of the Bible that they place certain events and episodes that they could hardly mention anywhere else – because they were given a continuing story about certain very important interconnected happenings – after they finished that story. Compare for instance facts and events summed up in 2 Samuel 21-24, according to the Dutch Biblical Encyclopaedia by Gispen, Ridderbos, van Unnik, Oosterhoff, Visser and others.
During his life Abraham was very capable of begetting offspring, like the birth of Ishmael by Hagar. And apparently the 6 sons by Keturah. And probably many others as well. But at 100 years old, Abraham’s procreativity was gone. And Sarah had never been able to have any children of her own. So, Isaac became the ‘miracle-baby’!
In Biblical times, there were certain nations who were specifically identified as the descendants of Keturah, such as the nation of Midian. Today, however, the children of Keturah have more or less assimilated in with the children of Ishmael, says Rabbi Baruch S. Davidson.
More information and explanation by Jewish voices about this can be found in:
Keturah / קטורה – Adath Jeshurun Congregation
https://www.adathjeshurun.org/uploads/5/1/9/7/51974039/soul_sisters_-_keturah.pdf
