Genesis 21:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me."

NIV: Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me."

NASB: Sarah said, 'God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.'

CSB: Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me."

NLT: And Sarah declared, 'God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.

KJV: And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

NKJV: And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”

Previous verses listed the facts of Isaac's birth. God has done as He said. He has kept His promise. The long-awaited child, the one who makes all future promises possible, has at last been born to a 100-year-old man and his childless, 90-year-old wife. This child is a blessing Abraham and Sarah have both desperately wanted for many years.

Here, we are witness to Sarah's joyful emotional response. In a play on words, she gives all the credit for the birth of Isaac to the Lord. He has "made laughter" for her—Isaac's name means "laughter." Everyone who hears her story will laugh over her or with her, or perhaps she means people will laugh "at" her. Most scholars interpret this statement to mean Sarah believes her story will bring the joy of laughter to others. Some suggest that perhaps she believes others will laugh, as she did, at the idea that a 90-year-old woman could bear a child.

In any case, it has happened. She has laughter, at last.

Genesis 21:1–7 describes the moment Abraham and Sarah have been waiting on for many, many years. Ever since leaving their home to begin to wander in the land of Canaan, this is a promise they have wished to see fulfilled. God had promised to make Abraham a great nation, by giving him and Sarah a naturally-born son. Finally, their first child together is born. Isaac's name means ''laughter,'' and Sarah expresses her joy at his birth. God has done the unbelievable. He has made laughter for her.

The Lord did as He had promised. Sarah, now 90 years old, gives birth to Isaac, the long-awaited child. Her joy sours, though, over a fear that Isaac might have to share an inheritance with Ishmael. In obedience to the Lord, who promises to safeguard Ishmael, Abraham sends him and his mother, Hagar, into the wilderness. God rescues them and renews His promise to make Ishmael a great nation in his own right. Meanwhile, Abimelech, king of Gerar, approaches Abraham to make a permanent treaty between them and their descendants. The agreement includes Abraham's possession of a well, at a place which will become known as Beersheba.

In the prior chapter, Abraham managed to get Sarah back from Abimelech, following his own deception and God's intervention. Here, Abraham and Sarah finally conceive a natural child. Isaac, the long-awaited child of the promise, is born. In obedience to God, Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away. Abimelech approaches Abraham to make a treaty, giving Abraham a permanent home in a place that becomes known as Beersheba. In the following chapter, God will test Abraham's faith and obedience, in one of Scripture's ultimate examples of trust.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 11/22/2024 4:08:20 AM