✨ Keturah in the Bible: Mystery, Midrash, and Memory

📖 Introduction

After Sarah’s death, the Torah tells us that Abraham marries a woman named Keturah (Genesis 25:1). Strikingly, the text offers no prior introduction to her—no genealogy, no homeland, no background. Who was this mysterious woman?

❓ Who Was Keturah?

The Torah remains silent, leaving readers and commentators to wonder:

• Was she a Canaanite woman?

• Was she a slave woman like Hagar?

• Or perhaps a woman Abraham invited from his distant homeland?

The ambiguity opens the door for midrashic creativity.

📜 Rashi and the Midrashic Tradition

Rashi, the famous medieval Jewish rabbi, identifies Keturah with Hagar herself. Citing midrash, he explains that the name Keturah reflects her deeds, which were as pleasant as incense (ketoret) 🌿.

This interpretation suggests a narrative of reconciliation: Abraham, at an advanced age (140 years old according to Genesis chronology), returns to the woman he once sent away.

🕎 Why Link Keturah to Hagar?

Scholars propose several reasons why the Sages merged the two figures:

• Moral concern: The rabbis may have felt uneasy about Abraham’s treatment of Hagar and sought to “repair” the story.

• Practical logic: It seemed implausible that Abraham, at the age of 140, would marry a completely new woman at his advanced years; returning to Hagar was more believable.

• Spiritual symbolism: Renaming her as Keturah gave her a positive fragrance and dignity, redeeming her earlier pain.

🔮 Silence and Symbolism

The silence of the Torah regarding Keturah gave room for midrashic imagination. While some traditions distinguish her as a new wife, others (including the Targum) insist she is none other than Hagar herself.

In either case, her role is symbolically rich: through her, Abraham fathers additional nations, extending his legacy beyond Isaac and Ishmael.

🌿 Conclusion

Keturah embodies the mystery of biblical storytelling—sometimes silent, sometimes reimagined, always layered with meaning. Whether a new wife or Hagar restored, she reminds us that sacred history is never flat: it is interpreted, reinterpreted, and sanctified through memory.

— Azahari Hassim

Founder, The World of Abrahamic Theology