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The name 'Iscah' is mentioned only once in Scripture.
Gen 11:29 Then 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.
In this verse, every other name mentioned is of biblical significance.
So the name 'Iscah' may also refer to someone of biblical relevance.
Observing that Milcah had married Nahor (Abraham's brother), many have
thought Iscah may be merely another name for Sarai (ie Sarah, Abraham's
wife). That is to say, that each brother had married a daughter of their
other brother Haran.
The meaning of the name 'Iscah', according to Strong's Concordance, is
'to watch' or 'observant'.
Those who have thought Iscah was Sarah have considered the meaning of the
name may refer to the well documented beauty of Sarah.
WHY ISCAH IS PROBABLY NOT SARAH
1) Genesis 20:12 - Relationship to Terah
A critical text which has to be considered is Abraham's explanation of why
his wife was also his sister.
Gen 20:12 But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the
daughter of my father, but not the daughter of
my mother; and she became my wife.
This verse suggests that Abraham's father, Terah, was married to at least
two women. To a lady who was the mother of Abraham and to another lady who
was the mother of Sarah.
[ Since the word 'father' in Hebrew can also refer to a grandfather,
great grandfather, etc (and 'mother' can also refer to a grand-
mother, great grandmother etc; and 'daughter' can also refer to a
grand daughter, great granddaughter etc;) other possibilities could
possibly exist.
If we only considered the teaching of this verse, then Sarah could
also be a younger daughter of one of Abraham's male ancestors,
provided there was a different mother. ]
We could also consider the example of Isaac and Rebekah.
Gen 26:7 And the men of the place asked about his wife.
And he said, "She is my sister"; for he was
afraid to say, "She is my wife," because he
thought, "lest the men of the place kill me for
Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold."
The relationship between Isaac and Rebekah was that Isaac's grandfather,
Terah, was the great-grandfather of Rebekah. (Her father being Bethuel
and her grandfather being Nahor (brother of Abraham).)
[NB: Isaac is using the word 'sister' in a more general
sense. In this case to mean a female relative.
In a somewhat similar manner to the way Rebekah's
mother and brother describe Rebekah as 'our sister'
in Gen 24:60. ]
In interpreting the words of Abraham, describing Sarah in Gen 20:12,
we should also consider the marriage laws in Lev 18:6-16 (which are
somewhat repeated in chapter 20).
While these laws were later documented as part of the Old Covenant
regulations, it is also likely they were requirements expected to be
adhered to in Abraham's time.
There was a regulation against a man marrying the daughter of his
father or mother.
Lev 18:9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your
sister, your father's daughter or your mother's
daughter, whether brought up in the family or
in another home.
There was also a regulation against marrying any step sister who
was brought up in the family home.
Lev 18:11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your
father's wife's daughter, brought up in your
father's family, since she is your sister.
[ NB: The text 'brought up in your father's
family' is in Hebrew the two words
'kindred (H4138) father-of-you (H1)'.
Verse 11 follows the perspective of the
latter portion of verse 9, but limits
the regulation to only where the
daughter is brought up in the father's
family home. ]
Therefore, the implication is that Sarah's mother was a later wife
of Abraham's father. Also, the inference is that by the time Sarah's
mother married Terah, Sarah was already mature.
Sarah was a 'sister', but she was a step sister.
So, could the name 'Iscah' have been a reference to Sarah? It seems not.
We need to consider the narrow age gap between Sarah and Abraham.
2) Genesis 11:26 & 17:17 - Age of Sarah
It is well known that Sarah was about 10 years younger than Abraham.
Gen 17:17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and
said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a
man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah,
who is ninety years old, bear a child?"
It is this age difference of about 10 years when combined with how one
interprets Gen 11:26 that really decides whether Iscah could still be
Sarah.
Gen 11:26 Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot (fathered)
Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
People interpret this verse in many different ways.
- Many choose to understand this verse to be saying that the
first of the three brothers was born when Terah was 70 years
old. This approach is taken by those who consider that the
death of Abraham's 'father' in Act's 7:4 was a reference to
the death of Terah. Hence, they believe Abraham was actually
born when Terah was about 130 years of age.
- A few interpret this verse to mean that the last of the
three brothers, ie Abraham, was born when Terah was 70 years
old. In arriving at this conclusion reliance is placed upon
non-Scriptural material which indicates the older brothers
were born when Terah was 38 years old.
- Some accept the face value meaning of this verse. That all
three brothers were born when Terah was 70 years of age.
This group do not agree that the 'father' in Act's 7:4 was
Terah.
Those who choose this option are not necessarily saying the
brothers were triplets. (There may have been more than one
wife giving birth to these brothers.)
For those accepting the third option, that all brothers were born
when Terah was 70 years of age, the issue of whether Iscah could be
another name for Sarah is clear. For it is apparent that Sarah would
be too old to be the niece of Abraham, too old to be Iscah.
WHO ELSE COULD ISCAH HAVE BEEN?
There was one biblically important woman whose actions would fit the
meaning of Iscah. One who did 'watch' and was 'observant'.
Gen 19:26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she
became a pillar of salt.
Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.
[ The Hebrew word for 'looked' in the above verse means, "to scan,
ie look intently at; by implication to regard with pleasure,
favour or care". ]
Lot was the son of Haran.
Translations of Gen 11:29 indicate Iscah was the daughter of Haran.
Gen 11:29 Then 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.
It was not permitted for a brother to marry a sibling.
So can the verse be understood differently?
The latter portion of this verse is rather unusual in its structure.
"... Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father
of Milcah and the father of Iscah."
The text could simply have said,
"... Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father
of Milcah and Iscah.",
why unnecessarily repeat 'and the father of' If they were sisters.
However, let us recall that 'father' can refer to a grandfather.
Should the latter portion of this verse been rendered,
"... Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father
of Milcah and the grandfather of Iscah."
This would mean that Iscah was the daughter of Milcah. It would also
mean that it was permissible for Lot to marry Iscah.
While Genesis 12:4 does not record that Iscah left Haran (with Lot),
it is also true Genesis 11:31 does not record that Nahor and his
wife left Ur of the Chaldeans (with Terah).
Nevertheless, we know that the family of Nahor did settle in Haran.
So while it is not obvious that Iscah may have become Lot's wife, it
would explain why this woman's name was mentioned in Scripture.
It would also tell us that Lot's wife was a close relative and not a
descendant of the land where he sojourned.
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