Genesis 11:30
New International Version
Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.

New Living Translation
But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

English Standard Version
Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Berean Standard Bible
But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

King James Bible
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

New King James Version
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

New American Standard Bible
Sarai was unable to conceive; she did not have a child.

NASB 1995
Sarai was barren; she had no child.

NASB 1977
And Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Amplified Bible
But Sarai was barren; she did not have a child.

Christian Standard Bible
Sarai was unable to conceive; she did not have a child.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Sarai was unable to conceive; she did not have a child.

American Standard Version
And Sarai was barren; she had no child.

English Revised Version
And Sarai was barren; she had no child.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Sarai was not able to have children.

Good News Translation
Sarai was not able to have children.

International Standard Version
Sarai was barren, so she had not borne children.

Majority Standard Bible
But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

NET Bible
But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

New Heart English Bible
And Sarai was barren. She had no child.

Webster's Bible Translation
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

World English Bible
Sarai was barren. She had no child.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Sarai is barren—she has no child.

Young's Literal Translation
And Sarai is barren -- she hath no child.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Sarai shall be barren; to her not a child.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Sarai was barren, and had no children.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But Sarai was barren and had no children.

New American Bible
Sarai was barren; she had no child.

New Revised Standard Version
Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Sarai was a sterile woman and she had no sons.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Sara was barren, and did not bear children.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Terah's Descendants
29And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30But Sarai was barren; she had no children. 31And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there.…

Cross References
Genesis 16:1-2
Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. / So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Genesis 17:15-19
Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah. / And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.” / Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?” ...

Genesis 18:10-14
Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent. / And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. / So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” ...

Genesis 21:1-2
Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. / So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.

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.

Genesis 30:1-2
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. / Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

Judges 13:2-3
Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children. / The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.

1 Samuel 1:5-6
But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb. / Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her viciously to taunt her.

1 Samuel 1:19-20
The next morning they got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then they returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. / So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”

2 Kings 4:14-17
So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.” / “Call her,” said Elisha. So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway. / And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.” ...

Isaiah 54:1
“Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.

Luke 1:7
But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.

Luke 1:13-14
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. / He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth,

Luke 1:36-37
Look, even Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month. / For no word from God will ever fail.”

Romans 4:19
Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.


Treasury of Scripture

But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

barren.

Genesis 15:2,3
And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? …

Genesis 16:1,2
Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar…

Genesis 18:11,12
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women…

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Genesis 11
1. One language in the world.
2. The building of Babel.
5. It is interrupted by the confusion of tongues, and the builders dispersed.
10. The generations of Shem.
27. The generations of Terah, the father of Abram.
31. Terah, with Abram and Lot, move from Ur to Haran.














But Sarai
The name "Sarai" is of Hebrew origin, meaning "my princess" or "noblewoman." In the context of Genesis, Sarai is introduced as the wife of Abram, later known as Abraham. Her name reflects her esteemed position and the significant role she would play in the unfolding narrative of God's covenant with Abraham. Sarai's life is a testament to the transformative power of God, as her name is later changed to Sarah, meaning "princess," signifying her role as the matriarch of nations.

was barren
The Hebrew word for "barren" is "עֲקָרָה" (aqarah), which denotes a woman unable to conceive children. In ancient Near Eastern culture, barrenness was often seen as a source of shame and social stigma. It was a condition that could lead to personal despair and familial tension. However, in the biblical narrative, barrenness often sets the stage for divine intervention and miraculous births, underscoring God's sovereignty and the unfolding of His redemptive plan. Sarai's barrenness highlights the human impossibility that God would overcome to fulfill His promises.

she had no child
This phrase emphasizes the reality of Sarai's situation, reinforcing the notion of her inability to bear children at that time. In the broader scriptural context, the absence of a child for Sarai and Abram is significant because God had promised Abram that he would be the father of a great nation. This promise seemed impossible given Sarai's condition, yet it sets the stage for a profound demonstration of faith and God's faithfulness. The narrative invites readers to trust in God's timing and His ability to bring life and hope where there seems to be none.

Verse 30. - But Sarai was barren; she had no child. Perhaps in contrast to Milcah, who by this time had begun to have a family (Murphy).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But Sarai
שָׂרַ֖י (śā·ray)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8297: Sarai -- a wife of Abram

was
וַתְּהִ֥י (wat·tə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

barren;
עֲקָרָ֑ה (‘ă·qā·rāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6135: Sterile

she had no
אֵ֥ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

children.
וָלָֽד׃ (wā·lāḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2056: Offspring, child


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OT Law: Genesis 11:30 Sarai was barren (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 11:29
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