The Book of Genesis
Part 44
Chapter 25:1-10
We have come to the last chapter in the biography of Abraham, the final disposition of his affairs, his death and burial.
The place that Keturah occupied in Abraham’s life has been a problem to many. Although several commentators have offered their solutions to the problem, there is still room for further research.
We shall consider some of these explanations.
There are some who consider the story of Keturah as the record of the closing years of Abraham’s life. They believe that the miraculous return of generative strength which preceded the birth of Isaac in his old age was prolonged, and that through it he begat more children by this younger woman.
The references in the New Testament to the birth of Isaac raise grave questions in an honest mind as to whether this is so. In Romans 4:17-25, the faith that resulted in the birth of Isaac, the son of his old age, is presented as the culmination of his life. From this passage one would certainly gather that the renewal of the physical strength of both Abraham and Sarah was for that purpose only.
If it is assumed that the miraculous return of generative powers in Abraham were prolonged so that he begat more children, why was it not prolonged in the case of Sarah? She survived the birth of Isaac some 37years. Compare Gen. 17:17 with 23:1.
The reference to Abraham and Sarah in Heb. 11:8-12, does not leave one with the impression that the renewed strength given to the patriarch was extended indefinitely. “Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the sky.” Even at Isaac’s birth Abraham was “as good as dead.” The statements of Gen. 17:17 also would preclude the idea of Abraham begetting children after the birth of Isaac.
Some Bible students realizing these details have concluded that the story of Keturah is a Jewish interpolation, and that, consequently, it does not belong to the Sacred Text. A proper statement of how they have arrived at this conclusion has not yet been found. It appears only as an easy way of dismissing the difficulty. If such a solution is adopted for every biblical problem, like the modernist, we soon would have a very small Bible.
Another explanation that is much more plausible and possible is that Keturah is no one else but Hagar with another name. This idea, while it is a possible solution, rests wholly upon assumption. There certainly does not appear any relationship between the two names, nor any similarity in the circumstances of the two records. Hagar as far as factual accounts are concerned had but one child and was expelled from Abraham’s household. Keturah had six children and seemed in favour within the household even near the end of Abraham’s life.
The most logical explanation is found in the fact that Abraham was a polygamist. From verse six of our passage we know that he had concubines (plural), and in 1 Chron. 1:32, Keturah is specifically called “Abraham’s concubine”.
The whole strain of the biblical records leads to the conclusion that Abraham had taken Keturah as a concubine while Sarah was yet alive. The words “then again” may be accepted as intimating a logical summary of events rather than as indicating a chronological order.