And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he expired and died; and was gathered unto his people. (Genesis 23:1; 25:17)

וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה, מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה. (בראשית כ"ג א)
וְאֵלֶּה שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: מְאַת שָׁנָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, וַיִּגְוַע וַיָּמָת וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל עַמָּיו. (בראשית כ"ה יז)

Recording Sarah’s lifespan is exceptional: neither the Torah nor the entire Bible counts any other woman’s years.

Another unusual person whose lifespan the Torah counts is Ishmael, Abraham’s rejected son. Unlike Isaac’s rejected son Esau, whose death is not even mentioned, much less his age at death, Ishmael’s years are recorded. Why?

Perhaps they demonstrate fulfillment of the blessing he received through Abraham, granting him long life (Nahmanides). But there may also be a connection between Ishmael’s lifespan at the parasha’s end and Sarah’s at its beginning.

Sarah lived 127 years, Ishmael 137. Both numbers have an identical pattern: a round number of tens (120 or 130), plus seven, with Ishmael living ten years longer.

Sarai afflicted Hagar, Ishmael’s future mother (Genesis 16:6), and later ordered Abraham to expel her and her son (Genesis 21:10). Nahmanides and Radak criticized Sarai’s conduct as improper. Nahmanides also says her punishment for afflicting Hagar was her descendants’ future suffering at the hands of Ishmael’s descendants. Indeed, the LORD’s angel tells Hagar she will bear Ishmael in compensation for Sarah’s affliction:

And the angel of the LORD said unto her: ‘Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.’ And the angel of the LORD said unto her: ‘I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the LORD said unto her: ‘Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. (Genesis 16:9–11)

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ ה': שׁוּבִי אֶל גְּבִרְתֵּךְ וְהִתְעַנִּי תַּחַת יָדֶיהָ.
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ ה': הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת זַרְעֵךְ וְלֹא יִסָּפֵר מֵרֹב.
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ ה': הִנָּךְ הָרָה וְיֹלַדְתְּ בֵּן וְקָרָאת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׁמָעֵאל – כִּי שָׁמַע ה' אֶל עָנְיֵךְ. (בראשית ט"ז, ט-יא)

Nahmanides notes that Hagar’s affliction caused suffering for Sarah’s descendants, but the Torah may hint that punishment extended further. The difference between Sarah’s and Ishmael’s lifespans may indicate Sarah’s own punishment for treating Hagar and Ishmael as she did: her life was shortened to ten years fewer than Ishmael’s.