Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Abraham's laughter here is not disbelief, but profound astonishment and overflowing joy. He’s not questioning God's power but marveling at the sheer impossibility of it all from a human perspective, a testament to his deep faith that even the most incredible things are possible with God.
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh from God’s appearance and covenant renewal, Abraham is stunned by the promise of a son with Sarah, a woman declared barren, leading him to exclaim in amazement and joy. God then addresses Abraham's heartfelt, yet momentarily disbelieving, reaction, clearly distinguishing the promised covenant child, Isaac, from Ishmael, and reaffirming the eternal nature of the covenant. Finally, the narrative pivots to the immediate implementation of God's covenant sign with the circumcision of Abraham and all the males in his household.
Abraham laughs at the incredible promise of a child, but does it mean he doubted God?
The text says Abraham 'fell on his face and laughed.' While it might seem like disbelief, the context, especially later verses and New Testament commentary, reveals this was a laugh of sheer astonishment and overflowing joy. It wasn't a cynical 'no way,' but an awestruck 'Wow, can this really be happening?'
The Nature of Abraham's Laughter
This isn't about questioning God, but about being so blown away by His power that you can't help but react with a mixture of awe and delight.
Ask a follow-up
God's promises often stretch us beyond our natural understanding. What does Abraham's reaction tell us about facing the 'impossible'?
Abraham's laughter is a powerful reminder that God's plans frequently operate far outside the realm of human possibility. His age, and Sarah's, made the promise of a child biologically impossible. Yet, God called it to be.
The Divine Disruption of Natural Limits
God doesn't always choose the easy or expected path. He often reveals His glory most brightly when He acts in ways that defy our understanding, calling us to trust Him even when the situation seems impossible.
Abraham's laughter here is not one of doubt, but of joyous amazement at the incredible, supernatural nature of God's promise. It highlights the sheer impossibility from a human perspective, emphasizing that this miraculous birth is entirely God's doing.
c. 2166 BC
Birth of Ishmael
Abraham's first son, Ishmael, is born to Hagar, a maidservant, after Abraham and Sarah waited many years for God's promised offspring.
c. 2091 BC— this verse
Covenant Renewal with Abraham
God appears to Abraham, renewing His covenant and changing his name to Abraham ('father of a multitude') and Sarai's name to Sarah ('princess').
c. 2091 BC
Promise of Isaac
God explicitly promises Abraham and Sarah that they will have a son, Isaac, despite their advanced age.
c. 2091 BC
Abraham and Sarah's Reactions
Abraham laughs in amazement and wonder, while Sarah laughs in disbelief at the astonishing promise of a son in their old age.
c. 2090 BC
Birth of Isaac
The promised son, Isaac, is born to Abraham and Sarah, fulfilling God's covenant.
This passage directly contrasts Abraham's faith with doubt, stating he 'did not consider his own body, which was as good as dead' and 'did not consider the barrenness of Sarah's womb,' which illuminates Abraham's laughter as an expression of awe rather than disbelief.
Luke 1:18Zechariah asks a similar question, 'How shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years,' highlighting the recurring human reaction of astonishment and questioning when faced with seemingly impossible divine promises.
John 8:56Jesus references Abraham's joy in anticipation of seeing Christ's day, suggesting that Abraham's laughter here was a profound expression of faith and spiritual insight into the coming Messiah, who would be born through his lineage.
Genesis 18:12This verse describes Sarah's laughter in response to the same promise. Contrasting her reaction with Abraham's, as described in this passage and its commentary, helps clarify that Abraham's laughter was interpreted by God as joy and faith, while Sarah's was seen as doubt.
Hebrews 11:11This verse speaks of Sarah also conceiving through faith, even when she was past the age. It broadens the perspective to show that both Abraham and Sarah, despite their natural limitations and moments of human reaction, were ultimately sustained by faith in God's power.
calvinGenesis 17:1-27: "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect."
And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
Tunc Abraham tulit Ismael filium suum, et omnes vernas domus suae, et…
ellicottGenesis 17:17: "Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?"
(17) Abraham . . . laughed. —The Jewish interpreters regard Abraham’s laugh as one of joy, and Sarah’s ( Genesis 18:12 ) as one of unbelief. We may, however, well doubt whether there really was this difference between them; but our Lord confirms the View that joy was uppermost in Abraham’s heart ( John…
Abraham's laughter here is not disbelief, but profound astonishment and overflowing joy. He’s not questioning God's power but marveling at the sheer impossibility of it all from a human perspective, a testament to his deep faith that even the most incredible things are possible with God.
Fresh from God’s appearance and covenant renewal, Abraham is stunned by the promise of a son with Sarah, a woman declared barren, leading him to exclaim in amazement and joy. God then addresses Abraham's heartfelt, yet momentarily disbelieving, reaction, clearly distinguishing the promised covenant child, Isaac, from Ishmael, and reaffirming the eternal nature of the covenant. Finally, the narrative pivots to the immediate implementation of God's covenant sign with the circumcision of Abraham and all the males in his household.
Fresh from God’s appearance and covenant renewal, Abraham is stunned by the promise of a son with Sarah, a woman declared barren, leading him to exclaim in amazement and joy. God then addresses Abraham's heartfelt, yet momentarily disbelieving, reaction, clearly distinguishing the promised covenant child, Isaac, from Ishmael, and reaffirming the eternal nature of the covenant. Finally, the narrative pivots to the immediate implementation of God's covenant sign with the circumcision of Abraham and all the males in his household.
"Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”" — Abraham's laughter here is not disbelief, but profound astonishment and overflowing joy. He’s not questioning God's power but marveling at the sheer impossibility of it all from a human perspective,…
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Last reviewed October 2026