Genesis 18:12 kjv
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
Genesis 18:12 nkjv
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
Genesis 18:12 niv
So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?"
Genesis 18:12 esv
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?"
Genesis 18:12 nlt
So she laughed silently to herself and said, "How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master ? my husband ? is also so old?"
Genesis 18 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 17:17 | Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old...?". | Abraham's similar laughter of disbelief. |
| Gen 18:10 | ...I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son. | The specific promise causing Sarah's reaction. |
| Gen 18:13 | The Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh...?" | God's knowledge of Sarah's hidden thoughts. |
| Gen 18:14 | "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?" | God's immediate response to her doubt. |
| Gen 21:1 | Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said... | God remembers and acts on His promise. |
| Gen 21:2 | So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age... | Fulfillment of the miraculous promise. |
| Gen 21:6 | Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me." | Sarah's later laughter of joy and wonder. |
| Gen 21:7 | And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children...?" | The surprising reality of God's work. |
| Rom 4:19 | Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead...and the deadness of Sarah's womb. | Paul's theological reflection on Abraham's state and Sarah's inability. |
| Rom 4:20-21 | Yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. | Contrast with Abraham's steadfast faith. |
| Heb 11:11 | By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life... | Sarah, despite initial doubt, eventually acted in faith. |
| Luke 1:37 | For nothing will be impossible with God. | The principle of God's omnipotence. |
| 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! | Affirmation of God's unlimited power. |
| Jer 32:27 | "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" | Direct divine questioning of human limits. |
| Job 42:2 | I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. | Declaration of God's sovereign capability. |
| Matt 19:26 | But Jesus looked at them and said, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." | God's power transcends human impossibility. |
| Luke 1:18 | Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years." | Zechariah's doubt regarding Elizabeth's miraculous pregnancy. |
| Luke 1:20 | "...you will be mute until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words..." | Consequences of unbelief, though Sarah faced no such. |
| Isa 51:1-2 | "Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When he was but one, I called him, and I blessed him and made him many." | Recalling God's power working through an elderly couple. |
| Psa 37:4 | Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. | Connects to "pleasure" as joy derived from God. |
| 2 Cor 12:9 | My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness. | God's strength manifest through human frailty. |
| Eph 3:20 | Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us... | God's abundant ability beyond human comprehension. |
Genesis 18 verses
Genesis 18 12 Meaning
Genesis 18:12 records Sarah's internal reaction, a private laugh of disbelief, to the divine promise that she, at the advanced age of ninety, would bear a son. Her thoughts reveal profound skepticism concerning the natural possibility of conceiving, given her physical decline and Abraham's old age. It highlights the perceived human impossibility against the backdrop of God's declared intent.
Genesis 18 12 Context
This verse is situated immediately after the Lord, accompanied by two angels appearing as men, reveals to Abraham the astonishing news that Sarah will conceive and bear a son within a year. Sarah is listening from within the tent, having been explicitly mentioned in the preceding verse (Gen 18:11) as having passed the age of childbearing and whose menses had ceased. This declaration challenges her physical reality, leading to her private skepticism. The wider chapter highlights Abraham's exemplary hospitality and then transitions into his intercession for Sodom, emphasizing the Lord's intimate knowledge and covenantal relationship with Abraham and his household. Historically, childbearing was of paramount importance in the ancient Near East, often linked to lineage, inheritance, and social standing. Childlessness was viewed as a significant personal and social misfortune. The miraculous birth promises to aged parents underscore the extraordinary nature of God's covenant working and His power over natural human limitations, providing a stark contrast to any regional pagan beliefs in impotent or limited deities.
Genesis 18 12 Word analysis
- Therefore: Connects Sarah's reaction directly to the previously stated promise (Gen 18:10). It signifies a logical consequence in Sarah's mind, albeit based on human reason, not divine possibility.
- Sarah: Abraham's wife, a significant matriarch in the lineage of Israel. Her name means "princess." Her barrenness (Gen 11:30) is a recurring theme, highlighting the miraculous nature of Isaac's birth.
- laughed: (Hebrew: צחק - tzachaq). This verb is central. It can mean to laugh in amusement, mock, play, or jest. Here, it conveys a silent, inward expression of disbelief or incredulity at the seemingly impossible declaration. This very word becomes the root for the name of their son, Isaac (יצחק - Yitzchaq), meaning "he laughs" or "laughter," reflecting the circumstances of his conception – initially Sarah's disbelief, later her profound joy (Gen 21:6).
- within herself: Implies her laughter was internal, a hidden thought not audibly expressed to the visitors or even to Abraham. This detail emphasizes her private doubt, yet it also highlights God's omniscience, as He immediately discerns her inward state (Gen 18:13).
- saying: Indicates that her internal laughter was accompanied by an unspoken thought or rationalization for her disbelief. The text reveals her internal monologue.
- After I am worn out: (Hebrew: בלה - balah). This verb implies aging, decaying, or being past one's prime. It denotes physical decrepitude and the cessation of her natural childbearing capabilities (Gen 18:11 explicitly states she was past menopause). This phrase underlines her personal assessment of her body's natural limits.
- and my lord: (Hebrew: אדֹנִי - adoni). A respectful title for her husband, Abraham. By acknowledging him as "my lord," she demonstrates traditional wifely submission and respect. Her mention of his age in conjunction with her own emphasizes the dual natural impediment to conceiving.
- is old: Reinforces the idea of Abraham's advanced age (99 at the time of the previous promise, soon to be 100), further cementing the natural impossibility in Sarah's human perspective.
- shall I have pleasure?: (Hebrew: עדֶן - eden). This term signifies delight, pleasure, or renewal, and in this context, refers to the physical delight or revitalization associated with marital intimacy leading to conception, or perhaps more broadly, the joy of re-experiencing the physical vigor necessary for childbearing in old age. It reflects her question: how could someone so "worn out" experience the renewing vitality or the delight associated with a young couple becoming parents?
Genesis 18 12 Bonus section
The divine visitors, understood as a Christophany or Theophany (the Lord appearing with two angels), demonstrate God's personal involvement in His covenant promises. His ability to discern Sarah's inner thoughts highlights His transcendence and intimate knowledge of humanity. The miraculous conception of Isaac, conceived from "deadness" (as described in Rom 4:19), foreshadows later supernatural births in Scripture, culminating in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:34-37). It establishes a pattern of God working contrary to natural laws to fulfill His redemptive purposes, proving that His promises are entirely dependent on His power, not on human ability or biological limitations. This narrative teaches the enduring lesson that no situation is too difficult or impossible for the sovereign God of the universe.
Genesis 18 12 Commentary
Sarah's laughter in Genesis 18:12 serves as a pivotal moment, illustrating the tension between human limitations and divine omnipotence. It is not presented as malicious mockery but as a natural human reaction to a promise that defied biological reality. Her rational assessment of her aged body and Abraham's advanced years led her to deem the prospect of childbearing utterly impossible. The Lord's subsequent questioning of Sarah in Gen 18:13-14 ("Is anything too difficult for the Lord?") directly addresses her hidden disbelief, emphasizing God's complete knowledge of the human heart and His absolute power to overcome all natural barriers.
The linguistic connection between "laughter" (tzachaq) and Isaac's name (Yitzchaq) beautifully encapsulates the journey from human skepticism to divine fulfillment and joyous affirmation. What began as an expression of disbelief becomes, by God's design, the very celebration of His faithfulness. Sarah's momentary doubt gives way to an undeniable miracle that she would joyfully declare (Gen 21:6). This episode highlights a foundational biblical truth: God's plans are not constrained by human limitations or skepticism, and His power is most perfectly displayed when circumstances appear most impossible. It underscores that divine promise often challenges our human capacity to comprehend or believe, yet God remains faithful to His word regardless of our initial incredulity.