Abraham’s third wife? – Keturah

 

Abraham’s third wife? – Keturah

Among my study for Come Follow me I watched several youtube channels that deal with the come follow me curriculum. I am always surprised how much I disagree with them and where the spirit leads me as a result. One of the posed the question, “How many children di Abraham have” I answered 2, which was wrong. The answer is 8. Where did the other 6 children come from? Genesis 26:1 gives us her name, Keturah, and very little else about here. We learn the names of her sons and some of their children’s names.

We learn that she is the ancestor to Jethro who gives the priesthood to Moses trough the lineage of Keturah’s son Midian. Jethro was a “priest of Median” Exodus 2:16:

6 And the sons of Moses, according to the Holy Priesthood which he received under the hand of his father-in-law, Jethro;

7 And Jethro received it under the hand of Caleb;

8 And Caleb received it under the hand of Elihu;

9 And Elihu under the hand of Jeremy;

10 And Jeremy under the hand of Gad;

11 And Gad under the hand of Esaias;

12 And Esaias received it under the hand of God.

13 Esaias also lived in the days of Abraham, and was blessed of him

- Doctrine and Covenants 84

There are two lines of reasoning from rabbinical texts regarding Keturah. The first is what we all would expect, she is another concubine of Abrahams that was elevated to wife after Sarah’s death.

The second strain which for a long time was the most popular is where I would like to spend some time. Rabbinical texts give significant support that Keturah is none other than Hagar the mother of Ishmael.

Much like how Abram had his name changed by the Lord to Abraham and Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah, Hagar’s name was changed by the Lord to Keturah, because her deeds were as pleasing as incense and because she had known no other man from the day she left Abraham. The name Keturah has several possible meanings related to incense, along with being bound or sealed. Sari and Sarah means Princess. Rabbinical texts indicate that Hagar was in actuality a princess of Egypt, having been born of one of the Pharaoh’s concubines and was given to Sarai as a handmaid. Some accounts indicate this was Pharaoh’s idea and others indicate it was Hagar’s. It makes me rethink Gods dealings with Egypt and how he often sends his people to Egypt for refuge and how he in many ways makes Egypt and its descendant’s central characters in his plan.

When Gen 25:1 states that Abraham took “another” wife the word used is “va-yosef” meaning to fulfill a divine command.

We read that when Isaac first meets Rebekah that he is:

62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country.

- Genesis 24

The savvy ready might recall the history of Lahai-roi:

6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

13 And she called the name of the Lord that pake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

14 Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

- Genesis 16

What was Isaac doing in lahai-roi? Rabbinical texts indicate that he was bringing Hagar back for his Father, Abraham as directed by God in fulfilling Hagar’s demand for justice because of her shame by her treatment by Sarah.

6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

- Genesis 25

In Gen25:6 the word used for concubines, “pilegshim”, is not plural but singular. Hagar was a concubine because Abraham already had a wife. Now that Sarah was dead, Hagar would have become a wife no longer a concubine.

Other rabbinical and historical texts demonstrate that Abraham had a love of Astronomy and Astrology. We see this in the Bok of Abraham. Abraham wanted to pass this information along to his son Isaac but legend has it that God sent the Arch angle Michael to stop Abraham. Since Abraham could not pass the Abrahamic covenant on to the children of Keturah he gave them his knowledge of Astronomy and astrology. If you note in Genesis 25:6 the last we see of Keturah’s children is they are sent Eastward, unto the east country, just after being given gifts by Abraham. Primarily in the scriptures when they speak of the East they are talking about Arabia.

Who else do we know of that loved astronomy and came from the East bearing gifts. The wise men of the Nativity story. Think how beautiful that is, that the decedents of the largest portion of Abrahams’ family were special witnesses of the birth and beginning of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant that all nations of the earth would be blessed through his decedent, Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.