Who was Keturah in the Bible?

Keturah was the woman Abraham married after the death of his first wife, Sarah. She bore Abraham six sons, including Midian, the ancestor of the Midianites (Genesis 25:1-2).

What is the significance of Keturah?

Keturah's significance lies in her sons, who became founders of various Arabian tribes. This established Abraham as the 'father of many nations,' though the covenant promise was specifically passed through Isaac, the son of Sarah (Genesis 25:5-6).

When did Abraham marry Keturah?

Abraham married Keturah after Sarah's death, when he was very old. The Bible notes this occurred after he had sent away the sons of his concubines with gifts, ensuring Isaac remained the primary heir (Genesis 25:1, 5-6).

Keturah

Old TestamentPatriarchsFemaleWife

Keturah was the wife Abraham took after the death of Sarah, and she bore him six sons.

Keturah

Biography

Keturah was the woman Abraham married following the death of Sarah, and she bore him six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (Genesis 25:1-4; 1 Chronicles 1:32-33). Through these sons, Keturah became the ancestress of numerous peoples inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula and the regions south and east of Canaan, including the Midianites, a people who would intersect dramatically with Israel's history from the exodus through the period of the judges. Her status within the household is described in 1 Chronicles 1:32 as a 'concubine,' suggesting a secondary marital status, though Genesis 25:1 uses the standard term for wife. Abraham sent the sons of Keturah eastward with gifts, ensuring that Isaac alone was the heir of the covenant promise (Genesis 25:5-6). The brevity with which Keturah's story is told belies the enormous historical footprint of her descendants across the ancient Near East.

Significance

Keturah's theological significance centers on what her marriage to Abraham reveals about the scope of Abrahamic blessing. God's promise in Genesis 12:3 that 'all peoples on earth will be blessed through you' finds a concrete, if partial, expression in the nations descending from Keturah's sons. The Midianites, her most prominent descendants, appear throughout the biblical narrative in complex roles: Jethro the Midianite was Moses's father-in-law and a source of wise counsel, yet Midian also became Israel's oppressor in the period of the judges. Keturah thus embodies the reality that Abrahamic blessing is genuinely universal in scope but must be distinguished from the specific covenant of redemption that flows through Isaac and Jacob. Her descendants stand as a testimony to God's common grace toward all peoples while the specific covenant promises await their fulfillment in Israel's Messiah.

Verse Appearances (4)

Genesis

Genesis 25:1 Genesis 25:4

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:32 1 Chronicles 1:33

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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