Christian Message Boards: As good as dead?

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Posted by Eden (Member # 5728) on :

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

Hebrews 11:12
Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

Why did the writer of Hebrews say that Abraham was "as good as dead" at age 99? At age 86, Abraham had a child with Hagar, so Abraham and Sarah knew that Abraham was still fertile 13 years prior to age 99.

And it was obviously known that when Sarah was 89 (she was 10 years younger than Abraham), it had "ceased to be with her after the manner of women", which presumably means that she was now in menopause and could no longer have children.

But after Sarah died at age 127, Abraham was 137 years old and remarried to Keturah and Abraham had 5 or 6 more children by Keturah.

So why would the writer of Hebrews say that Abraham was "as good as dead" at age 99 when clearly there was nothing wrong with Abraham's ability to make more children?

It cannot have been a mystery to Abraham at age 99 that Sarah was in menopause already so Abraham himself knew that HE was not the problem.

So why did the writer of Hebrews not focus on Sarah who was in menopause at age 89 because THAT's where the problem was since she was in menopause and could drop no more female eggs?

Hebrews 11:12
Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

love, Eden