Brief Overview of Σάρρα (Strong’s G4564: Sarra)

Strong’s G4564: Greek form of the Hebrew name שָׂרָה (Sarah), meaning “princess.” Wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac, she exemplifies faith in God’s promises despite impossible circumstances. Her story illustrates divine faithfulness and the miraculous nature of covenant fulfillment.

U- Unveiling the Word

Σάρρα represents more than just a historical figure in Scripture. Her name change from Sarai (“my princess”) to Sarah (“princess”) signifies God’s broader covenant promises. In the New Testament, she appears as an example of faith (Hebrews 11:11) and godly submission (1 Peter 3:6). The early church saw in her story the power of God to bring life from barrenness and fulfill seemingly impossible promises. Today, she continues to exemplify how faith embraces God’s promises despite natural impossibilities.

N – Necessary Information

  • Greek Word: Σάρρα, Sarra, /sar’-rah/
  • Pronunciation Guide: ‘sar’ as in ‘sardine’, ‘rah’ as in ‘raw’
  • Part of Speech: Proper Noun
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Etymology:

  • Greek form of Hebrew שָׂרָה (Sarah)
  • Root meaning “princess” or “noblewoman”
  • Name changed from Sarai (שָׂרַי) to Sarah (שָׂרָה)

D – Defining Meanings

  • Primary meaning: Princess
  • Historical meaning: Matriarch of Israel
  • Theological meaning: Example of faith and promise

Translation Options:

  • Sarah – Traditional English rendering
  • Sarra – Greek transliteration
  • Sara – Alternative English form

E – Exploring Similar Words

  • Ἀβραάμ (Abraham) /ab-rah-am’/ – Her husband’s name. See G11
  • Ἰσαάκ (Isaac) /ee-sah-ak’/ – Her son’s name. See G2464

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as a proper noun:

  • Case: Indeclinable
  • Number: Singular
  • Gender: Feminine
  • Declension: None (remains unchanged)

As a transliterated Hebrew name, it doesn’t follow typical Greek declension patterns and maintains its form regardless of grammatical function.

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes Sarah’s role in salvation history. Thayer’s connects her to the covenant promises. LSJ notes her appearance in Jewish literature. Vine’s highlights her significance in New Testament theology. Strong’s links her name to nobility. Moulton and Milligan document her name’s use in Jewish-Greek texts.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
Romans 4:19: “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s [Σάρρας] womb:”

Additional References:
Hebrews 11:11, 1 Peter 3:6

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

Author: WorkText
Josephus: Antiquities“Sarah [Σάρρα] was known for her great beauty even in her advanced age”
Philo: On Abraham“Through faith, Sarah [Σάρρα] received strength to conceive”
Justin Martyr: Dialogue“Sarah [Σάρρα] represents the free woman of the promise”

N – Noteworthy Summary

Σάρρα powerfully illustrates that God’s promises transcend natural impossibilities. Her story proclaims the good news that God is faithful to His covenant promises and specializes in bringing life from death. Through her example, we learn that true faith trusts God’s word even when circumstances seem impossible.

D – Did You Know?

  1. Sarah is the only woman whose age at death is recorded in Scripture
  2. Early Christian writers saw her as a type of the church
  3. Her name change represents the first recorded female name change in Scripture

Strong’s G4564: Greek form of Sarah, meaning “princess.” Wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac, her life exemplifies faith in God’s promises despite impossibilities. New Testament writers present her as a model of faith and godly character.

Part of speech: Proper Noun

Tags: matriarchs, faith, promise, abraham, covenant, barrenness, miracle-birth, women-of-faith, genesis, divine-faithfulness​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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