Keturah
Second Wife of Abraham
Abraham's wife after Sarah — mother of six sons, including Midian, sent eastward with gifts.
Genesis 25:1-6 records that Abraham took another wife, Keturah, who bore him six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. From them came nations to the east of Canaan.
Her Story
After Sarah's death, Abraham took Keturah and through her became father of many peoples — Sheba, Dedan, the Midianites, and others. Yet Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac, and to the sons of his concubines he gave gifts and sent them eastward, away from Isaac, the son of promise.
What Scripture Teaches
- 1Wife of Abraham after Sarah's death (Genesis 25:1)
- 2Mother of six sons, including Midian (25:2)
- 3Her sons sent eastward with gifts (25:6)
- 4Called Abraham's concubine in 1 Chronicles 1:32
Key KJV Scriptures
"Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah."
"But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son... eastward, unto the east country."
Why It Matters
The covenant ran narrowly through Isaac, yet Abraham's fatherhood spread broadly through Keturah — fulfilling 'a father of many nations.'
Application for Today
God's promises are fulfilled with both precision and breadth — narrow in covenant, wide in providence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Keturah a wife or a concubine?
Genesis 25:1 calls her wife; 1 Chronicles 1:32 calls her concubine. The terms reflect her secondary covenantal standing relative to Sarah, but she was lawfully Abraham's wife.
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