She decided to give Hagar, her Egyptian maid, to Abram to produce a child. THEREFORE ISAAC MUST THEN HAVE BEEN THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD(Seder Olam Rabbah, ed. years old when Isaac is born. On this account, she would have been perhaps 90 or 91 when Isaac was born.. And he set the wood in order upon it, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. Our human side, no matter how far we feel we have advanced in intelligence, takes over for what we should turn over to God. This would make IsaacTHIRTY-SEVENat her death It is more credible and very much less shocking to imagine a man in his thirties voluntarily submitting to be sacrificing than a mere boy or adolescent teenager. (Political Themes in the Hebrew Scriptures [Palgrave Macmillan, 2010] by Jules Gleicher, page 41 42). I. Epstein, B. This was 14 years after the birth of his first child, Ishmael, with Hagar. XXXI. How old was Sarah when Isaac was born? Sarah said: "As long as a woman gives birth, she is adorned; after I grew old, now I am adorned." Yet another etymological exegesis derives ednah from eidan, the time of a woman's period. Not long afterwards, Abraham and Sarah were visited by three men. Whenever Rabbi Rashi (or others) is quoted as saying that Rebecca was 3-years-old when she was married off, missionaries and other Christians dismiss this, and claim that this is only quoted from a man in the 11th century. Here too, the words mean that what follows occurred after Avraham and Avimelech had concluded their covenant according to which until the fourth generation Avrahams descendants would not register a claim against lands owned by the Philistines at this time. These ages are so well-contrived that we should accept that even if Abraham and Sarah were real, historical people, they would not have lived to these great ages, nor would they have had a child at exactly 100 and 90 years old, respectively. Sarah was ninety when Isaac was born and Abraham was 100 years old (21:5). But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our motherNow you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promiseTherefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. Verse Concepts. And the Angel of the Lord called to him, &c. According to Jose ben Zimra, the idea of tempting Abraham was suggested by Satan who said, Lord of the Universe! Muslim exegesis states that Sarah asked Abraham to marry her Egyptian handmaiden Hagar because she herself was barren. 2 How old was Abraham when he had Sarahs son? Around 90 is a safe estimate as we dont know how literal they were being with the ages or the exact moment Isaac was born, but still pretty old! , whenever we find the construction what follows is conceptually immediately following what has been reported immediately before. Buber). Knowing Sarah to be a great beauty and fearing that the Pharaoh would kill Abraham to be with Sarah, Abraham asks Sarah to tell the Pharaoh that she is his sister (Genesis 17). [7] Such unions were later explicitly banned in the Book of Leviticus (Leviticus 18:9). The second reason why Gd worded the instructions in the manner in which the Torah records them, is to teach us that the site where this binding eventually took place is such a holy site; moreover after Avraham named the site, we know that it is one where the attribute of Justice may be changed to the attribute of Mercy due to the manner in which man, relates to Gds commands. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And Isaac answered and said to his father, Bind me properly, lest I tremble from the affliction of my soul, and be cast into the pit of destruction, and there be found profaneness in thy offering. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. By Mary Jane Chaignot. Miracles may happen and, having been present at the birth of all of my four children, the birth of a child still seems something so awesome. So what is the significance of Isaacs age at the time of his sacrifice? In the narrative of the covenant of the pieces in Genesis 17, during which Yahweh promises Abram that he and Sarai will have a son, Abram is renamed as Abraham and Sarai is renamed as Sarah. Not only was she the first wife of Abraham, she was also his half-sister. Both husband and wife laugh at the news. This makes Sarah one of the oldest women in the Bible to give birth, and her story is a testament to the power of faith in God. Immediately after Isaac and Abraham's incident on Mount Moriah, Rebecca is born (Genesis 22). By her union with Abraham, she had one child, Isaac. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. [24], Early next morning, Abimelech informed his servants of his dream and approached Abraham inquiring as to why he had brought such great guilt upon his kingdom. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born. The answer given by Adam Clarke to this question is perceptive: Josephus supposed that Isaac was now twenty-five; some Rabbis say that he was thirty-six; but it isMORE PROBABLE THAT HE WAS ABOUT THIRTY-THREE, the age at which his great Antitype was offered up.[16]WE BELIEVE THAT THIS CONCLUSION BY CLARKE IS TRUSTWORTHY. After 17 years in Egypt, Jacob died, and the length of Jacobs life was 147 years. Still, it is only a matter of a very small amount of time, and she was either 90 or 91 when Isaac was born. Jesus was offered up by the Father apparently sometimes during his thirty-fourth year of life. This situation was not uncommon in societies that practised polygamy. [26], Sarah dies at the age of 127, and Abraham buys a piece of land with a cave near Hebron from Ephron the Hittite in which to bury her, which is the first land owned by the Israelites in Canaan according to the biblical narrative. When Sarah and Abraham had reached the very old ages in their 90s and near 100s, respectively they expected they would have no next of kin. She is voiced by Hana Hayes. 59 So they sent their sisterREBEKAH ON HER WAY, ALONG WITH HER NURSEand Abrahams servant and his men. We are told that God had promised Sarah will bear a child, and he will be named Isaac: 15 God also said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. Genesis 23:1-2 (NIV). The answer given by Adam Clarke to this question is perceptive: Josephus supposed that Isaac was now twenty-five; some Rabbis say that he was thirty-six; but it isMORE PROBABLE THAT HE WAS ABOUT THIRTY-THREE, the age at which his great Antitype was offered up.[16]WE BELIEVE THAT THIS CONCLUSION BY CLARKE IS TRUSTWORTHY. Although God promised Abraham children, Sarah grew tired of waiting. Her beauty was affirmed in Egypt and she was taken into Pharaohs harem, where she was protected by God and the truth about her eventually came out. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, Father? Yes, my son? Abraham replied. Similarly, if the king had rewarded Mordechai for his part in discovering the plot immediately, history might have taken a different course. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When Abrahams son Isaac was born, he was 100 years old. How old was Abraham when his son was born? How old were Abraham and Sarah when Isaac was born? How old was Isaac at the time of this event? Abraham pictures God, our Heavenly Father. By just deducting the 90 from the 127, the correct age of 37 years for Isaac on the alter is found. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Miracles may happen and, having been present at the birth of all of my four children, the birth of a child still seems something so awesome. But she frets over whether Ishmael will also be Abrahams heir. No if we look at it from the perspective of God. We will worship and then we will come back to you.6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. According to the Rabbis, the aedah not only coincided with, but was the cause of the death of Sarah, who was informed of Abrahams intention while he and Isaac were on the way toMount Moriah. [27][9]:26. It would have been so easy to ask Gd why, if he was to offer Yitzchok (Isaac) as a sacrifice, he first had to travel a long distance to the site where this was to take place. Rabbi Solomon Itzhaki (A.K.A. Here we must reflect:Elohim tested Abraham. The verse should read: tested Isaac, for, ISAAC WAS ALREADY THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS OLDand his father was no longer responsible for him. Thats right, there is nothing impossible with God as Abraham (at 100 years old) and Sarah found out with the birth of their son, Isaac. She later gave birth to Isaac, whose name means "laughter." 28 Feb 2023 22:12:43 (Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible, Genesis 22:6 online source) Langes Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical: Starke: (Moses does not relate the peculiar time of this severe test of Abrahams faith. The phrase intelligent ignorance means that, without proper knowledge we dont understand that something cannot work. Sarah's faith enabled her to be strengthened to conceive and deliver Isaac in her old age: Hebrews 11:11-12; Sarah's faith resulted in a changed life when it . Joseph Ibn Kaspi (1280 Arles1345 Majorca): Yitzhak (Isaac) remained on Mount Moriah for three years until he reached the age of forty, & then he married Rivkah (Rebekah). (Joseph Ibn Kaspi, Mishneh Kesef on the Torah, volume 2, page 63))", "UK English Male"); 5 He said to his servants, Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. Now the eyes of Abraham looked on the eyes of Isaac; but the eyes of Isaac looked towards the angels on high, and Isaac beheld them, but Abraham saw them not. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. Either way, Isaac was born. Buber). It was over 25 years they waited. How many sons and daughters did Abraham have? 52 For amidst all that he has done he brought thee no offering; neither burnt offering nor peace offering, neither ox, lamb nor goat of all that he killed on the day that his son was weaned. Sarah gave birth to Isaac at the age of 90 (Genesis 17).2. James, p. 97). And it came to pass after, after the lowest of all the higher spheres. This would make Sarah the daughter of Terah and the half-sister of not only Abraham but Haran and Nahor. [52] According to the other legend, Satan came to Sarah disguised as an old man, and told her that Isaac had been sacrificed. Finally, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 91, Isaac was born. "Shall a child be born to a guy who is a hundred years old?" asks Abraham. Family Subtree Diagram : GenoMap1. The early sages also determined that Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah became . Sarah was MORE THAN 70 years when she gave birth to Isaac 5. This fact that Isaac was sacrificed in his 30s is well attested by nearly all ancient sources and Rabbis[1]. God's promise is fulfilled. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Sarah his wife. years old when Isaac is born. In Genesis Sarahs was first named, Sarai, which in Hebrew means my lady or my princess. Then God named her Sarah, a similar Hebrew name meaning lady, princess, or noblewoman., 2. And he said, Behold me. IN HIS MID-THIRTIES, ISAAC WAS OFFERED AS A SACRIFICE BY HIS FATHER. Abraham was ninety- nine or hundred years old. Here are five fast facts about Sarah that will provide an added depth the next time you read Genesis. The Child of the Promise refers to Gods promise to Abraham and Sarah. The Talmud identifies Sarai with Iscah, daughter of Abraham's deceased brother Haran,[38] so that in this Sarah turns out to be the niece of Abraham and the sister of Lot and Milcah. Sarah died at the age of 127, as Genesis 23 reports: "The Death of Sarah Heartache resulted. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. THEREFORE ISAAC MUST THEN HAVE BEEN THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD(Seder Olam Rabbah, ed. Sarah was ninety years old. It is certain that she noted an improved sense of purpose with them when they returned. 1 How old was Abraham and Sarah when Isaac was born? 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. Genesis 23:1-2 (NIV) Since Sarah gave birth to Isaac at 90 (or 91), Isaac would have been around 36 (or 37) when her mother had died. A., PH. [17], In Genesis 17 when Abram was ninety-nine years old, God declared his new name: "Abraham" "a father of many nations", and gave him the covenant of circumcision. We know that a condition of that covenant had been not to allow a single soul of the Canaanites to survive in that land, according to both Deuteronomy 20:16 as well as according to Joshua 13:3 and 15,45-47. In Twelve Extraordinary Women by Pastor John F. MacArthur, her life and story is analyzed along with that of Eve, Rahab, Ruth, Hannah, the Virgin Mary, Anna the Prophetess, the Samaritan woman at the well, Mary of Bethany, Martha, Mary Magdalene, and Lydia of Thyatira. Isaac was married to Rebecca when he was 40-years-old (Genesis 25:20). Some researchers have taken other descriptions of her age to mean that when she reached her centenarian years, she looked like she was in her 20s, and when she was in her 20s, she looked as though she was 7 years old, per Chabad. Thompson, a literary scholar, based his argument on archaeology and ancient texts. Yes if we relate the story to the medical improbabilities of the incident. The Book of Genesis is noteworthy for attributing to people ages - like 90 and 100 - that are easy to remember for oral story-telling, or which are based on the number 17. Abraham was told by Yahweh that if Sarah had given birth to Isaac, she would also give Abraham a son. Abraham then died at 175 years of age (25 . The name Sarah is a Hebrew baby name. God said that this was because "she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." (Genesis 17:15-16) Later, three mysterious visitors to their home told Abraham how this would happen. And Their Relationship Timeline. The answer came one day when three men paid Abraham a visit. If we look at the lifespans of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, The Bible says that: If we look at the lifespan of Sarah, we find that Genesis says she lived to 127 years, which is the sum of these consecutive square numbers plus 17 (127 = 52 +62 + 72 + 17). He answered, 'Peace!' Immediately following the account of the sacrifice on Mount Moriah is recorded the statement that Sarah died at the age of 127 (see Genesis 23:1). What is the standard atmospheric pressure and temperature at sea level? Jake Gyllenhaal Dating History: Heres Look At His Dating History Over The Years! Some would make him only a little over three years of age, but the ability to carry an ass-load of wood up a mountain refutes that idea. And Izhak (Isaac) said, It is right that I should inherit what is the fathers, because I am the son of Sarah his wife, and thou art the son of Hagar the handmaid of my mother. Changing patterns in Biblical criticism. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'this is his wife.' Answer: Around 90 or 91. Here are some major lessons we can learn from Rebecca. Rashi a well-known respected Jewish Scholar, 1040 1105 AD), comments on Rebeccas age of marriage: 1. In Genesis 17:17 we learn that Abraham is 10 years older than Isaacs birth required a miracle (see Genesis 11:30; 17:15-22), as did Jesus (see Luke 1:26-38).IN HIS MID-THIRTIES, ISAAC WAS OFFERED AS A SACRIFICE BY HIS FATHER. Sarah a son, even in their old age. In light of parallels between the rabbis' characterization of Sarah and early Christian themes connected to the Virgin Mary popular in this same period, it has been suggested that the rabbis used their portrayal of Sarah to establish her as a Jewish alternative to the Virgin Mary. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, I am God Almighty ; walk before me and be blameless. [1]Rabbi Radak (1160 1235): states that Abraham was 137 years old when the incident of Mount Moriah occured. By just deducting the 90 from the 127, the correct age of 37 years for Isaac on the alter is found. Whenever Rabbi Rashi (or others) is quoted as saying that Rebecca was 3-years-old when she was married off, missionaries and other Christians dismiss this, and claim that this is only quoted from a man in the 11th century. Purchased in Egypt, she served as a maid to Abrahams childless wife, Sarah, who gave her to Abraham to conceive an heir. The birth of Isaac Abraham's son. Genesis 17:17, Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old?