and R. Yosef Karo (Beit Yosef, YD 275). He holds a Ph.D. from Emory University in Jewish Religious Cultures and Hebrew Bible, an M.A. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? [8], Louis Feldman has said "Josephus records evidence of the prolific non-Jewish polymath Alexander Polyhistor, who, in turn, cites the historian Cleodemus Malchus, who states that two of the sons of Abraham by Keturah joined Heracles' campaign in Africa, and that Heracles, without doubt the greatest Greek hero of them all, married the daughter of one of them."[9]. What nationality was Keturah in the Bible? Something went wrong while submitting the form. The Egyptians were not Canaanites, but were their The Quran extols Abraham as a model, an exemplar, obedient and not an idolator. > First, whether the spelling is defective or plene should make no difference in meaning. 1:3): and whatever he does prospers (Gen. Rabbah 61:1). Zimran. A theme in the Abraham stories is his lack of children, which is why he marries Hagar and has Ishmael. Who is this Keturah and what was the significance of her marriage to Abraham? It would have certainly applied to his children through Keturah. (This was an obligation on Abraham and his household (see Genesis 17). And why the circumlocution, why not mention the womens namesunless the implication is that Abraham had many concubines, not just them (or not them at all.). Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. A Talmudic tradition claims this is another name for Hagar who remarried Abraham in his old age. 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). She freely married Abraham and became his bona fide wife. established Egypt, referred to in Psalms 105 and 106 refer to as the land of Why do women seem to have a small role in the Bible. (Beyond that, Midian had a more checkered history. ), suggests that the primary purpose of these verses is to associate the names that follow with Abraham. were not from Ishmaels line at all, but existed prior to Abraham, much less his Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Kadari, Tamar. When God wished to give the Torah, He offered it to the children of Keturah and to the Ishmaelites, but they refused to accept it, since they could not abandon the robbery and theft on which their lives were based (Midrash Tannaim on Deut. Keva . Proud member (Gen. 12:15-16) Abraham later fathered a son by one of these African maidens, This notion is based on 25:6: But to Abrahams sons by concubines Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac; and this expulsion is both in this world and in the world to come (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, chap. After enumerating Nabal's enormous wealth in flocks (1 Sam 25:2), the narrative introduces her in contrast to him. It is available as both book and ebook. According to the Judean authors Josephus and Cleodemus Malchus, Punic people were descended from Epher, grandson of Abraham and Keturah. themselves Shemitic through Abraham rather than Hamitic by Hagar. 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? Transliteration: Yishbaq Phonetic Spelling: (yish-bawk') Short Definition: Ishbak. Abraham and Hagar had a son named Ishmael. God then instructed Abraham to take Hagar and Ishmael to the desert and leave them there. Reply, Sons of Keturah and Abraham The Family Tree of Abraham is found in the Book of Genesis along with his life story. Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary - Keturah, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Keturah. Griffith developed The Birth of a Nation script from a popular play and novel about the Civil War, The Clansman by Thomas Dixon, Jr. | Dr. Therefore, the Arabs of Islam call After Sarah dies and a wife is found for Isaac, one would think the story of the Jewish people has moved on from Abraham to the next generation of Isaac, Rebecca and their sons. In Genesis 15 we read about Abrahams doubts and concerns. Courtesy ofWikimedia Commons. unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look If the mention of Keturah had been placed early in the Abraham narrative, his complaints about having no heir would have been false, and there would have been no need for him to father Ishmael with Hagar. During this trek through Africa, Abraham feared its Nouns (qetoret), (qitter), (muqtar) and (qeturah) refer to incense. In Jubillees 19:11 it says, And Abraham took to himself a third wife, and her name was Keturah, from among the daughters of his household servants. Although Jubillees is only a historical record, not part of the cannon of scripture, the information is worth considering if it agrees with the Bible.Apr 6, 2019. Dr. Keturah was one of Abrahams wives. see HEBREW yada'. What we do know is that Keturah became to mother of six Abrahamic sons, one of whom, Midian, became a nation that both rivaled Israel and became one of the most dominant tributaries to its theology and social structure. Adherents of the Bah' faith believe their founder, Bah'u'llh, to have been a descendant of both Keturah and Sarah. The wife of Abraham, after the death of Sarah, Genesis 25:1-6. Concubines seem to have been wives acquired through slavery or else as payment of a debt; however, this made them no less legitimate than free-born wives. Why saidst thou, She is my Ham. The Egyptians were direct descendants of Ham through his son, Mizraim script>. [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. Black History and its Prophecy of the Races at Keturah was one of Abraham's wives. (1.) CHAPTER 16. CHAPTER 15. Keturah bore Abraham six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The story centers on two families, the southern Camerons and the northern Stonemans. Genesis 25:4 chapter context similar meaning copy save. "Keturah, Hiram and Aquila"and thou and I, Momus. Ham. The Egyptians were direct descendants of Ham through his son, Mizraim Int. "William Baur, 4080. 2174b, 2175. 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. /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). KETURAH, THE THIRD WIFE OF ABRAHAM Much has been made about young women marrying old men for their money, fame, and fortune. We know little about Keturah, other than her name and the names of the sons she bore to Abraham ( Genesis 25:2; 1 Chronicles 1:33 ). (Gen. 12:15-16) Abraham later fathered a son by one of these African maidens, Abida -- "my father took knowledge," a son of Midian, How the Nation of the Troglodytes were Derived from Abraham by, Of the Change of Name in Abraham and Sarah, who Received the Gift, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV), Who was Keturah in the Bible? Keturah was one of Abrahams wives. After sending her and Ishmael out of the house (21:14), he sent back for her as she remained righteous all throughout the years. was very fair. "[22], Schloen, J. David. 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. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. 1:32). Rashi, ibid. The Children of Keturah as the Realization of Gods Blessing to Abraham, The Offspring of Keturah as a Constant Threat to Israel. 25:4 The descendants of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Enoch, Abida, and Eldaah. Through the" "offshoots of the Keturah line Abraham became the "father of many" "nations." All these were the children of Keturah. The Torah gives us no background whatsoever regarding Keturah. maker was God Himself. Here a redaction-critical solution seems best. ), Furthermore, one of Abrahams children was Midian, presumably the progenitor of the nation of Midian. (see the book Ethiopia the classic case pg.47). And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: Since Abrahams later children were not Jewish, they could descend from a mother of ordinary lineage (see Rashbam, Ramban). Hagar was not. In another tradition, Abraham sends the sons of Keturah away with a writ of divorce, as a wife is sent away from her husband. Abrahams affair with his African handmaiden led to an entire race Following a simple reading of the text, however, Rashbam, Radak, and Ibn Ezra state unequivocally that Keturah is not Hagar, but a different woman. (1.) Who was Keturah in the Bible? Standard Bible Encyclopedia. [19] According to the Judean authors Josephus and Cleodemus Malchus, Punic people were descended from Epher, grandson of Abraham and Keturah. out-of-wedlock son, but they still want to claim lineage from the Pharaohs, who JOKSHAN. 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. (Genesis 25:1; 1 Chronicles 1:32) (B.C. The Rabbis ask: What gifts did Abraham nevertheless give the sons of Keturah? Both Genesis and First Chronicles record that Keturah bore Abraham six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Though the Torah describes them separately, the rabbis often identify Keturah with Hagar, who they state came back to remarry Abraham after Sarah's death. The minor character Asenath, mentioned in the Bible as Joseph's wife and mother of Manasseh and Ephraim, became the heroine of an ancient Jewish novel written between 100 BCE to 200 CE, likely in Egypt. Genealogies elsewhere in the Bible are similarly symbolic. 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). Third, the word pilegshim (concubines) in Gen. 25:6 is spelled deficiently, without the letter yod. 24:23: Then the moon shall be ashamed (Num. Ishmael was born and brought up in Abrahams household. [2] Through the offshoots of the Keturah line Abraham became the "father of many nations.