Genesis 21:6 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Genesis 21:6 kjv
And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
Genesis 21:6 nkjv
And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me."
Genesis 21:6 niv
Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me."
Genesis 21:6 esv
And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me."
Genesis 21:6 nlt
And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.
Genesis 21 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 17:17 | Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born...?” | Abraham's laughter of initial disbelief/awe. |
| Gen 18:12 | So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out... shall I have pleasure?” | Sarah's earlier skeptical/disbelieving laughter. |
| Gen 18:14 | “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” | God's power to do the impossible. |
| Gen 21:1 | The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. | God's faithfulness to His promise. |
| Gen 21:3 | Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him... Isaac. | Son's name, 'Isaac,' meaning 'he laughs.' |
| Psa 126:2 | Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy. | Restoration leading to great joy. |
| Psa 113:9 | He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. | God reversing barrenness. |
| Luke 1:37 | “For nothing will be impossible with God.” | Divine omnipotence in impossible situations. |
| Rom 4:20-21 | No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God... being fully convinced... | Abraham's faith in God's ability. |
| Heb 11:11 | By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when past the age... | Sarah's faith credited for her conception. |
| 1 Sam 2:5 | The barren has borne seven... | God enabling the barren to conceive. |
| Isa 54:1 | “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear... for the children of the desolate one will be more...” | Prophecy of spiritual barrenness ending in fruitfulness. |
| Gal 4:27-28 | Rejoice, O barren one... you who are children of promise like Isaac. | Barrenness linked to children of promise in new covenant. |
| Job 8:21 | He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. | God filling people with joy and laughter. |
| Jer 31:13 | ...I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them and give them gladness instead of sorrow. | God exchanging sorrow for joy. |
| Psa 30:5 | ...weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. | Transitory sorrow and coming joy. |
| Hab 2:3 | For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie... | God's promises fulfilled in His perfect timing. |
| Eph 2:10 | For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works... | God's divine hand actively shaping lives. |
| John 16:20 | ...you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. | Sorrow turned to joy. |
| Prov 17:22 | A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. | Laughter and joy as a good outcome. |
| 2 Cor 1:20 | For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. | God's promises are assuredly fulfilled in Christ. |
| Rom 9:7-9 | But it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. | Isaac's birth highlights children of promise. |
| Gal 4:4 | But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son... | Divine timing in fulfilling great promises. |
Genesis 21 verses
Genesis 21 6 meaning
Genesis 21:6 expresses Sarah's profound joy and gratitude upon the birth of her son, Isaac, in her old age. She declares that God (Elohim) Himself has been the author of this laughter, a mirth so great and divinely sourced that it will evoke a sympathetic and communal joy from all who hear about it. The verse intertwines the concept of laughter—both her personal experience and her son's name, Isaac ("he laughs")—with the miraculous intervention and faithfulness of God in fulfilling His long-standing promise. It signifies a transition from disbelief or private amusement to open, God-given elation.
Genesis 21 6 Context
Genesis chapter 21 opens with the long-awaited fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and Sarah: the birth of their son, Isaac, in their old age. This event occurs 25 years after Abraham first received the covenant promise of countless descendants. Isaac's birth immediately follows the divine confirmation and specific timeline given in Genesis 18, where God directly confronts Sarah about her laughter of disbelief concerning her ability to conceive. Verse 6 marks Sarah's public, joyful affirmation of this miracle, explicitly linking the laughter God has given her to the very name she and Abraham are instructed to give their son. The historical context includes the societal emphasis on childbearing, especially for continuation of family lineage, and the cultural stigma associated with barrenness. The divine intervention highlights God's power over natural limitations, serving as a powerful counterpoint to any contemporary beliefs that human strength or pagan deities were necessary for fertility.
Genesis 21 6 Word analysis
- And Sarah said (וַתֹּאמֶר שָׂרָה, vat·toh·mer Saráh): Highlights Sarah's personal experience and verbal declaration. This is not Abraham speaking, but the one who initially doubted and laughed in private (Gen 18:12) now making a public proclamation of joy. Her voice now validates the promise.
- God (אֱלֹהִים, Elohim): The common, general term for God. It emphasizes that this profound change in Sarah's life came from the divine, sovereign power, not from human effort, luck, or any pagan deity. It attributes the miracle directly to the one true God.
- has made (עָשָׂה, `asah`): Signifies direct, purposeful creation or action. God didn't merely allow it to happen; He actively caused this "laughter." This word emphasizes divine agency and intentionality behind the miraculous event.
- laughter (צְחֹוק, tsakhoq): This is the noun form of the root word from which Isaac's name (יִצְחָק, Yitzhak, "he laughs/will laugh") derives. It encapsulates:
- Profound personal joy and delight after long barrenness and doubt.
- The very essence and meaning of her newborn son's name, thus marking a divine seal on the name.
- A reversal and transformation of her own earlier laughter of disbelief (Gen 18:12) into a laughter of pure, God-given joy and astonishment.
- for me (לִי, li): Underscores the personal nature of God's act and Sarah's profound, intimate experience of His faithfulness. The joy is uniquely hers, a direct blessing to her life.
- Everyone who hears (כָּל־הַשֹּׁמֵעַ, kol-hashômea`): Expands the scope of the joy from personal to communal. It anticipates a shared delight. The news of God's miraculous work spreads.
- will laugh with me (יִצְחַק־לִי, yitzchak-li): Uses the future tense of the verb tsakhoq, mirroring Isaac's name, Yitzchak. This signifies that the joy is contagious and communal. It implies that people will share in her delight, acknowledge the miracle, and perhaps even experience a spiritual uplift themselves upon hearing of God's faithfulness. This shared laughter is distinct from mockery; it is sympathetic joy.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "God has made laughter for me": This phrase directly attributes Sarah's overwhelming joy and the very existence of Isaac to the creative and powerful work of God. It acknowledges His direct intervention and perfect timing. It transforms what began as human skepticism or disbelieving mirth into divinely ordained rejoicing.
- "everyone who hears will laugh with me": This emphasizes the public and shared nature of the divine blessing. Sarah foresees that her private miracle will evoke sympathetic joy and astonishment in others. It's a testament to the undeniable, miraculous hand of God, inspiring joy in all who witness or hear of it. This communal response highlights God's desire for His people to share in His blessings and for His wonders to be proclaimed.
Genesis 21 6 Bonus section
The concept of "laughter" (tsakhoq) in this verse represents a transformation. In earlier contexts (Gen 17:17, 18:12), laughter could signify a reaction of disbelief or amazement, tinged with a degree of doubt concerning God's promise given the natural circumstances. However, in Genesis 21:6, tsakhoq embodies pure, unadulterated joy that comes directly from God's miraculous intervention. This transition illustrates God's ability to redeem and reinterpret human experiences, turning a symbol of skepticism into a symbol of divine fulfillment and elation. Sarah's laughter here is a redemptive laughter, an echo of God's covenantal faithfulness, and a prophetic declaration of future joy to those who put their trust in Him.
Genesis 21 6 Commentary
Genesis 21:6 marks a pivotal moment of joy and divine affirmation. Sarah, previously marked by barrenness and a private, disbelieving chuckle, now openly declares that God Himself is the source of her boundless "laughter." This wordplay on "Isaac" not only gives meaning to her son's name but transforms the memory of her former skepticism into a powerful testament of God's faithfulness and ability to do the impossible. Her statement acknowledges that this joy is not merely a natural outcome but a specific, active work of God. It anticipates a shared, sympathetic joy, validating the miracle publicly and allowing others to partake in the delight of witnessing God's promise fulfilled beyond all human expectation. It's a reminder that God can turn long-held sorrow or even past doubt into overwhelming, communal rejoicing through His sovereign acts.