Genesis 11:30 — Word Study
WLCוַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד׃
BSABut SaraiSâray [was unable to conceive, sterile] washâyâh▸ barrenʻâqâr [childless, without offspring] noʼayin [not a single] childrenvâlâd△
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַתְּהִ֥י | and she was | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person feminine singular |
| שָׂרַ֖י | Sarai | Noun proper feminine |
| עֲקָרָ֑ה | barren | Adj |
| אֵ֥ין | not | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| לָ֖הּ | [belonged] to her | Preposition, suffix |
| וָלָֽד׃ | a child | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | But Sarai was barren; she had no children. |
| KJV | But Sarai was barren; she had no child. |
| ASV | And Sarai was barren; she had no child. |
| YLT | And Sarai is barren — she hath no child. |
| WEB | Sarai was barren. She had no child. |
| BBE | And Sarai had no child. |
All translations agree on the meaning of Sarai's barrenness and her lack of children.
The sentence is structured with a main clause followed by a descriptive phrase, clearly presenting Sarai's condition.
3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectשָׂרַי
verbהָיָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 11:30
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Family of Abramgenerated
Genesis 11:30 describes Sarai as barren, highlighting her inability to have children. This detail is crucial in the context of God's covenant with Abram, where the promise of descendants is central. The narrative sets up the challenges faced by Abram and Sarai as they navigate their journey of faith, as seen in subsequent chapters.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 15:2–3 | But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” |
| 2 | Genesis 16:1–2 | Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. |
| 3 | Genesis 18:11–12 | And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. |
| 4 | Genesis 21:1–2 | Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. |
| 5 | Genesis 25:21 | Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עֲקָרָ֑ה, 'a.ka.Rahgenerated
The word עָקָר (aqar) means 'barren' or 'sterile,' specifically referring to a woman who cannot bear children. This term conveys a deep sense of longing and the societal implications of childlessness in the ancient world.
In this verse, it emphasizes Sarai's condition and the significance of her eventual motherhood in the unfolding story of God's promise to Abram.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree that Sarai was barren and had no children.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is וַתְּהִ֥י (va.te.Hi), meaning 'and she was,' which governs the whole sentence. It establishes Sarai's state of being.
The structure is straightforward, presenting Sarai's identity followed by her condition, emphasizing her barrenness as a significant aspect of the narrative.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עֲקָרָ֑ה as στεῖρα (steira), which also means 'barren.' This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may carry a slightly different connotation in Greek, focusing on the lack of fertility.
The use of ἦν (ēn) for 'was' reflects a direct correspondence with the Hebrew verb, maintaining the narrative's continuity.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 11:30 states that Sarai was barren and had no children. This detail is important as it sets the stage for the promise of descendants to Abram, highlighting the challenges they faced in their journey.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that Sarai was unable to have children, which was a significant issue in her culture and for the promise given to Abram.
Sarai's barrenness creates tension in the narrative, as the promise of numerous descendants to Abram hinges on her ability to bear a child.
In ancient cultures, having children was crucial for family lineage, inheritance, and social status, making Sarai's barrenness a serious concern.
Sarai's barrenness sets the stage for subsequent events where God intervenes, ultimately leading to the birth of Isaac, the child of promise.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What challenges do I face in my life that feel like barrenness, and how can I trust God in those areas?
- How does understanding Sarai's story help me relate to others who are struggling with infertility or longing?
- In what ways can I see God's promises at work in my life, even when circumstances seem impossible?
- How can I support those around me who may be experiencing similar struggles as Sarai?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators have noted the significance of Sarai's barrenness, often linking it to themes of divine providence and the eventual fulfillment of God's promises.
But Sarai was barren and had no children. By the counsel of Divine Providence, it happened that she was barren in her youth, so that in her old age, by bearing the son of promise, she might symbolize the holy Church, to whom it is said,Early Church Fathers on Genesis 11 →
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 11:30 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBut Sarai was barren; she had no child. Aben Ezra observes, there are some that say that Abraham was impotent, and not Sarai barren; the very reverse of the Scriptures; but as he rightly adds, his
Read John Gill on Genesis 11 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBut Sarai was barren; she had no child. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 11 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsGenesis 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she [had] no child.Ver. 30. But Sarai was barren.] Till she had prayed for a child thirty years, and then she had him with abundance of joy. At first she believed not the promise, but laughed at the unlikelihood, and was checked for it. But when she had better bethought herself, "through faith she received strength to conceive seed, because she judged him faithful who had promised". She was (when past age) delivered of a child; who was not more the child of her flesh, than of her faith. Whether she were that Iscah spoken of in the verse next aforegoing, the doctors are divided. Some say that Iscah, in Chaldee, signifieth the same that Sarai in Hebrew.…
Read John Trapp on Genesis 11 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
But Sarai was barren; she had no children.
Sarai was barren. She had no child.
But Sarai was barren; she had no children.
But Sarai was barren; she had no children.
Tyndale line
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
And Sarai was barren; she had no child.
And Sarai was barren; she had no child.
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
But Sarai was barren, and had no childe.
Strictly literal
And Sarai was barren: she had no child.
And Sarai is barren — she hath no child.
And Sarai is barren—she has no child.
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.
From the Latin
And Sarai was barren, and had no children.
Simplified
Sarai wasn't able to become pregnant and so had no children.
And Sarai had no child.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree, with four out of six words matched. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly, using the word ילד (boy) instead of the Hebrew term for child, but the overall message remains consistent.
וַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ותהי שׂרי עקרה אין לה ילד
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: ילד (boy)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 11:30
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singularHc/Vqw3fs
שָׂרַי (Saray) refers to the wife of Abram, later known as Sarah. The name is derived from a root meaning 'dominative' and is associated with the meaning 'princess.' Sarai is first mentioned in Genesis 11:29 and is the mother of Isaac. She is also noted as the sister of Abram and the daughter of Terah.
שָׂרַי n.pr.f. wife of Abram
base
H8297 שָׂרַי wife of Abram
8297 Saray saw-rah'-ee
from 8269; dominative; Sarai, the wife of Abraham:--Sarai.
see HEBREW for 08269
שָׂרַי (sa.ray) — Sarai.
A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.29;
daughter of: Terah (H8646);
sister of: Abraham (H0085), Nahor (H5152H) and Haran (H2039); married to Abraham (H0085);
mother of: Isaac (H3327); also called Sarai at Gen.11.29,30,31; 12.5,11,17; 16.1,2,3,5,6,8; 17.15;
Another name of sa.rah (שָׂרָה "Sarah" H8283)
§ Sarai = "princess"
original name of Sarah the wife of Abram or Abraham
N-proper — Noun proper feminineHNpf
Sarai
My princess, the name originally borne by Sarah (Gen. 11:31; 17:15).
(my princess) the original name of Sarah wife of Abraham.
my lady; my princess
עָקָר (aqar) means 'barren' or 'sterile,' referring to a lack of fertility in both males and females. It is derived from the root word for 'extirpated' in the generative organs. The term is used in contexts relating to infertility, particularly in women.
עָקָר adj. barren
base
H6135 עָקָר barren
6135 `aqar aw-kawr'
from 6131; sterile (as if extirpated in the generative
organs):--(X male or female) barren (woman).
see HEBREW for 06131
עָקָר (a.qar) — barren.
barren, sterile
Adj — AdjHAafsa
Barren
For a woman to be barren was accounted a severe punishment among the Jews (Gen. 16:2; 30:1-23; 1 Sam. 1:6, 27; Isa. 47:9; 49:21; Luke 1:25). Instances of barrenness are noticed (Gen. 11:30; 25:21; 29:31; Judg. 13:2, 3; Luke 1:7, 36).
אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.
אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought
to nothing, as nothing
cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
in circumst. clauses
with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
with prefixes
base
H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing
. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
. in circumst. clauses
. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
. with prefixes
369 'ayin ah'-yin
as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not
exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative
particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,
in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,
thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),
well-nigh, without. Compare 370.
see HEBREW for 0370
אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.
1) nothing, not, nought n
1a) nothing, nought neg
1b) not
1c) to have not (of possession) adv
1d) without w/prep
1e) for lack of
Part — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
הָ (ha) — her.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person feminine singular
HRd/Sp3fs — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp3fs
וָלָד (valad) means 'offspring' or 'child.' It is used in the context of a boy or child, with a specific mention in Genesis 11:30. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to offspring without significant disagreement among the lexicons.
וָלָד n.m. offspring, child, only Gn 11:30 (J)
ref
H2056 וָלָד offspring, child
2056 valad vaw-lawd'
for 3206; a boy:--child.
see HEBREW for 03206
וָלָד (va.lad) — child.
child, offspring
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Child
This word has considerable latitude of meaning in Scripture. Thus Joseph is called a child at the time when he was probably about sixteen years of age (Gen. 37:3); and Benjamin is so called when he was above thirty years (44:20). Solomon called himself a little child when he came to the kingdom (1 Kings 3:7).
The descendants of a man, however remote, are called his children; as, “the children of Edom,” “the children of Moab,” “the children of Israel.”