Genesis 21:7 kjv
And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
Genesis 21:7 nkjv
She also said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age."
Genesis 21:7 niv
And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
Genesis 21:7 esv
And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
Genesis 21:7 nlt
Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!"
Genesis 21 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:2 | "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you..." | God's initial promise of a great offspring. |
| Gen 15:5-6 | "Look now toward heaven... So shall your descendants be." And he believed in the LORD... | Abraham's faith counted as righteousness. |
| Gen 17:15-17 | "Sarah your wife shall have a son... She shall be a mother of nations... Abraham fell on his face and laughed..." | Specific promise of Isaac through Sarah. |
| Gen 18:10-14 | "...about this time next year, Sarah shall have a son... Sarah laughed... Is anything too hard for the LORD?" | The promise reiterated, highlighting God's power. |
| Gen 21:6 | "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me." | Sarah's joy preceding this verse. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" | God's unchangeable faithfulness to His word. |
| Ps 126:2 | "Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.'" | Reflection of the joy and public acknowledgment of God's work. |
| Ps 127:3 | "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward." | Children as a divine blessing. |
| Jer 32:17 | "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power... There is nothing too hard for You." | God's limitless power over creation. |
| Jer 32:27 | "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" | Rhetorical question emphasizing God's omnipotence. |
| Matt 19:26 | "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." | Divine ability to accomplish the humanly impossible. |
| Lk 1:37 | "For with God nothing will be impossible." | The angel Gabriel's declaration regarding miraculous conception. |
| Lk 1:45 | "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." | Elizabeth's blessing for Mary's faith in God's word. |
| Rom 4:18-21 | "who, contrary to hope, in hope believed... and, being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead... but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what He had promised He was also able to perform." | Abraham's faith in God's power despite physical limitations. |
| Heb 6:13-15 | "For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself... And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." | God's promise guaranteed by His own immutable character. |
| Heb 10:23 | "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." | Exhortation to trust in God's faithfulness. |
| Heb 11:11-12 | "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude..." | Sarah's faith and God's enabling power. |
| 1 Pet 4:11 | "...that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ..." | All works, especially miraculous, are for God's glory. |
| 2 Cor 1:20 | "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." | Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises. |
| Php 4:13 | "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." | The source of supernatural ability. |
Genesis 21 verses
Genesis 21 7 Meaning
Genesis chapter 21, verse 7 records Sarah's exuberant declaration following the miraculous birth of her son, Isaac. Her words express profound astonishment and joyful wonder at the fulfillment of God's seemingly impossible promise. She marvels that not only did she conceive and bear a child in her extreme old age, but also that she is able to naturally nurse him, signifying a complete and supernatural rejuvenation of her body by divine power. It underscores the Lord's omnipotence and faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham and Sarah.
Genesis 21 7 Context
Genesis 21:7 is situated after the long-awaited birth of Isaac (Gen 21:1-3) and his circumcision (Gen 21:4). The entire narrative leading up to this point, starting from God's initial promise to Abraham in Genesis 12, has centered on the miraculous conception of an heir through Abraham and Sarah, despite their advanced ages and Sarah's barrenness. Sarah's laugh of disbelief in Genesis 18:12 and God's subsequent rebuke ("Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Gen 18:14) provide immediate context, setting the stage for her profound reversal from doubt to utter astonishment and praise in verse 7. This verse marks the culmination of the divine promise concerning Isaac and Sarah's physical restoration. The cultural importance of offspring, especially a male heir, and the societal stigma of barrenness for women, amplify the extraordinary nature of this event for the original audience.
Genesis 21 7 Word analysis
And she said: This immediately identifies Sarah as the speaker, highlighting her personal amazement and direct witness to the miracle. Her voice rings with profound wonder.
Who would have said: (וַתֹּאמֶר מִי מִלֵּל, vattomer mi millel) This is a rhetorical question, meaning "No one could have possibly predicted" or "Who could have ever imagined?" It emphasizes the absolute improbability of the event from a human perspective. The Hebrew millel can mean "speak" or "declare."
unto Abraham: The recipient of the revelation; Sarah addresses the utter unlikelihood of anyone telling Abraham beforehand that such a thing would occur.
that Sarah should have given children suck?: (הֵינִיקָה בָנִים שָׂרָה, heinika banim Sarah)
- Sarah: Her own name is emphasized. It underscores that it is she, the one past childbearing and previously barren, who is now capable.
- given children suck: From the Hebrew verb יָנַק (yanak), meaning "to nurse" or "to suckle." This isn't just about conceiving and giving birth, but the intimate and physical act of providing nourishment from her own body. This signifies a holistic, miraculous restoration of her physical faculties, far beyond merely conceiving. It implies not just that she could have a child, but that her body was fully capable of sustaining it. In that culture, a woman's ability to nurse her child was assumed if she gave birth, but at 90, this was an astonishing extension of the miracle.
for I have born him a son: (כִּי־יָלַדְתִּי בֵן, ki-yaladeti ben) The direct declaration of the miracle's fact. "I have born" (יָלַדְתִּי, yaladeti) is the first-person singular perfect form, signifying her direct, personal involvement and the completed reality of the birth.
in his old age: (לִזְקֻנָיו, lizqunav) This refers to Abraham's advanced age (100 years at Isaac's birth, Gen 21:5), which combined with Sarah's age (90 years), made conception humanly impossible. It further highlights the divine agency behind the birth.
Words-group Analysis:
- "Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck?": This entire phrase serves as a powerful expression of awe. It highlights the human inability to predict or orchestrate such a divine event. It turns the former "laugh" of skepticism (Gen 18:12, 15) into a "laugh" of joyous astonishment (Gen 21:6).
- "given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.": These two clauses link the astonishment of being able to nurse to the underlying biological impossibility of bearing a child at their ages. The ability to nurse adds an extra layer to the miracle, moving beyond mere conception to full physical restoration and motherly capacity. This emphasizes God's comprehensive work, not just a partial intervention.
Genesis 21 7 Bonus section
- The naming of Isaac ("he laughs") connects directly to the laughter surrounding his birth: Abraham's initial laughter of astonishment (Gen 17:17), Sarah's initial laughter of disbelief (Gen 18:12), and now her laughter of joy (Gen 21:6) which continues into her proclamation in verse 7. Sarah's words transform laughter from skepticism to delight and a public testimony.
- This verse subtly reinforces the sovereignty of God over natural processes, serving as an implicit polemic against ancient fertility cults or beliefs that relied on human ritual or other deities to ensure childbearing. The birth and nursing were unequivocally a work of YHWH alone, outside any natural or human intervention.
- The profound joy expressed here is a model of faith that trusts God to make good on His word, even when it seems utterly absurd from a human vantage point. It teaches that God’s promises, even those that defy biological limits, are always "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Cor 1:20).
Genesis 21 7 Commentary
Genesis 21:7 is a vibrant testament to the unconstrained power and unwavering faithfulness of the Living God. Sarah's exclamation serves as a culmination of the long narrative of promise and anticipation, turning human skepticism into profound praise. Her rhetorical question ("Who would have said?") underscores the miraculous nature of Isaac's birth—it was utterly unforeseeable and unattainable by human strength or means. The specificity of "given children suck" is significant; it’s not just the biological miracle of conception at 90 years old, but also the further, equally astounding miracle of physical vitality restored to such a degree that she could fulfill the natural motherly role of nursing her child. This confirms that God's intervention was complete and thorough. The verse emphatically demonstrates that what is humanly impossible is readily accomplished by God, fulfilling His promises in His perfect timing, thereby bringing Him glory and immeasurable joy to His people.