Genesis 21:1 kjv
And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
Genesis 21:1 nkjv
And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.
Genesis 21:1 niv
Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.
Genesis 21:1 esv
The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.
Genesis 21:1 nlt
The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.
Genesis 21 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:1-3 | Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country... I will make of you a great nation..." | Initial call and promise of a great nation. |
| Gen 15:4-5 | But behold, the word of the LORD came to him: "This man shall not be your heir... but a son who shall come from your own body..." | Specific promise of a direct biological heir. |
| Gen 17:16 | I will bless her and indeed give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations... | Promise specifying Sarah as the mother. |
| Gen 18:10 | And He said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." | Specific timeline given for Isaac's birth. |
| Gen 18:14 | Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year... | Divine power to overcome impossibility. |
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? | God's unchangeable fidelity to His word. |
| Deut 7:9 | Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love... | God's characteristic as a faithful God. |
| Psa 33:4 | For the word of the LORD is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness. | God's word is reliable and true. |
| Psa 105:42 | For He remembered His holy word and Abraham His servant. | God's faithfulness to His covenant promises. |
| Luke 1:37 | For nothing will be impossible with God. | Reaffirmation of God's limitless power. |
| Luke 1:45 | And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. | Emphasis on believing God's spoken word. |
| Rom 4:18-21 | In hope he believed against hope... He did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God... | Abraham's faith in God's power despite impossibility. |
| Heb 6:13-15 | For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself... | God's oath securing His promise to Abraham. |
| Heb 10:23 | Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. | God's faithfulness as an anchor for hope. |
| Heb 11:11 | By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age... for she considered Him faithful who had promised. | Sarah's faith rooted in God's faithfulness. |
| Gal 3:16 | Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. He does not say, "And to offsprings," but "And to your offspring," which is Christ. | Isaac as the direct lineage of the Christ. |
| Isa 55:11 | so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose... | God's word always achieves its purpose. |
| Josh 21:45 | Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. | Historical precedent of God's fulfilled promises. |
| 1 Kin 8:56 | Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed... | Another historical testament to God's unfailing word. |
| Psa 119:89 | Forever, O LORD, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. | The enduring, unchanging nature of God's word. |
| 2 Cor 1:20 | For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen... | All God's promises are fulfilled in Christ. |
| 1 Thes 5:24 | He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. | God's character ensures His actions. |
Genesis 21 verses
Genesis 21 1 Meaning
Genesis 21:1 proclaims the faithful fulfillment of God's longstanding promise to Abraham and Sarah: the miraculous birth of their son, Isaac. It underscores God's active involvement, divine timing, and absolute fidelity to His covenant word, affirming His power to do what He has declared, even when human circumstances deem it impossible.
Genesis 21 1 Context
Genesis 21:1 marks a crucial turning point, fulfilling the central promise given to Abraham almost 25 years prior. Prior to this, the narrative highlights the long period of barrenness, the human attempts to force God's hand (Ishmael's birth in Gen 16), and the seemingly absurd promise to Abraham and Sarah in their old age (Gen 17-18). Chapter 20 serves as a bridge, where Abraham's misrepresentation of Sarah again highlights human fallibility, but God's protection of Sarah, and Abimelech's household having wombs closed and then opened by God, foreshadows the opening of Sarah's own womb by divine intervention, directly preceding Isaac's birth. This verse confirms God's unfailing commitment to His covenant, even when challenged by human doubt, impatience, and biological impossibility, setting the stage for the lineage of the chosen nation and ultimately the Messiah.
Genesis 21 1 Word analysis
- And the LORD (
Yĕhovah, יְהֹוָה): Refers to the personal, covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes that this is not a random event but a direct act of the sovereign, promise-keeping God who has bound Himself in covenant with Abraham. This is God acting according to His very nature and previous declarations. - visited (
paqad, פָּקַד): This significant Hebrew verb implies active, intentional oversight, intervention, or attention. It can mean to "attend to," "inspect," "care for," "remember," "muster," or even "punish." In this context, it specifically means God intervened with beneficial purpose, demonstrating His care and remembering His promise, leading to a positive outcome—the blessing of conception and birth. It signifies God's tangible, present action in their lives. - Sarah (
Sarah, שָׂרָה): The wife of Abraham, the central female figure in the promise. Her name means "princess." Her inclusion explicitly grounds the fulfillment in the individual to whom the specific promise was made, highlighting God's direct dealing with her and her barrenness. - as He had said: This phrase directly refers to the specific verbal declarations made by God, particularly in Gen 18:10-14 and Gen 17:16, emphasizing the precision and certainty of God's word. It highlights God's integrity—He acts exactly according to His announced plan.
- and the LORD (
Yĕhovah, יְהֹוָה): Repetition for emphasis, reaffirming that the actions are solely of God's doing. - did for Sarah: Confirms the active and beneficial intervention directly impacting Sarah's life and barrenness.
- as He had spoken: A parallelism to "as He had said," further intensifying the emphasis on God's fidelity, the reliability, and the effectual power of His divine pronouncements. It acts as a divine validation that the outcome precisely matches the earlier pronouncement.
Words-group analysis
- "And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken." This double clause emphasizes the absolute faithfulness and active nature of God. The repetition functions as a literary device to underscore the divine certainty, the perfect alignment of God's words and His deeds. It's not just that He "said" it, but that He "spoke" it, and that He "visited" (actively intervened) and "did" (performed the act). This dual phrasing leaves no doubt about the precise and complete fulfillment of God's covenant promise. It proclaims that God is true to His word, His will is sovereign, and His power is sufficient to bring His plans to pass, regardless of any obstacles.
Genesis 21 1 Bonus section
The divine name YHWH (the LORD) is specifically used here, signifying the covenant God who actively keeps His word. This contrasts with other divine titles, emphasizing His personal involvement and historical action in the lives of His covenant partners. The use of paqad (visited) carries connotations beyond a simple appearance; it implies God's deliberate inspection and fulfillment of a specific purpose. It sets the precedent for how God operates within His covenant throughout the biblical narrative – through deliberate, powerful, and promise-fulfilling action. The miracle of Isaac's birth also serves as a polemic against the fertility deities worshipped by surrounding nations. It declares that fertility and the miraculous bestowal of life come from the sovereign Creator God alone, not from idols or human rituals. Isaac, the child of promise, underscores that divine plans unfold not by human effort or will, but by God's unilateral faithfulness and power. His name, Yitzchak (Isaac), meaning "he laughs," resonates with Sarah's earlier incredulous laughter, which now transforms into joyous, God-given laughter.
Genesis 21 1 Commentary
Genesis 21:1 serves as the foundational declaration of God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises. After decades of waiting, human failures, and Sarah's own laughter of doubt, the covenant God, YHWH, actively intervenes. The phrase "visited Sarah" carries deep theological weight, denoting a specific, purposeful, and beneficial act of divine remembrance and attention. It means God was present, He had Sarah in His thoughts, and He acted decisively. The repetition, "as He had said" and "as He had spoken," emphatically highlights that God's actions are in perfect congruence with His prior declarations. This verse is not just a historical account; it is a profound theological statement on God's character: He is a covenant-keeping God who has the power to bring about His purposes, no matter how impossible they may seem from a human perspective. It signifies the pivotal moment that secures the Abrahamic line through which all nations would be blessed. It reminds believers that God's timing is perfect and His word is eternally true.
- Example: Just as God perfectly fulfilled His word to Abraham and Sarah after a long wait, He similarly fulfills His promises to His people today, often in His perfect timing, even when delays or human difficulties make them seem impossible.