Genesis 25:2-3
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The verse doesn't just list sons; it highlights Abraham's continued vitality and obedience to God's command to multiply. Even in his old age, after Sarah's death and the birth of Isaac, Abraham fathered more children, demonstrating that God's promises and blessings can extend beyond human expectations.
She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Sarah's death, Abraham married Keturah, and she bore him six sons who became the ancestors of various Arab tribes. Abraham then sent these sons and the sons of his concubines eastward, providing for them before he passed away. Following Abraham's death, the narrative shifts to Isaac, focusing on his wife Rebekah's struggle with barrenness and the prophecy concerning their twin sons, Jacob and Esau.
Abraham's story doesn't end with Isaac. After Sarah's death, he remarries and has more children. What does this tell us about God's faithfulness and Abraham's enduring life?
A Renewed Vigor and Expanded Covenant
It might seem surprising that Abraham, already an old man, fathered more children. Commentaries suggest a few possibilities:
Abraham's ability to father more children, whether through renewed vigor or an earlier marriage, highlights the extraordinary nature of his life and God's commitment to bless him abundantly.
Six sons are named from Abraham and Keturah. Where did they go, and what legacy did they leave?
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From Sons to Nations
The names listed – Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah – represent the beginnings of various peoples.
These sons, though not the direct lineage of the covenant in the same way Isaac was, were still Abraham's offspring. God dispersed them, establishing them as distinct groups and nations, fulfilling His promise of multiplying Abraham's descendants far and wide.
Before Abraham dies, he makes provision for these sons. What does this act reveal about his faith and God's direction?
Providing for the Extended Family
Genesis 25:5-6 explains that Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines (which would include Keturah's children) and sent them away from Isaac.
Abraham's final acts demonstrate his obedience and wisdom, ensuring that God's unique promise to Isaac could unfold without interference.
Understand the original words
yalad · Hebrew Verb
To bring forth children; the act of giving birth, which in Scripture is often viewed as a divine blessing and the mechanism by which the covenantal promises and generational lines are fulfilled.
ben · Hebrew Noun
Male offspring; in biblical usage, it denotes genealogical succession and inheritance rights, particularly significant when distinguishing between the seed of promise and the seed of natural descent.
The birth of these sons to Keturah, after the miraculous birth of Isaac and Abraham's advanced age, highlights God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promise of numerous descendants, even beyond the line of the covenant.
~2000 BC
Abraham settles in Canaan
Abraham, called by God, leaves his homeland and settles in the land of Canaan, establishing a lineage that would become central to God's promises.
c. 1897 BC
Birth of Ishmael
Abraham has a son, Ishmael, with Hagar, Sarah's maidservant. Ishmael's descendants would form significant Arab tribes.
c. 1896 BC
Birth of Isaac
Abraham's promised son, Isaac, is born to Sarah when Abraham is 100 years old, signifying God's miraculous intervention.
c. 1875-1850 BC— this verse
Abraham takes Keturah as wife
After Sarah's death, Abraham takes Keturah as his wife. She bears him six sons, whose descendants would populate parts of Arabia.
c. 1875-1850 BC
Abraham sends away Keturah's sons
Before his death, Abraham gives gifts to the sons of his concubines, including Keturah's children, and sends them away to the east to prevent them from inheriting alongside Isaac.
c. 1875 BC
Death of Abraham
Abraham dies at the age of 175, having seen his lineage multiply and the promise of a great nation secured through Isaac.
This passage directly echoes Genesis 25:2, listing the sons of Keturah and identifying them as Abraham's descendants, highlighting their significance beyond just individuals to tribal lineages.
Genesis 37:28This verse mentions Midianite traders, showing how the descendants of these sons, particularly Midian, became influential groups known for commerce, tying back to their Abrahamic heritage.
Job 2:11This verse names Bildad the Shuhite as one of Job's friends, providing a direct link from one of Abraham's sons by Keturah (Shuah) to a figure in later biblical history, demonstrating the enduring legacy of Abraham's descendants.
Galatians 4:22-23This New Testament passage contrasts the 'sons of the free woman' (Isaac) with the 'sons of the slave woman' (Ishmael), drawing a parallel to Abraham's different lines of descent and their symbolic significance for God's people.
Romans 9:7-13This passage discusses God's sovereign choice, using the example of Jacob and Esau (Isaac's sons), to illustrate that God's promises are not based on natural lineage alone but on His electing grace, reflecting the distinction made even within Abraham's lineage.
gillGenesis 25:2: "And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah."
And she bare him Zimran,.... That Keturah should bear children who probably, was a young woman, is not strange; but that Abraham, whose body forty years before this was dead should now have any bore to him, may seem difficult to account for, and only can be attributed to the fresh vigour his body was endued with at the generation of Isaac; and which still continued for the fulfilment of the promi…
clarkeGenesis 25:2: "And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah."
Zimran - Stephanus Byzantinus mentions a city in Arabia Felix called Zadram, which some suppose to have been named from this son of Keturah; but it is more likely, as Calmet observes, that all these sons of Abraham resided in Arabia Deserta; and Pliny, Hist. Nat., lib. vi., c. 28, mentions a people in that country called Zamarenians, who were probably the descendants of this person. Jokshan - Sev…
The verse doesn't just list sons; it highlights Abraham's continued vitality and obedience to God's command to multiply. Even in his old age, after Sarah's death and the birth of Isaac, Abraham fathered more children, demonstrating that God's promises and blessings can extend beyond human expectations.
After Sarah's death, Abraham married Keturah, and she bore him six sons who became the ancestors of various Arab tribes. Abraham then sent these sons and the sons of his concubines eastward, providing for them before he passed away. Following Abraham's death, the narrative shifts to Isaac, focusing on his wife Rebekah's struggle with barrenness and the prophecy concerning their twin sons, Jacob and Esau.
After Sarah's death, Abraham married Keturah, and she bore him six sons who became the ancestors of various Arab tribes. Abraham then sent these sons and the sons of his concubines eastward, providing for them before he passed away. Following Abraham's death, the narrative shifts to Isaac, focusing on his wife Rebekah's struggle with barrenness and the prophecy concerning their twin sons, Jacob and Esau.
"She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim." — The verse doesn't just list sons; it highlights Abraham's continued vitality and obedience to God's command to multiply. Even in his old age, after Sarah's death and the birth of Isaac, Abraham fathe…
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Last reviewed October 2026
