Who was Keturah in the Bible?

TL;DR:

Keturah became Abraham’s wife or concubine after Sarah died. Not much is known about Keturah, but God still recognized her.

Keturah is described in Genesis 25 as the woman Abraham married after the death of his first wife, Sarah. There is some debate about her exact status, as 1 Chronicles 1:32 refers to her as Abraham's concubine. Keturah bore Abraham six sons, who became the ancestors of various Arabian tribes. Beyond her relationship with Abraham and their children, little else is known about Keturah's life, heritage, or fate.

from the old testament

Genesis 25 records that Keturah is the woman Abraham married after his first wife Sarah died.
First Chronicles 1:32 refers to Keturah as Abraham's concubine, so there is some debate as to the exact nature of their relationship. However, it seems apparent that the two of them were monogamous and that she did not bear him any children until after Sarah's death.
Both Genesis and First Chronicles record that Keturah bore Abraham six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. These sons became the fathers of the Arabian tribes who lived east of Israel, including the Midianites who appear later throughout the Old Testament.
When Abraham died at age 175, Isaac and Ishmael were the only two sons noted as being present to bury him. They buried him in the cave of Machpelah east of Mamre, where his first wife Sarah had been laid (Genesis 25:7–10).

from the new testament

Keturah is not mentioned in the New Testament.

implications for today

Nothing more of Keturah is mentioned in the Bible besides her relationship to Abraham and the six sons she bore him, so we do not know her age, heritage, beliefs, or even what happened to her after Abraham's death. However, God did see fit to include her name in the Bible as noteworthy. God knows each person's name and even the number of hairs on each person's head (Isaiah 45:4; Luke 12:7). The relationships we have and the roles we hold in this life are important to God. Whether those roles be spouse, parent, worker, friend, student, or anything else, God sees your life and wants to equip you to live out those roles in ways that bring Him glory and are a blessing to you and those around you (Deuteronomy 10:12–13; John 15:1–17).

understand

Keturah became Abraham’s wife or concubine after Sarah died.
Keturah and Abraham had six sons.
Abraham’s sons with Keturah are not mentioned at his death.

reflect

How does the recognition of Keturah's role in Abraham's life, despite limited details about her, inspire you to reflect on the significance of your own contributions and relationships?
Considering that God acknowledged Keturah in the Bible, how does this influence your understanding of how God values each individual, regardless of how much or little is known about them?
How can you find encouragement from Keturah's story to live out your roles and relationships in a manner that brings glory to God, even if those roles seem minor or go unnoticed by others?

engage

What insights can we gain about the importance of every individual in God's plan from the brief mentions of Keturah in the Bible?
How does the fact that Keturah's sons became the ancestors of significant people groups impact our understanding of her role in biblical history?
In the Bible, concubines were women who lived with a man and had a recognized social status but were not legally married to him. They were often secondary to the man's primary wife or wives, and their children had a different social status. Concubines were common in ancient cultures, including those described in the Old Testament, and served to bear children, particularly when a primary wife was barren or had died.