Abraham took another wife: took another translates the Hebrew “added and took….” In terms of time there are two ways to understand this statement. The first is to assume that the narrator is saying that Abraham married Keturah some time after the death of Sarah. This would mean that he married her when he was more than one hundred and thirty-seven years old. (Sarah died at age one hundred and twenty-seven, and Abraham was ten years older than Sarah.) The six sons would have been born when Abraham was between the ages of one hundred and thirty-seven and one hundred and seventy-five. While this may not seem likely, the text does not rule out this possibility. The other view is that Abraham married Keturah, or took Keturah as a concubine, and had these sons at some earlier time. Verse 6 makes clear that these sons were old enough to leave home and find their own means of support while Abraham was still living.

Regardless of the time when Abraham married Keturah and had sons with her, many translators are faced with the necessity of the demands of the discourse structure in their languages and how to open this new account. A time expression such as “Then,” “After that,” “Later” may be used. In such cases the understanding will then be that Abraham married Keturah and had six sons following the events at the end of chapter 24. Even without providing a time transition to the opening of chapter 25, verse 1 in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation is most likely to be understood by readers as happening after the death of Sarah. If we suggest that a suitable opener may be “After Sarah had died,” we must also suggest as another possibility “Before Sarah had died.” Since we cannot decide this matter on the basis of the text, it is best to make the opening general, as suggested above.

Another wife may mean in addition to Sarah or in addition to other wives Abraham may have had. However, only Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah are mentioned as bearing children for Abraham. Keturah is referred to here as wife in contrast to “concubine,” which is used in the parallel passage in 1 Chr 1.32. Note, however, that verse 6 refers to the “sons of his concubines,” which includes the sons of Keturah. For a discussion of “concubine” see 22.24.

Whose name was Keturah: Keturah‘s name occurs only here and in verse 4, and in 1 Chr 1.32-33. Her name may be a variant of a word referring to the smoke from a sacrifice or from incense. In some languages it is more natural to call her “Sweet smelling smoke” or “Incense.” In others it will be more natural to transliterate her name.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .