Genesis 17:17 kjv

Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

Genesis 17:17 nkjv

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?"

Genesis 17:17 niv

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"

Genesis 17:17 esv

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

Genesis 17:17 nlt

Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. "How could I become a father at the age of 100?" he thought. "And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?"

Genesis 17 verses

Genesis 17 17 Meaning

Genesis 17:17 captures Abraham's initial reaction, a mixture of reverential awe, profound astonishment, and perhaps a humanly natural incredulity, to God's renewed covenant promise of a son through Sarah. Despite falling in humility, his internal thoughts reveal the immense challenge to his human understanding: conceiving a child at ages 100 and 90, respectively. This verse highlights the tension between the physical impossibility from a human perspective and the omnipotence of God's miraculous promise.

Genesis 17 17 Context

Genesis chapter 17 is pivotal for the Abrahamic covenant. It occurs thirteen years after Ishmael's birth, highlighting a significant period of silence before God once again speaks to Abraham. Here, God appears as "El Shaddai" (God Almighty), renewing, expanding, and formalizing His earlier promises to Abraham. The covenant includes specific terms like circumcision as an outward sign. God renames Abram to Abraham ("father of a multitude") and Sarai to Sarah ("princess"). He emphatically promises that Abraham will be the father of many nations and kings, and critically, that a son will be born to Abraham through Sarah, rather than Ishmael (who was Abraham's prior assumption for the heir). It is in response to this astonishing and humanly impossible promise of a son through a 90-year-old Sarah, and for a 100-year-old Abraham, that Abraham reacts as described in verse 17.

Genesis 17 17 Word analysis

• Then Abraham fell upon his face,
  • Then: Signifies an immediate reaction following God's profound declaration about Sarah bearing a son.
  • Abraham: Now bearing his new, God-given name, "father of a multitude," reinforcing the covenant's focus.
  • fell upon his face (נָפַל עַל־פָּנָיו, naphal al-panav): This posture in the Bible consistently signifies profound reverence, humility, awe, submission, or sometimes fear in the presence of the divine (e.g., Gen 17:3, Josh 5:14, Lev 9:24, Ez 1:28). It shows that despite his internal thoughts, Abraham maintained an attitude of worship and acknowledgement of God's majesty. This is crucial for interpreting his subsequent laughter.
• and laughed,
  • laughed (צָחַק, tsakhaq): This Hebrew root is the basis for the name Isaac (יִצְחָק, Yitzchaq). The meaning here is debated: astonishment, incredulity, joyous amazement, or a degree of doubt/sarcasm. Given the posture of "falling upon his face," it's primarily interpreted as wonder or joyous amazement at the sheer magnitude and unexpected nature of the promise, mixed with human grappling with its impossibility, rather than disrespectful mockery or outright unbelief. It acknowledges the overwhelming nature of God's power contrasted with human reality.
• and said in his heart,
  • said in his heart (וַיֹּאמֶר בְּלִבּוֹ, vayyomer belibbo): Indicates internal thought, a silent questioning or reflection, rather than an outspoken challenge to God. It reflects an inward processing of the revelation, distinct from direct speech to God, which he does shortly after concerning Ishmael.
• Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old?
  • Shall...be born (הֲלַבֶּן יִוָּלֵד, halaben yivvaled): Rhetorical question expressing disbelief concerning the biological possibility.
  • him that is an hundred years old: Highlights Abraham's advanced age, physically "as good as dead" (Rom 4:19) for procreation.
• and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
  • Sarah, that is ninety years old: Emphasizes her extreme old age for childbearing, well past natural capacity (Gen 18:11, "the way of women had ceased"). This underscores the miraculous nature of the promise, dependent solely on God's power.
  • bear (תֵּלֵד, teled): To give birth, highlighting the active process of gestation and delivery beyond normal human capability for someone of her age.

Genesis 17 17 Bonus section

The Hebrew word for "laughed," tsakhaq, carries a spectrum of meaning from lighthearted playfulness, to joyful merriment, to mocking derision, and indeed, to astonishment or disbelief. In the context of Abraham's immediate reverence (falling on his face) combined with the extreme improbability of the promise, the "laughter" points to an overwhelming surge of emotions: perhaps wonder, shock, awe, and an element of "can this really be true?" It highlights that human faith isn't always devoid of struggle or questioning within the confines of our understanding, but true faith recognizes the sovereignty and power of God despite these internal wrestling moments. This stands in contrast to Sarah's laughter in Gen 18:12, which the Lord explicitly questions as doubt. Abraham's laughter, paired with his posture of reverence and subsequent plea for Ishmael, points to a heart that, though astounded, remains ultimately committed to God and His covenant. This prepares the ground for a name—Isaac—that serves as a constant reminder not of doubt, but of God's extraordinary power to bring about "laughter" where only barrenness and impossibility existed.

Genesis 17 17 Commentary

Genesis 17:17 offers a poignant glimpse into Abraham's very human reaction to an extraordinary divine promise. Despite his reverent posture of prostration, signifying awe and submission to El Shaddai, his internal question, expressed as laughter, reveals the magnitude of the miracle being promised. This laughter is generally understood not as mockery or defiant unbelief, but as a response of profound astonishment and human incredulity at the natural impossibility of a centenarian and a nonagenarian bearing a child. It is a genuine wrestling within himself, weighing the natural limitations against the boundless power of God Almighty. This momentary, inward questioning, swiftly followed by a demonstration of faith in his intercession for Ishmael (Gen 17:18), further defines Abraham as a man who believed God despite what his senses told him (Rom 4:19-21). The verse serves as a crucial setup for the name Isaac, "he laughs," perpetually embedding this initial human astonishment into the very identity of the promised son. It teaches that while God's promises can often seem impossible from a human viewpoint, His power transcends all natural boundaries, affirming that indeed, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Gen 18:14).