Sarah was Sarai was Iscah?

[Lulav]

Sarah was Sarai was Iscah? Someone tried explaining this to me recently and I just don't see it in Torah. Anyone familiar with this?

 

[cyberlizard]

isn't this to do with the idea that sarah was abraham's niece rather than his step-sister, which most people think!

Steve

if so i have read something within the last few days.... if this is what you are thinking of, leave a message and i will find the document.


Steve, - however don't expect rocket science from me as I am new to all this as you know.

 

[shlomoh]

Jessica [Iscah] was the sister of Milkah. Most commentators say that Jessica was Sarah. The following verse says that "Abraham took Sarah his wife" etc.
IbnEzra said - Iscah - her name is related to the Aramaic NESACH - princes and Sarah means princess in Hebrew. Rashi said that the name is related to the HEBREW NESACH - which means "to pour out" because she poured out her kindness on all who met her.
And nowadays there is a famous actress named Sarah Jessica, probably after a Jewish grandmother.

 

[zaksmummy]

Just as an interesting fact, my sister is called Rhian, which is welsh for Sarah

 

[Lulav]

isn't this to do with the idea that sarah was abraham's niece rather than his step-sister, which most people think!

Steve

if so i have read something within the last few days.... if this is what you are thinking of, leave a message and i will find the document.


Steve, - however don't expect rocket science from me as I am new to all this as you know.

I've always believed she was his half sister, not step sister, as Abraham plainly states 'Yes indeed she is my sister, she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife' ( Gen 20:12)

I have the exact translation of the verse and it reads:

And also indeed my sister, daughter of my father she is, but not daughter of my mother, and she was, to me , for a wife.

This of course in ancient reckoning could mean she was the daughter of his grandfather, instead of his father, Terah.

 

[Lulav]

Jessica [Iscah] was the sister of Milkah. Most commentators say that Jessica was Sarah. The following verse says that "Abraham took Sarah his wife" etc.
IbnEzra said - Iscah - her name is related to the Aramaic NESACH - princes and Sarah means princess in Hebrew. Rashi said that the name is related to the HEBREW NESACH - which means "to pour out" because she poured out her kindness on all who met her.
And nowadays there is a famous actress named Sarah Jessica, probably after a Jewish grandmother.

Hi Shlomo,

I can't seem to find where it says that Iscah was the sister of Milkah, in fact Iscah is only mentioned once that I can find in Genesis 11:29.

From what I've been able to find Iscah is from a root word meaning To watch, and her name means, ' One who looks forth'.

I'll have to get back to this, my PC is messing up.

 

[debi b]

Genesis 11:29
And Abram and Nahor took wives; the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

This is the only use of the name Iscah in scripture.

This is from the Metsudah Chumash with Rashi's entire commentary:

Yiskah
This was Sarah. [she was so called] because she could see (335) the future through Divine inspiration, and because all would gaze at her beauty.

Alternately, hKsy is from the root meaning princely - tWkysn, just as hrf is from the root meaning ruling hrrf

335 hks - see.

hks This is Aramaic.

According to Prof. Marcus Jastrow's Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Babli, Yerushalmi and Midrashic Literature the meaning for this root is:

to be clear, to look, see, forsee.

 

[Lulav]

Is there anywhere else in Tanach that one person is given three names?

 

[shlomoh]

Hi Shlomo,

I can't seem to find where it says that Iscah was the sister of Milkah, in fact Iscah is only mentioned once that I can find in Genesis 11:29.

Hi there. Look at he verse again.
"And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah."
Well if Haran is the father of Milcah AND of Jessica, aren't they sisters? You tell me!

 

[Lulav]

Hi there. Look at he verse again.
"And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah."
Well if Haran is the father of Milcah AND of Jessica, aren't they sisters? You tell me!

I look, I still don't see it, I guess it's because of what Abraham himself says.
Sure Haran is the father of Milcah and Iscah, thus they are sisters. But I don't see how that makes someone just mentioned as Sarai to be Iscah?

Abraham said, And also indeed my sister, daughter of my father she is, but not daughter of my mother, and she was, to me , for a wife. ( this is the TES translation)

That's pretty clear to me she was his half sister, but not a sister to Milcah, unless the mother of Milcah and Sarai are the same? The mother "X" married both to Haran and Terah? Is this possible?

Daughter of my father could only mean she was the daughter of Teran or Nahor, the grandfather, not daughter of Haran, Abraham's brother. I don't' know of any interchange of father for brother.

I am very curious as to why Rashi would think this and what purpose does it serve?

 

[shlomoh]

Sure Haran is the father of Milcah and Iscah. But I don't see how that makes someone just mentioned as Sarai to be Iscah?
.........
I am very curious as to why Rashi would think this and what purpose does it serve?

This is a MIDRASH. It serves the purpose of clearing up why this woman, Jessica, is mentioned at all. Jewish commentators believe that there is nothing in the scripture that doesn't teach us something. Since this woman's name is mentioned only once in the TORAH, and nothing else about her, they had to ask, Why mention her at all UNLESS there is something to learn about her? So who is she? Well since we don't know anything else abnout her except who her father is, she must be someone already familiar to us. So they worked out Sarah. Wny not?

Abraham said, And also indeed my sister, daughter of my father she is, but not daughter of my mother, and she was, to me , for a wife. ( this is the TES translation)
That's pretty clear to me she was his half sister, but not a sister to Milcah, unless the mother of Milcah and Sarai are the same? The mother "X" married both to Haran and Terah? Is this possible?
[/quiote]
Really, I don't know.

Daughter of my father could only mean she was the daughter of Teran or Nahor, the grandfather, not daughter of Haran, Abraham's brother. I don't' know of any interchange of father for brother.

Abraham was from the upper class of Sumerian society. According to the Sumerian laws of inheritance, when the
husband died, his estate passed on to his siblings; his widow aqnd orphaned children then had to exist at their
mercy. To overcome this, married Sumerian men began to legally adopt their wives as their sisters and to name them as the most faviorite sibling. That way, they got around the Sumerian inheritance law and made sure their wives and children were provided for. Therefore Sarah was the sister of Abraham regardless of of any biological connection. Isaac probably did the same with
his wife Rebecca.