Genesis 18:10 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Genesis 18:10 kjv
And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
Genesis 18:10 nkjv
And He said, "I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son." (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)
Genesis 18:10 niv
Then one of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.
Genesis 18:10 esv
The LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.
Genesis 18:10 nlt
Then one of them said, "I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!" Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.
Genesis 18 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:2-3 | "I will make you a great nation... I will bless those who bless you..." | Initial covenant promise of numerous descendants. |
| Gen 15:4 | "This man will not be your heir... one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." | God's promise of an biological heir for Abraham. |
| Gen 17:16 | "I will bless her and indeed give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations." | Direct promise of a son through Sarah, naming her mother of nations. |
| Gen 17:19 | "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac." | Specificity of Isaac's birth reiterated. |
| Gen 21:1-2 | "The Lord visited Sarah as He had said... Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him." | Fulfillment of the promise in Gen 18:10. |
| Gen 21:6 | "Sarah said, 'God has made laughter for me...'" | Recalls Sarah's reaction to the promise (Gen 18:12) and the meaning of Isaac's name. |
| Gen 18:13-14 | "Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return... Sarah will have a son." | God's rhetorical question following Sarah's doubt, emphasizing divine omnipotence. |
| Lk 1:37 | "For nothing will be impossible with God." | Echoes Gen 18:14, affirming God's power over human limitations (concerning Elizabeth's pregnancy). |
| Jer 32:17 | "Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power... Nothing is too difficult for You!" | Proclamation of God's limitless power, similar to Gen 18:14. |
| Rom 4:19-21 | "Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body... and the deadness of Sarah's womb... he was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God." | Abraham's faith despite the natural impossibility, connecting to the promise in Gen 18:10. |
| Heb 11:11 | "By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive... because she considered Him faithful who had promised." | Sarah's eventual faith in the one who promised, directly referencing the context of Gen 18:10. |
| Heb 11:1 | "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." | Principle of faith underlying Abraham and Sarah's experience of the promise. |
| Lk 1:13 | "But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son...'" | Divine promise of a son in old age, similar to Sarah's situation. |
| Judg 13:3-5 | "Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you will conceive and give birth to a son." | Another miraculous birth promise (Samson's mother). |
| 1 Sam 1:2, 11, 20 | "Hannah had no children... The Lord remembered her... so it came about when the time was fulfilled, that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son." | Hannah's barrenness overcome by God, a pattern seen with Sarah. |
| Gen 19:1 | "Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening..." | Transition from the divine visit in Gen 18 to the angels' mission concerning Sodom, linking the 'men' or messengers. |
| Acts 7:5 | "But He granted him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet promised that He would give it to him as a possession..." | Recalls God's long-term faithfulness in the Abrahamic covenant. |
| Gal 3:16 | "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as referring to many, but rather to one, 'And to your seed,' that is, Christ." | Connects the promised seed (Isaac) to the ultimate spiritual seed, Christ. |
| Jn 8:56 | "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." | Implication that Abraham grasped the larger scope of God's promises, including their Christological fulfillment. |
| Ps 139:4 | "Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, Lord, You know it all." | God's perfect knowledge, evident in His knowing Sarah's hidden presence and thoughts. |
| Mal 3:6 | "For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, have not been consumed." | God's immutability ensures the fulfillment of His promises, including those to Abraham. |
| Isa 46:10 | "Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done..." | God's foreknowledge and control over all events, including timing, as displayed in this verse. |
| Php 4:19 | "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." | Broad principle of God's ability to provide, mirroring His power to bring forth life from deadness. |
Genesis 18 verses
Genesis 18 10 meaning
This verse declares the specific, divinely appointed time for the birth of Isaac, confirming God's covenant promise to Abraham and Sarah despite their advanced age. It highlights God's sovereignty over time and life. Sarah's hidden position while listening sets the stage for her subsequent reaction and God's powerful affirmation.
Genesis 18 10 Context
Genesis chapter 18 begins with the Lord appearing to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre. Abraham, exhibiting extraordinary hospitality, welcomes three men who approach his tent. He provides them with food and refreshment. This verse, Genesis 18:10, comes amidst this divine encounter, after Abraham has offered his hospitality and before the true identity of the visitors and their full mission are revealed (the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah). The immediate context is the re-confirmation of the long-standing promise of a son to Abraham and Sarah, particularly stressing a specific timeframe. This promise is crucial because both Abraham and Sarah are well past childbearing age, making the impending birth a miraculous intervention of God. Sarah's eavesdropping adds a layer of anticipation and human skepticism that leads to the significant declaration in verse 14: "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?"
Genesis 18 10 Word analysis
- And He said (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר): This refers to one of the three men, specifically the one later identified as "the Lord" (YHWH) in Gen 18:13. The immediate subject is singular, underscoring the divine authority and speaker of this specific promise, distinct from the others (angels). It is a declaration of sovereign will.
- 'I will certainly return (שׁוּב אָשׁוּב - shuv ashuv): The Hebrew uses an infinitive absolute followed by a finite verb, creating an emphatic construction. This signifies absolute certainty, assurance, and strong intent. It emphasizes the unchangeable nature of God's word and His definite intention to fulfill it. It is not a casual promise, but a determined commitment.
- to you (אֵלֶ֣יךָ - eilekha): Directly addressed to Abraham, who is the recipient of the covenant and the patriarch.
- at this time (כָּעֵ֥ת - ka'et): Meaning "at the time appointed" or "according to the season." It suggests a precise, pre-determined point in God's calendar, known and fixed by Him.
- next year (חַיָּ֖ה - chayya): Lit. "living." Usually interpreted as "the time of life" or "the living time (of the year)." This refers to the specific season in the following year, possibly the spring/summer growing season, which brings new life. It strongly indicates a specific, observable cycle of nature within which God's miraculous intervention will occur, emphasizing the imminence and exactness of the fulfillment.
- and behold (וְהִנֵּ֥ה - v'hinneh): An interjection demanding attention. It introduces a surprising, significant, and definite announcement, highlighting the supernatural nature of what is to come. It draws the hearer (and reader) into the immediacy of the divine pronouncement.
- Sarah your wife (שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתְּךָ - Sarah ishtecha): Explicitly names Sarah, tying the promise directly to her and her womb. This clarifies that the promised son will be through her, correcting any lingering thought of another son or alternative heir.
- will have a son (בֵּ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֥ה): Lit. "a son for Sarah" or "to Sarah a son." Simple, direct, and unambiguous. It specifies the gender of the child and confirms the longed-for heir.
- And Sarah was listening (וְשָׂרָ֣ה שֹׁמַ֗עַת - v'Sarah shoma'at): "Listening" implies active attention, not just passively hearing. It highlights her curiosity and interest in the conversation. Her physical proximity allows her to overhear this profound promise.
- at the tent door (פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל - petach ha'ohel): The opening of the tent, providing an vantage point without full visibility or participation.
- which was behind him (מֵאַחֲרָֽיו - me'acharayv): Indicates her position was discreet or partially concealed. This detail sets up her ability to secretly react (laughter) to the divine promise, known only to God who knows all things. Her hidden presence signifies a private moment leading to a test of faith.
Genesis 18 10 Bonus section
The specific phrasing "at this time next year" (כָּעֵ֥ת חַיָּ֖ה - ka'et chayyah) suggests a specific time within the yearly cycle that brings forth new life, such as spring. This connects God's work of creation (bringing life out of nothing, or barrenness) with the seasonal rhythms of the natural world, over which He is also sovereign. This phrase underscores not only the certainty but also the specificity and timing of God's plans. This is a common motif in miraculous birth narratives, where the Lord intervenes at a divinely appointed "fullness of time" (Gal 4:4). Sarah's position behind the tent entrance emphasizes the divine awareness of even the most private and hidden aspects of human life and thought, foreshadowing the intimate revelation of her inner thoughts later in the chapter. This encounter transforms the abstract promise into an imminent reality, preparing Abraham and Sarah for the incredible manifestation of God's power and faithfulness.
Genesis 18 10 Commentary
Genesis 18:10 is a pivotal verse, powerfully reaffirming God's unconditional covenant promise to Abraham and Sarah regarding the birth of their son, Isaac. The divine speaker, the Lord Himself, delivers this declaration with emphatic certainty ("I will certainly return") and precise timing ("at this time next year"), underlining His absolute control over life, time, and human impossibilities. The inclusion of "behold" stresses the miraculous and astounding nature of this imminent event for an aged, barren couple.
The seemingly mundane detail of Sarah "listening at the tent door, which was behind him," is highly significant. It portrays her in a position of eavesdropping, physically close enough to hear yet hidden from full view. This sets the stage for her inner reaction of doubt and laughter in the subsequent verses (Gen 18:12), which then leads to God's powerful rhetorical question in verse 14: "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?" Thus, this verse establishes divine sovereignty, faithfulness, and omniscient awareness, challenging human doubt and natural limitations. It is a direct example of God acting supernaturally to fulfill His promises, building upon Abraham's call and the initial covenant.