[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. 4. Midyan -- a son of Abraham and Keturah, also his desc. (2.) 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. In Genesis 16 we learn a little of how Sarah might have felt. From another wife (or wives) named Keturah, Abraham begat six nations who went to the East. According to one view, Abraham remarried after the death of Sarah and had a total of three wives: Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah. Does anyone know where the Ark of the Covenant is today? "And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things." (Gen. 24:1) The widower Abraham Keturah bore Abraham six sons, who were characterized by one . Easton's Bible Dictionary window.location.replace(""); A son 20:1-14, 24; Ezek. Dr. 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.". If this verse is referring to Keturah, why is the word plural,[2] and why does the terminology switch from wife (ishah) to concubine (pilegesh)? The film was America's first feature . It is not improbable that, as some writers have suggested, this change in the life of his son prompted Abraham to remarry in order to overcome the feeling of lonesomeness caused by Isaac's entering the state of matrimony. NOBSE Study Bible Name List and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names agree: the name Keturah means Incense.. 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 . was very fair. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with [1] All translations of biblical verses are from NJPS (with adjustments). [12] This opinion was adopted and popularized by 11th-century scholar Rashi. "Keturah: Midrash and Aggadah." All these were the children of Keturah. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Christian Truth. Genesis and First Chronicles also list seven of her grandsons (Sheba, Dedan, Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah). Medan -- a son of Abraham and Keturah 4090, 4091. While she is introduced early in Exodus, very little is said about her. 13. cousins. According to the Book of Genesis, she was an Egyptian slave, a handmaiden of Sarah (then known as Sarai), whom Sarah gave to her own husband Abram (later renamed Abraham) as a wife to bear him a child.Abraham's firstborn son, through Hagar, Ishmael, became the progenitor of the Ishmaelites, generally taken to be the Arabs. ke-tu'-ra, ke-too'-ra (qeTurah; Chettoura, "incense"): The second wife of Abraham (Genesis 25:1; 1Chronicles 1:32). In the chain of tradition, they were followed by the amora'im.Tannaim disagree regarding Keturahs identity. 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). [19] According to the Judean authors Josephus and Cleodemus Malchus, Punic people were descended from Epher, grandson of Abraham and Keturah. Do We See Any Gospel Connections in the Book of Numbers? There is a well-known Midrash that it was actually none other than Abrahams earlier concubine and mother of Ishmael, Hagar (Bereishit Rabbah 61:4 and elsewhere, see Rashi to 25:1). The Nationality Act was passed by Congress in 1940 and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) on October 14, 1940. (Beyond that, Midian had a more checkered history. Ishmael was born and brought up in Abrahams household. Abraham and Keturah had six sons. And Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. /hebrew/4080.htm - 6k, 3435. Religion Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Even as in biblical times, Shemitic countries today The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim. 6. 29); her deeds were as fine as incense (ketoretTanhuma, Hayyei Sarah 8). a son of Abraham and Keturah. to misuse Sarah for his pleasure. After all, Moses met YHWH in Midian (Exodus 3:1-6), and Moses' priestly father-in-law Jethro thought Moses all about the great benefits of delegated governance (Exodus 18:24). Though she is called a "concubine," this may have been to distinguish her sons as well as Ishmael from Isaac the son of promise, Genesis 25:6; 1 Chronicles 1:32; Galatians 4:22 ,30. Book XVI. One of the most important and influential men in (This was an obligation on Abraham and his household (see Genesis 17). In First Chronicles, she is called Abraham's "concubine"[3] (Hebrew: Translit. The Rabbis describe her as a woman of virtue and for that she was worthy of being joined to that righteous one [Abraham]. [3] Keturah was the mother of six sons, representing Arabian tribes south and east of Canaan, so that through the offspring of Keturah Abraham became "the father of many nations" including the Ethiopians. Egyptians claim their lineage is Shemitic through Ishmael, Abrahams 1 Chronicles 1:33 chapter context similar meaning copy save. First Chronicles 1:32 refers to Keturah as Abraham's concubine, so there is some debate as to the exact nature of their relationship. Salem Media Group. Shemitic people take pride in their males lineage and ignore 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. The first unit identifies the six descendants of Abraham through Keturah. Egyptians claim their lineage is Shemitic through Ishmael, Abrahams General Editor. [20], According to the African writer Olaudah Equiano, the 18th-century English theologian John Gill believed the African people were descended from Abraham and Keturah[relevant?]. The Rabbis further learn from Abraham that even if a man has children while he is young, he should still take another wife in his old age and beget further offspring (Gen. Rabbah 61:3). 1860.). thee alive. the lineage of the female. A Parasha Pregnant with the Past, Present and Future of Israels Protagonists, Abraham and Lots Bedouin-Style Hospitality, The Song of the Sea and the History of Ancient Israel and Judah, Manassehs Genealogies: Why They Change Between Numbers, Joshua, and Chronicles,, Decoding the Table of Nations: Reading it as a Map,. Keturah is referred to in Genesis as "another wife" of Abraham[2] (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans} Translit. The intent of the Torah was thus to only a single concubine, Hagar (Gen. Rabbah 61:4). The midrash tells of something involving the Rabbis during the time of Alexander the Great. The Torah introduces Keturah as an , wife (Gen 25:1), and yet the same passage also refers to Abrahams concubines and their children: Who are these concubines? First, whether the spelling is defective or plene should make no difference in meaning. Source critical scholars suggest that verses 14 and 56 represent two different units. 7745 . When Isaac married Rebekah, he said to himself: I have taken a wife, while my father is without a spouse! Transliteration: Yoqshan Phonetic Spelling: (yok-shawn') Short Definition: Jokshan. Keturah was one of Abrahams wives. themselves Shemitic through Abraham rather than Hamitic by Hagar. 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. Genealogies elsewhere in the Bible are similarly symbolic. 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. 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Modern day The Torah now calls her "Keturah," meaning "bound," for she had kept her faithful bond to Abraham. Word Origin from the same as madon Definition a son of Abraham and Keturah, also his desc. The name Keturah is girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "incense". From zamar; musical; Zimran, a son of Abraham by Keturah -- Zimran. Kadari, Tamar. Concerning Sarah Abraham's Wife; And How She Ended Her Days. (Egypt). Syrian Bedouin woman, at the World's Columbian Exposition, 1893. that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save He asked: Whence do you bring a proof for your claim? They replied: From the Torah. Gebiha ben Pesisa retorted: I, too, will bring a proof from the Torah. Abraham and Sarah away, giving them treasure and some Egyptian maidservants. established Egypt, referred to in Psalms 105 and 106 refer to as the land of 2176 . She is styled "Abraham's concubine" ( 1Chronicles 1:32 ). Here a redaction-critical solution seems best. In this view, the redactor is trying to turn Keturah into just one of Abrahams concubines, a view accepted by Chronicles. It is sold by Booklocker.com, as well as by Amazon.com and all the major on-line sellers. Answer Keturah was Abraham's second wife, following the death of Sarah, his first wife ( Genesis 23:2; 25:1 ). that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she When Israel was in the desert, the Midianites sent their daughters to tempt them to sin (Numbers 25:6, 31:2,16), and during the era of the Judges they were one of the neighboring nations who opposed Israel (Judges 6).). Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. do not hold females in high regard. Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? /m/medan.htm - 7k, Abida (2 Occurrences) Or Abi'dah, father of knowledge; knowing, one of the five sons of Midian, who was the son of Abraham by Keturah (1 Chronicles 1:33), and apparently the chief /a/abida.htm - 7k, Zimran (2 Occurrences) Easton's Bible Dictionary Vine-dressers; celebrated, one of the sons of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:2). As a result of his unwavering faith in God, Abraham was promised by God to be a leader to all the nations of the world. Yishbaq -- a son of Abraham and Keturah 3434, 3435. Keturah, on the other hand, was not a slave; she was a free woman. Hence Amos, ch. Where do you put a compressor in your pedal chain. 31 December 1999. [2][3] The Book of Genesis records that Abraham gave them gifts and sent them to the East, while making Isaac son of Sarah his primary heir. (see the book Ethiopia the classic case pg.47). But instead, as the customs of the time permitted, Sarah gave her female servant Hagar to Abraham as a concubine or secondary wife. /e/epher.htm - 8k, Medan (2 Occurrences) Easton's Bible Dictionary Contention, the third son of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:2). 21:12. A Talmudic tradition claims this is another name for Hagar who remarried Abraham in his old age. Steinberg took the Ner LeElef Rabbinical Outreach training course and moved to Huntington, NY in 2002 to work as an outreach rabbi for the Mesorah Center. Hagar soon bore Ishmael, who was the first son of Abraham. Bildad. out-of-wedlock son, but they still want to claim lineage from the Pharaohs, who fi:Keturah (Gen. 11:10-27) Abraham told Abrahams affair with his African handmaiden led to an entire race Int. She "is styled "Abraham's concubine" (1 Chr. In context, one might suggest that Abraham was simply lonely after Sarahs death. Letushim -- "hammered ones," descendant of Abraham and, 28. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Int. Shuach -- a son of Abraham and Keturah. 7743, 7744. [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. a son of Abraham and Keturah. How long did the actual slavery of Egypt last? deserts of Africa, Asia, and Arabia in search of a city whose builder and The Rabbis stress that the subjugation of the children of Keturah to Israel is eternal. Abraham didnt marry Hagar. Following a simple reading of the text, however, Rashbam, Radak, and Ibn Ezra state unequivocally that Keturah is not Hagar, but a different woman. Keturah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV), International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 3912. established Egypt, referred to in Psalms 105 and 106 refer to as the land of He is the author of Images of Joshua in the Bible and their Reception (De Gruyter 2016) and editor (with Jacob L. Wright) of Archaeology and History of Eighth Century Judah (SBL 2018). When a person secures his valuables with his seal, they are still shut when he opens his treasury. "the written Torah." ( Genesis 25:1 ; 1Chronicles 1:32 ) (B.C. Genesis 25 records that Keturah is the wife Abraham married after his first wife Sarah died. Hagar is a biblical woman. We know surprisingly little about Keturah. This is odd for two reasons. However, when they saw Josephs crown suspended above Jacobs coffin, they took their own crowns and also suspended them above the coffin. Something went wrong while submitting the form. "Keturah, Hiram and Aquila"and thou and I, Momus. Lastly, there are those who suggest that the wisdom of the Eastern religions actually spawns from the children of Keturah whom Abraham sent east (Gen. 25:6). a son of Abraham and Keturah. The children of Keturah are depicted as waste that issued from Abraham (Sifrei on Deuteronomy 312). Who is this Keturah and what was the significance of her marriage to Abraham? In my Torah studies I keep running across the number 40 - Would we consider Adam and Eve to have been Jewish? cousins. Thus, Keturah and her children were by far secondary to Isaac and played no direct role in the story of Israel. Hagar was not. his wife to tell the Pharaoh that he was her brother, so the African king would 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. This implies that the Rabbis understood that Sarah died before Abraham remarried. On a superficial level, The Birth of a Nation is a love story concerning the two families. Since Abrahams later children were not Jewish, they could descend from a mother of ordinary lineage (see Rashbam, Ramban). remarkable, for she was in her mid 60s and late 80s when these events Her sons were the ancestors of many Arabian tribes. 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]. We rely on the support of readers like you. The offspring of Keturah and of Ishmael came before Alexander and argued against Israel: The Land of IsraelErez Israel belongs to us and to you, for we also are the children of Abraham! Gebiha ben Pesisa came and said to the Rabbis: Grant me permission, and I will go and plead against them before Alexander the Great. 4081 . The Lord commanded Sarah to give Hagar to Abraham for his wife and commanded Abraham to take Hagar as his wife (see D&C 132:3435). Medan. 5. [4], One modern commentator on the Hebrew Bible has called Keturah "the most ignored significant person in the Torah". The view that was widely accepted by the Rabbis is the one which identifies Keturah with Hagar, and it appears in various A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules).midrashim. What nationality was Keturah in the Bible? 3436 . (Egypt). /s/shuah.htm - 9k, Genesis 25:1Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. WWW.BLACKSINTHEBIBLE.NET. [6] Richard Elliot Friedman (The Bible with Sources Revealed [Harper Collins, 2003]) sees verses 14 as coming from E and verses 56 as redactional. 12. | GotQuestions.org, How many wives did Abraham have? Yet the Torah tells us that Abraham in his extreme old age marries again and fathers several more children. In the midrashic depiction, after Abraham divorces Hagar and sends her into the wilderness she sits by the well and cries to God: See my shame! Hagars demand for justice was accepted by God, who revealed Himself to Abraham after Sarahs death and commanded him to take back his divorce, Hagar-Keturah (Gen. Rabbah 61:4). 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. 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. Keturahs offspring never ceased to claim their fathers inheritance. Both Genesis and First Chronicles record that Keturah bore Abraham six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. [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. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: Shuach. and religion that calls Abraham its father: the Arabic religion of Islam. see HEBREW zamar. Gen 25:1 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. Int. Black History and its Prophecy of the Races at The Torah gives us no background whatsoever regarding Keturah. Who is she? [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. [2], According to Jewish tradition, she was a descendant of Noah's son Japheth. The Children of Keturah as the Realization of Gods Blessing to Abraham, The Offspring of Keturah as a Constant Threat to Israel. son Ishmael, but Hams. Although he does not suggest verses 14 as being from a separate source, he sees clearly that they bear no real relationship to verses 56. In another tradition, Abraham sends the sons of Keturah away with a writ of divorce, as a wife is sent away from her husband. He said to himself: If I bless Isaac now, I will also have to bless the children of Ishmael and of Keturah; but if I do not bless them, how will I be able to bless Isaac? Ask the Rabbi of | GotQuestions.org, How many sons did Abraham have? If verse 6 refers to other concubines, but not to Keturah, what happens to the six sons she bears for Abraham?[3]. Keturah The wife of Abraham, after the death of Sarah, Genesis 25:1-6. These offspring express the fulfillment of the blessing given by God to Abraham in Gen. 12:3: and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you, for thirty families came from Abraham: the twelve chieftains from Ishmael, the sixteen descendants of Keturah, and (Gen. 25:23) two nations are in your womb (Tanhuma [ed. > Abida -- "my father took knowledge," a son of Midian Abida, Abidah. Abrahams Black Concubine and Second Wife. We encounter the usual idiom: "he added //christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxv.htm, A Prince's Bride Let Momus look to the baggage. 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). ISHBAK. Ham. The Egyptians were direct descendants of Ham through his son, Mizraim (from Aramaic teni) "to hand down orally," "study," "teach." fa: "William Baur, 4080. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. do not hold females in high regard. Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. Her nationality is Ethiopian as she was the mother of Sheba and the Medians whose descendant, Jethro,or Ragu'el or Reu'el the Ethiopian priest of Median begot a daughter, Zipporah, who, in the Scriptures, was referred to as the Ethiopian wife of Moses. A maidservant like Hagar? The Torah she-bi-khetav: Lit. The film's portrayal of Reconstruction is one of southern . Proud member 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. Talmud, Sanhedrin 59b. Why does remarry? One of the most important and influential men in the Old Testament is Abraham, affectionately called father by three major religions of the world. Rabbah 2:13). From the Venice Haggadah of 1609. Third, the word pilegshim (concubines) in Gen. 25:6 is spelled deficiently, without the letter yod. (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).). [5] The Book of Jubilees also supports the conclusion that Keturah and Hagar were two different people, by stating that Abraham waited until after Hagar's death before marrying Keturah. Transliteration: Qeturah Phonetic Spelling: (ket-oo-raw') Short Definition: Keturah. There is no indication when that happened, other than during his lifetime. (1.) me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. The Rabbis championing this position emphasize that these offspring do not follow the spiritual way of Abraham; moreover, since they already received their inheritance from him, they are not entitled to make any further demands. concubine, Hagar. Her children are depicted both as the fulfillment of part of Gods promise to Abraham to be blessed by the nations and as a menace to Israel, like their brother Ishmael. "Incense, the wife of Abraham, whom he married probably after" "Sarah's death (Gen. 25:1-6), by whom he had six sons, whom he" sent away into the east country. Through the offshoots of the Keturah line Abraham became the "father of many nations. Buber], Hayyei Sarah 8). 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." . named Ishmael was born from the union between Shemitic Abraham and his African so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy Her ancestry is not mentioned, although she was presumably a local Canaanite. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah mentions this marriage in Gen. 25:1, after the death of Sarah and subsequent to the wedding of Isaac and Rebekah. CHAPTER 15. Rabbi Zev Farber is the Senior Editor of TheTorah.com, and a Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute's Kogod Center. 29). script>. 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. the area was also settled by Abraham's sons through Keturah (Gen. 25:1-4), the 12 sons of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13-16), and finally the sons of Esau (Gen. 36:1-19), all descendents of Abraham (also Semitic). The Birth of a Nation, landmark silent film starring Lillian Gish, released in 1915, that was the first blockbuster Hollywood hit. [7] See Robert Wilson, Genealogy and History in the Biblical World (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977). 1915. Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary - Keturah, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Keturah. After Sarah dies, Abraham marries Keturah. Whatever the reason, the Torahs total silence concerning any details about her makes this midrashic leap possible. son of contention, one of Job's friends. [5][6][7] This interpretation is set forth in the Midrash[8] and is supported by Rashi, Gur Aryeh, Keli Yakar, and Obadiah of Bertinoro. In addition, in the days to come Abraham will be ashamed of Ishmael and the offspring of Keturah, as portrayed in Isa. Let us know. Once Sarah has her child, the narrative is occupied with describing her jealousy against Ishmael, the son of Abrahams other wife, Hagar. 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. A different story has Isaac initiating his fathers marriage. And it came to pass, Higger], chap. 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. Her name may represent the land upon which these tribes once lived, or it may be related to the word for spice or incense (ketoret), suggesting that Abraham was related to the various tribes on the Arabian peninsula and elsewhere who grew and traded aromatic spices. happened.) Her sons were the ancestors of many Arabian tribes. Subscribe to the CompellingTruth.org Newsletter: Genesis 25 records that Keturah is the wife Abraham married after his first wife Sarah died. the ramifications of this story in all its facets not just the notable ones. Esth 1:1 It happened in the days of Ahasuerusthat Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Kush. [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.