Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her by the name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
Parallel translations
- WEB God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.
- KJV And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
- BSB Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah.
- NKJV Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
- NLT Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God changed Sarai's name to Sarah. She too is drawn into the covenant promise of fruitfulness.
Overview
God renames Sarai as Sarah, princess, signaling her central role in the covenant line. Like Abraham's renaming, hers marks a new identity tied to God's purpose. By naming Sarah specifically, God makes clear that the promised heir will come through her, not Hagar, focusing the promise on the miraculous birth to come.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Sam 12:25and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah, for Yahweh’s sake.
- Gen 17:5Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
- Gen 32:28He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 17:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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