8:5: Again [va-yosef] the Lord spoke to me, where the word appears in the context of divine revelation. 20:1-14, 24; Ezek. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. A theme in the Abraham stories is his lack of children, which is why he marries Hagar and has Ishmael. Gen. 26 lists the six children that Keturah bore to Abraham: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah, to which the midrash applies the verse (Ps. Proud member [5], According to Doctor of Anthropology Paula M. McNutt, it is generally recognized that there is nothing specific in the biblical traditions recorded in Genesis, including those regarding Abraham and his family, that can be definitively related to known history in or around Canaan in the early second millennium B.C.E. Where is Keturah?". Once Sarah has her child, the narrative is occupied with describing her jealousy against Ishmael, the son of Abrahams other wife, Hagar. Int. Wikimedia. remarkable, for she was in her mid 60s and late 80s when these events We rely on the support of readers like you. It's rarely noticed that Abraham complained that he was too old to have Isaac (Genesis 17:17), but when Isaac was 36 years old (compare 17:17 to 23:1) Sarah died, and some undisclosed time after, Abraham married Keturah and sired another six sons. Therefore, the Arabs of Islam call [4], One modern commentator on the Hebrew Bible has called Keturah "the most ignored significant person in the Torah". Praises to Saint Gerard Majella are often said by those who seek the intercession of his saintly majesty to address specific issues or general blessings. The Ishmaelites who were settled in the north of the Arabian peninsula, the descendants of Keturah who colonised Midian and the western coast, were also his //sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm, Chapter xxv the life of Jacob and Esau. 1 Chronicles 1:32 (and also Genesis 25:6) shows us that Keturah was not considered to be of the same dignity as Sarah who, indeed, was the mother of the son of promise, and, for obvious reasons, the sons of Abraham's concubines were separated from Isaac. She was the mother of 6 sons representing Arab tribes South and East of Palestine (Genesis 25:1-6), so that through the offspring of Keturah Abraham became "the father of many nations.". plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Since Abrahams later children were not Jewish, they could descend from a mother of ordinary lineage (see Rashbam, Ramban). According to the Book of Genesis, Abraham married Keturah after the death of his first wife, Sarah. (Gen. 12:15-16) Abraham later fathered a son by one of these African maidens, | GotQuestions.org. In the chain of tradition, they were followed by the amora'im.Tannaim disagree regarding Keturahs identity. Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and Courtesy ofWikimedia Commons. First Chronicles 1:32 refers to Keturah as Abraham's concubine, so there is some debate as to the exact nature of their relationship. 4. Thus, Keturah and her children were by far secondary to Isaac and played no direct role in the story of Israel. [2], According to Jewish tradition, she was a descendant of Noah's son Japheth. Abrahams Black Concubine and Second Wife. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. Before Isaacs birth, Abraham declares himself too old to have a child: After giving birth to Isaac, Sarah also expresses amazement that Abraham could produce a child: Yet the Keturah account presents Abraham having six children at 140 years old. All these were the children of Keturah. "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". a son of Abraham and Keturah. Genesis 17:19. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said Word Origin from the same as madon Definition a son of Abraham and Keturah, also his desc. A woman Abraham sent for from the home country? A Talmudic tradition claims this is another name for Hagar who remarried Abraham in his old age. The Midrash Yalkut Shimoni (Job, Remez 904) has a fascinating take on the three wives of Abraham: "Sarah was the daughter of Shem, Keturah was the daughter of Japheth, and Hagar was the daughter of Ham.". In its portrayal of the Civil War, the film presents a shining view of the Confederacy. As Hagar begins to despair, God speaks to her, promising that Ishmael will become a great nation and showing her a well that saves both their lives.Jan 25, 2008, So Sarah throws Hagar and Ishmael out, and the homeless pair has to fend for themselves in the hot and barren desert. hu:Ketr Keturah is the second wife of Abraham, whom he took after the death of his first wife Sarah, and who bore him six additional sons, namely Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah (Genesis 25:1-2). The Rabbis present this as a lesson in proper conduct: if a mans wife dies, and he has grown children, he should first see that they are married before himself taking a new wife (Gen. Rabbah 60:16). Genesis 25:4 chapter context similar meaning copy save. Keturah, Ketu'rah. [19] According to the Judean authors Josephus and Cleodemus Malchus, Punic people were descended from Epher, grandson of Abraham and Keturah. Shuach. Keturah was one of Abrahams wives. | Dr. And they reply: he gave them the name of impurity. This apparently means that he taught them the secrets of sorcery, a characteristic occupation of the non-Jews, which distinguishes them from Israel (BT Sanhedrin 91a). It would have certainly applied to his children through Keturah. Whatever the reason, the Torahs total silence concerning any details about her makes this midrashic leap possible. > 1915. whose name was Hagar. /hebrew/3370.htm - 6k, 6989. Generations later, Moses would marry the daughter of Jethro the Midianite, and other descendants of Jethro converted as well (see Judges 1:16). What may not be immediately obvious to the modern reader is that the name Keturah demonstrates a very high level of governance and social sophistication, namely the idea that a healthy society is not healthy because the government suppresses what it perceives as bad or supports what is perceives as good, but rather because the government endows all elements with enough safety that none needs to be scared, enough food that none needs to be hungry, and enough wealth that none needs to feel stifled, stunted or duped. Three camels, one of which is the beast of burden. Genealogies elsewhere in the Bible are similarly symbolic. Second, the wifes new name of Keturah does not necessarily teach that this was a different woman; rather, it was a name given to Hagar in recognition of her good qualities (see below). Int. Since this presumably occurred after Isaacs marriage at 40 (25:20), and Ishmael was 14 years older than Isaac (compare Gen. 16:16 to 21:5), she bore Ishmael at least 54 years before her remarriage yet still, she gave birth to six more children. Keturah (Hebrew: , Qr, possibly meaning "incense";[1] Arabic: ) was a wife[2] and a concubine[3] of the Biblical patriarch Abraham. Hebrew Women in Egypt: Midrash and Aggadah, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. 1:17-27, Gen. 20:12) You need to understand According to the Judean authors Josephus and Cleodemus Malchus, Punic people were descended from Epher, grandson of Abraham and Keturah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV), 1 Chronicles 1:33The sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. 5. After Sarah dies, Abraham marries Keturah. The Rabbis stress that the subjugation of the children of Keturah to Israel is eternal. [4] Radak continues by explaining why this wouldnt matter to Abraham: [5] He is playing off of Genesis 26:35, with regard to Esaus Hittite wives. ZIMRAN. Abraham and Keturah had six sons. Strong's Numbers. The Torah gives us no background whatsoever regarding Keturah. They were not Israelites, but wild Arabs, a branch of the Kenite tribe, which claimed"at least its chiefs"to be descended from Abraham, by his wife Keturah //kingsley/discipline and other sermons/sermon vi false civilization.htm, Ketu'rah (4 Occurrences)Ketu'rah. 4081 . In a similar way, Keturah provides a matriarchal bridge between the Israelites and several neighboring tribes. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Keturah bore Abraham six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The Rabbis describe her as a woman of virtue and for that she was worthy of being joined to that righteous one [Abraham]. son Ishmael, but Hams. The difference between (a) selective distribution of food and merriment to one's favored customer or project and (b) unselective distribution to everyone around is the same difference between the generosity of modern philanthropy and that of God: the former "gives" only to whatever endeavor makes the giver stronger, whereas God gives to all people without discrimination (Matthew 5:45, Joel 2:28), and allows everybody to grow into whatever they can and sort their stuff out by their own authority and responsibility. And Ishmael and his sons, and the sons of Keturah and their sons, went together and dwelt from Paran to the entering in of Babylon in all the land which is towards the East facing the desert. She is styled "Abraham's concubine" ( 1 Chronicles 1:32 ). One of the most important and influential men in Genesis and First Chronicles also list seven of her grandsons (Sheba, Dedan, Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah). What nationality was Keturah in the Bible? (Egypt). Rabbi David D. Steinberg is the co-founder and director of TheTorah.com - Project TABS. Hagar and Ishmael wander through the desert until they run out of water, and in despair, Hagar sets Ishmael down under a bush and turns away, expecting him to die and not being able to watch it happen.Aug 17, 2018. "Entry for 'KETURAH'". Chapter 34. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? [3] Rashbam and Chizkuni suggest that it is a reference to Keturah and Hagar, but this doesnt work well either. with the yod). Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. (This was an obligation on Abraham and his household (see Genesis 17). [21], According to the Bah author John Able, Bahs consider their founder, Bah'u'llh, to have been "descended doubly, from both Abraham and Sarah, and separately from Abraham and Keturah. 17:6, 7, 8-16; 18:5), is in the neighborhood of Horeb; if the locality Massah and Meribah (17:7) is to be found in the region of Kadesh-Barnea or is identical with it (Num. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV), Genesis 25:4The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. Griffith developed The Birth of a Nation script from a popular play and novel about the Civil War, The Clansman by Thomas Dixon, Jr. After sending her and Ishmael out of the house (21:14), he sent back for her as she remained righteous all throughout the years. Shemitic people take pride in their males lineage and ignore Book XVI. [5] The medieval Jewish commentator Rashi, and some previous rabbinical commentators, related a traditional belief that Keturah was the same person as Hagar, although this idea cannot be found in the biblical text. (The Midrash offers different reasons why she was given an alternate name here such as that it reflected her righteousness that her deeds were as aromatic as incense (ketoret).). [17][18] The name Keturah was alternatively said to be derived from the ketoret (meaning "incense" in Hebrew) due to her deeds being as pleasing as incense. General Editor. fi:Keturah The offspring of Keturah was used as a disparaging appellation by the Rabbis when they wished to deride a Torah scholar who did not live up to expectations, just like the sons of Keturah, who, although the children of Abraham, did not attain the level of Isaac (BT Zevahim 62ab). son of contention, one of Job's friends. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with Hagar was not. Was Keturah and Hagar the same person? The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim. She indeed was entangled with her husband, Abraham. [12] This opinion was adopted and popularized by 11th-century scholar Rashi. Zipporah was one of seven Midianite sisters that mistook Moses for an Egyptian after he saved them from the men at the well ( Exodus 2:16-19 ). The second unit doesnt seem to know about a second wife and other sons, since it seems to understand all of Abrahams other sons as coming from concubines.[6]. Accordingly, this place was called Goren ha-Atad (literally, the threshing floor of thorns), since Jacobs coffin was surrounded by those thorns (BT Suspected adulteressSotah 13a). Ham. The Egyptians were direct descendants of Ham through his son, Mizraim Abraham and his beautiful wife Sarai wandered the deserts of Africa, Asia, and Arabia in search of a city "whose builder and maker was God" Himself. Something went wrong while submitting the form. 1:3): and whatever he does prospers (Gen. Rabbah 61:1). Why saidst thou, She is my Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. [1], Keturah is referred to as "Abraham's concubine" in the Bible,[2] probably to indicate that she was not considered to be of the same dignity as Sarah, the mother of the "chosen son", Isaac. What did Abraham mean by marrying Keturah after Sarah's death? This tradition is based on Gen. 24:62: Isaac had just come back from the vicinity of Beer-la-hai-roihe brought back with him Hagar, who had been at Beer-la-hai-roi, and had also given this place its name, as is related in Gen. 16:14 (Tanhuma, Hayyei Sarah 8). whose name was Hagar. ( Genesis 25:1 ; 1Chronicles 1:32 ) (B.C. Kadari, Tamar. 24:23: Then the moon shall be ashamed (Num. One of the sons of Midian, who was Abraham's son by Keturah (Genesis 25:4). Ask the Rabbi We know surprisingly little about Keturah. ke-tu'-ra, ke-too'-ra (qeTurah; Chettoura, "incense"): The second wife of Abraham (Genesis 25:1; 1Chronicles 1:32). She was the mother of 6 sons representing Arab tribes South and East of Palestine (Genesis 25:1-6), so that through the offspring of Keturah Abraham became "the father of many nations. Abraham and Sarah away, giving them treasure and some Egyptian maidservants. (Note the inclusio at the end of verse 4, all these are the children of Keturah.), The second unit confirms Isaac as Abrahams sole heir by having him send away his other sons. Both Genesis and First Chronicles record that Keturah bore Abraham six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. According to the Book of Genesis, Abraham married Keturah after the death of his first wife, Sarah. Recall that after the Flood, Ham, the father of the black races, In other words, Abraham married (and had children) from the three families of Noah. Sarah actually forces Abraham, against his paternal instinct, to banish the competitor child (Gen 21:1011). When Isaac blessed Jacob, he tells him (Gen. 27:29): Let peoples serve you, and nations bow to you; these nations are the offspring of Ishmael and of Keturah (Gen. Rabbah 66:4). While the Israelites / Hebrews were captives in Egypt, Moses killed an Egyptian who was striking a Hebrew, for which offense Pharaoh sought to kill Moses. This school of thought is further bolstered by the fact that this wife also had a different name (Keturah); in addition, the plural wording of Gen. 25:6 (to Abrahams sons by concubines) conveys that Abraham had at least two wives in addition to Sarah. I or The Complete Works of Biblical . 1 Chronicles 4:11. In any event, Abraham was at least in his 140s at that time (he would live to 175). Abrahams affair with his African handmaiden led to an entire race Even as in biblical times, Shemitic countries today window.location.replace(""); [16] According to modern scholar Richard Elliott Friedman, the identification of Keturah with Hagar has "no basis in the text".[5]. In Genesis 16 we learn a little of how Sarah might have felt. From zamar; musical; Zimran, a son of Abraham by Keturah -- Zimran. /hebrew/3435.htm - 6k, 7744. First Chronicles 1:32 refers to Keturah as Abraham's concubine, so there is some debate as to the exact nature of their relationship. (1 Chron. Int. (1.) Moses therefore fled from Egypt, and arrived in Midian. Surely what He wants in His world will happen. And so it happened that after Abrahams death, God revealed Himself to Isaac and blessed him, as his father had intended to do (Gen. Rabbah 61:6). 3. Bildad. Her nationality is unknown. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said In 2012, he left his rabbinic post to create TheTorah.com. Who was Abrahams second wife Keturah? The Quran extols Abraham as a model, an exemplar, obedient and not an idolator. Abraham didnt marry Hagar. The children of Keturah and of Ishmael did not receive Abrahams blessing; the midrash stresses that this was an intentional decision on Abrahams part. Keturah (Hebrew: , Qr, possibly meaning incense; Arabic: ) was a wife or a concubine of the Biblical patriarch Abraham. The Rabbis ask: What gifts did Abraham nevertheless give the sons of Keturah? There have been quite a few revolutions and uprisings in the world, and although critics love to blame religion and differences in opinion, the main reason why people revolt is because their liberties are curtailed to the point that their lives aren't livable. KETURAH, THE THIRD WIFE OF ABRAHAM Much has been made about young women marrying old men for their money, fame, and fortune. Its stated purpose was to "revise and codify the nationality laws of the United States into a comprehensive nationality code." The law established the conditions necessary to meet for one to acquire U.S. citizenship through the nature of one's birth (known as . Hagar is a biblical woman. In 2007 he joined Aish Hatorah NY as a Programs Director, managing their Yeshiva in Passaic and serving as a rabbi in their Executive Learning program. Rabbah 2:13). /z/zimran.htm - 8k, Jokshan (3 Occurrences) Easton's Bible Dictionary Snarer, the second son of Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:2, 3; 1 Chronicles 1:32). and religion that calls Abraham its father: the Arabic religion of Islam. to misuse Sarah for his pleasure. the ramifications of this story in all its facets not just the notable ones. All these were the children of Keturah. From 'ab and yada'; father of knowledge (ie Knowing); Abida, a son of Abraham by Keturah -- Abida, Abidah. The Children of Keturah as the Realization of Gods Blessing to Abraham, The Offspring of Keturah as a Constant Threat to Israel. "the written Torah." Keturah Easton's Bible Dictionary - Keturah Keturah [N] [H] [S] incense, the wife of Abraham, whom he married probably after Sarah's death ( Genesis 25:1-6 ), by whom he had six sons, whom he sent away into the east country. And his second wife is someone the Torah identifies by name but states nothing further. B. XIV. The children of Keturah are depicted as waste that issued from Abraham (Sifrei on Deuteronomy 312). Order. Syrian Bedouin woman, at the World's Columbian Exposition, 1893. ISHBAK. The Bible Zimran. MEDAN. First, the wording another [va-yosef] in 25:1 teaches that these marriages were in fulfillment of a divine command; the proponents of this view learn this from Isa. Transliteration: Yishbaq Phonetic Spelling: (yish-bawk') Short Definition: Ishbak. How The Nation Of The Troglodytes Were Derived From Abraham By Keturah. . Recall that after the Flood, Ham, the father of the black races, unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look and Midyan. All of Keturahs sons were the heads of nations (Gen. Rabbah 61:5). An epic about the American Civil War (1861-65) and the . The midrash tells of something involving the Rabbis during the time of Alexander the Great. see HEBREW zamar. A popular old reference Bible calls Ishmael "the progenitor of the Arabs" and goes on to say that Muhammad "came from the line of Ishmael." . Some, but not all, Jewish philosophers identify Keturah with Hagar, stating that Abraham sought her out after Sarah's death. The Identity of the Kushite Woman Although Abraham was quite insistent that Isaac not marry a Canaanite (24:3), and Rebecca later insisted the same for Jacob (27:46), that was due to the importance of fathering the Jewish people. In the text, the daughter of an Egyptian priest falls in love with Joseph, turns to the God of Israel, marries Joseph, and is saved by God and some of Joseph's brothers from attack by . The wife of Abraham, after the death of Sarah, Genesis 25:1-6. Talmud, Sanhedrin 59b. Zimran -- a son of Abraham Zimran. Noun (qitor) refers to thick smoke. "What is Meant by Abraham's Marrying Keturah After Sarah's Death. ), Furthermore, one of Abrahams children was Midian, presumably the progenitor of the nation of Midian. Yet the Torah tells us that Abraham in his extreme old age marries again and fathers several more children. She is "of good sense and beautiful in looks," while he is "hard and evil in his deeds" (v. 3). (1.) Moses was an important person in Israel's mnemohistory and it is hardly surprising that multiple attempts may have been made in Israel's history to cement an alliance between Israel and a neighboring peopleMidianites, Kenites, perhaps even the Kushites (see Num 12:1)by claiming that the great Moses married into their clan during his wanderings in the wilderness. 1 Chronicles 1:33 chapter context similar meaning copy save. How long did the actual slavery of Egypt last? Jewish Women's Archive. See also, Aaron Demsky, Reading Biblical Genealogies, TheTorah (2016); idem., Manassehs Genealogies: Why They Change Between Numbers, Joshua, and Chronicles, TheTorah (2019); David Ben-Gad HaCohen, Decoding the Table of Nations: Reading it as a Map, TheTorah (2015). A different story has Isaac initiating his fathers marriage. These are by Herodotus called Barbarians, and perhaps were derived from the Syrians and Arabians, the posterity of Abraham by Keturah. And these mingled with each other, and their name was called Arabs, and Ishmaelite's. There's no mistaking the typical look of an Arab today. (The beauty of Abrams wife must have been Buber], Hayyei Sarah 8). do not hold females in high regard. It was the longest and most-profitable film then produced and the most artistically advanced film of its day. The name Keturah is girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "incense". Keturah was one of Abraham's wives. 31 December 1999. Others believe that this opinion in the Midrash should not be taken literally and Keturah was a different woman, no doubt much younger. /hebrew/4080.htm - 6k, 3435. Before moving on, it should be mentioned that Keturah is called Abrahams concubine, not his full wife (Genesis 25:6, I Chronicles 1:32). Five Books of Moses. Nouns (qetoret), (qitter), (muqtar) and (qeturah) refer to incense. CHAPTER 15. ", https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/keturah, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keturah&oldid=1137525950, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 02:32. concubine, Hagar. of The Lit. No one could replace Sarah, the foremother of Israel. He is called "the Shuhite," probably as belonging to Shuah, a district in Arabia, in which Shuah, the sixth son of Abraham by Keturah, settled ( Genesis 25:2).He took part in each of the three controversies into which Job's friends entered with him ( Job 8:1; 18:1; 25:1), and delivered three speeches, very severe and stern in their tone . In fact, a difference in opinion is often a characteristic of political peace rather than the reason for its demise. Egyptians claim their lineage is Shemitic through Ishmael, Abrahams When Isaac married Rebekah, he said to himself: I have taken a wife, while my father is without a spouse! He raised the wall so high that sunlight would never enter; and he gave them precious stones and large pearls, which Israel would use in the days to come (Soferim, Hosafah [addition] 1, 1:1). God tells Abraham to do as Sarah wishes, so he sends Hagar and Ishmael into the desert with only meager food and water. > Standard Bible Encyclopedia. She freely married Abraham and became his bona fide wife. They point to the defective spelling of pilegesh (concubine) in the biblical text (i.e. Launched Shavuot 5773 / 2013 | Copyright Project TABS, All Rights Reserved, script type="text/javascript">