Who was Tzarah?
“1 Tzarah lived one hundred years and twentyyears and seven years; these were the years of the life of Tzarah. 2 So Tzarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Avraham came to mourn for Tzarah and to weep for her.” (Ge 23:1-2 )
** Tzara, Avraham’s wife, is the only woman whose age is listed in the Scriptures.
“Then Abram took Tzarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.” (Ge 12:5 )
** Tzari is sixty five years old when she goes to Canaan with her husband. She will spend the next sixty two years moving to different sites both in and outside of Canaan.
“11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Tzarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 “Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 “Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” 14 ¶ So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 17 But Avinu plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Tzarai, Abram’s wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 “Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” 20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.” (Ge 12:11-20 )
** ‘..female servants’ – This is probably where Hagar came from.
** Notice that Paro doesn’t give Avraham the time to justify himself. Paro demands, “…take your wife and everything that I have given to you and get out of Egypt..”
** Avraham leaves Egypt a very wealthy man.
“1 Now Tzarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Tzarai said to Abram, “See now, Avinu has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Tzarai. 3 Then Tzarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 4 ¶ So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. 5 Then Tzarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. Avinu judge between you and me.” 6 So Abram said to Tzarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Tzarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence. 7 ¶ Now the Angel of Avinu found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, “Hagar, Tzarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Tzarai.” 9 The Angel of Avinu said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.”” (Ge 16:1-9 )
** Tzari was approximately seventy five years old when this incident occurred.
**Avraham was approximately eighty five years old.
“15 Then Avinu said to Avraham, “As for Tzarai your wife, you shall not call her name Tzarai, but Tzarah shall be her name. 16 “And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” 17 Then Avraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Tzarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”” (Ge 17:15-17 )
** Tzari – my princess to Tzarah – A mother of nations.
“Then Avinu said: “No, Tzarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Yitzaak; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.” (Ge 17:19 )
** Avinu declared that it is only through Tzarah’s son that the covenant will be established.
““But My covenant I will establish with Yitzaak, whom Tzarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”” (Ge 17:21 )
** The conception will be the result of two miracles. Both Avraham and Tzarah will be healed from the natural consequences of old age.
“1 Then Avinu appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Master, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 “Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 “And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” 6 So Avraham hurried into the tent to Tzarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Avraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. 9 Then they said to him, “Where is Tzarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” 10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Tzarah your wife shall have a son.” (Tzarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Avraham and Tzarah were old, well advanced in age; and Tzarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Tzarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my Avinu being old also?” 13 And Avinu said to Avraham, “Why did Tzarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 “Is anything too hard for Avinu? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Tzarah shall have a son.” 15 But Tzarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”” (Ge 18:1-15 )
** Both Avraham and Tzarah laughed at the idea of having a child.
“1 And Avraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Avraham said of Tzarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Tzarah. 3 ¶ But Avinu came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Avinu, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 “Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 And Avinu said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 “Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” 8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. 9 And Abimelech called Avraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” 10 Then Abimelech said to Avraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?” 11 And Avraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of Avinu is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife. 12 “But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 “And it came to pass, when Avinu caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’ ” 14 ¶ Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Avraham; and he restored Tzarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 Then to Tzarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.” (Ge 20:1-16 )
** Tzarah was a ‘half sister’ to Avraham.
** Notice that Avimalek said to Tzarah, “I have given this payment to your brother.(not your husband).”
“1 And Avinu visited Tzarah as He had said, and Avinu did for Tzarah as He had spoken. 2 For Tzarah conceived and bore Avraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which Avinu had spoken to him. 3 And Avraham called the name of his son who was born to him — whom Tzarah bore to him — Yitzaak. 4 Then Avraham circumcised his son Yitzaak when he was eight days old, as Avinu had commanded him. 5 Now Avraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitzaak was born to him. 6 And Tzarah said, “Avinu has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” 7 She also said, “Who would have said to Avraham that Tzarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” 8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Avraham made a great feast on the same day that Yitzaak was weaned. 9 And Tzarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Avraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Avraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Yitzaak.” 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Avraham’s sight because of his son. 12 But Avinu said to Avraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Tzarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Yitzaak your seed shall be called.” (Ge 21:1-12 )
*** “For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Tzarah shall have a son.”” (Ro 9:9 )
*** “By faith Tzarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” (Heb 11:11 )
*** “as Tzarah obeyed Avraham, calling him Avinu, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.” (1Pe 3:6 )
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