Question 1

What does Genesis 11:30 mean?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 11:30 states that Sarai, Abram’s wife, was unable to have children; she was barren and had no child. This verse highlights a significant detail about Sarai’s life and sets up an important challenge for Abram’s family story. The verse is part of a genealogy section, introducing Sarai’s situation before God calls Abram. The statement about Sarai’s barrenness is not just a passing fact—it draws attention to a problem that will shape much of the coming narrative. In the ancient world, not having children was a source of distress and social difficulty, making this detail especially important for understanding the family’s journey.

Question 2

The Hebrew behind Genesis 11:30

Accepted Answer

The word for “barren” is עֲקָרָה (ʿăqārāh), which means unable to bear children. This word is often used in the Hebrew Bible to describe women who, for a time, could not have children, sometimes until a significant event or divine intervention. The word for “child” is וָלָד (walad), meaning a child or offspring. The verse emphasizes that Sarai had no child at all, underlining the completeness of her barrenness.

Question 3

Why Genesis 11:30 matters

Accepted Answer

This verse prepares the reader for the later promises God makes to Abram about descendants, showing that the fulfillment of those promises will require something extraordinary. By stating Sarai’s barrenness so clearly, Genesis 11:30 highlights the theme of God working through human weakness or impossibility, a theme that recurs throughout the Bible. The verse also helps explain the tension and emotional weight in the stories that follow, especially the longing for a child and the significance of Isaac’s eventual birth.

Genesis 11:30 (KJV)