שָׂרַי
𐤔𐤓𐤉
Saray
H8297 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Sarai (proper name, feminine): personal name signifying 'Sarai', the original name of the wife of Abram (later Abraham). The meaning is uncertain; traditional etymology links it to the notion of 'princess' or 'chieftainess,' but the exact meaning in ancient Hebrew is debated. Sarai is used exclusively as the name of a prominent female figure in early Israelite traditions, occurring prior to her name change to Sarah. The semantic range is restricted to this individual's name in biblical narrative.
Semantic Range
proper name (personal), the pre-covenantal name of Abraham’s wife, possibly with connotations of nobility or leadership in root sense, but no evidence of common noun usage
Root / Etymology
From the root שַׂר (śar), meaning 'prince,' 'chieftain,' or 'leader,' with a first-person singular possessive suffix ('my prince'), or possibly a dialectal or honorific ending. However, the precise etymology is debated among linguists, as the form is atypical. The later name form Sarah more clearly derives from 'princess'; Sarai is possibly a variant or related form, but this is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Sarai appears only in pre-monarchic Genesis narratives as the original name of Abram’s wife, before the account of her renaming to 'Sarah' (Genesis 17:15). In the narrative, the transition from Sarai to Sarah signifies a shift in status and promise within the ancestral lineage of Israel. 'Sarai' reflects early personal naming traditions among the ancestors of the Israelites. English translations traditionally render the name directly as 'Sarai,' reflecting the Hebrew form without interpretation. There is no evidence in the biblical text that this name was intended as a title or common noun; it functions exclusively as a proper name and does not designate any broader social or religious role. Later translations and traditions increasingly associated both Sarai and Sarah with the meaning 'princess,' influenced by the Hebrew root, but this connection is not explicit in the earliest Hebrew usage. The shift from Sarai to Sarah occurs before the establishment of Israelite national identity, and should not be retroactively associated with the later terms 'Judahite,' 'Israelite,' or similar ethnic/religious identities.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שַׂר; dominative; Sarai, the wife of Abraham; Sarai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׂר (ś-r) — to rule, to govern, to act as leader; prince, chieftain
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8297-01 |
שָׂרָ֔י | saray | HNp |
Sarai | Sarai | 16 |
H8297-02 |
וְ/שָׂרַי֙ | vesaray | HC/Np |
Now Sarai | and Sarai | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
17 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8297-01 |
Genesis 11:29 | שָׂרָ֔י | saray | HNp |
was Sarai | Sarai |
H8297-01 |
Genesis 11:30 | שָׂרַ֖י | saray | HNp |
Sarai | Sarai |
H8297-01 |
Genesis 11:31 | שָׂרַ֣י | saray | HNp |
Sarai | Sarai |
H8297-01 |
Genesis 12:5 | שָׂרַ֨י | saray | HNp |
Sarai | Sarai |
H8297-01 |
Genesis 12:11 | שָׂרַ֣י | saray | HNp |
Sarai | Sarai |
H8297-01 |
Genesis 12:17 | שָׂרַ֖י | saray | HNp |
Sarai | Sarai |
H8297-02 |
Genesis 16:1 | וְ/שָׂרַי֙ | vesaray | HC/Np |
Now Sarai | and Sarai |
H8297-01 |
Genesis 16:2 | שָׂרַ֜י | saray | HNp |
Sarai | Sarai |
H8297-01 |
Genesis 16:2 | שָׂרָֽי | saray-2 | HNp |
of Sarai | Sarai |
H8297-01 |
Genesis 16:3 | שָׂרַ֣י | saray | HNp |
Sarai | Sarai |