Genesis 18:11-14
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that Sarah had entered a phase of life where natural conception was no longer possible, emphasizing that the promised son would be a miraculous intervention of God, not a result of human effort or natural processes. This detail underscores the extraordinary nature of the divine promise and its fulfillment.
God has just visited Abraham and made a promise about Sarah having a son, but Sarah, overhearing this from inside the tent, laughs because she's well past childbearing age and believes it's impossible. The text emphasizes their extreme old age and Sarah's cessation of normal fertility, highlighting the miraculous nature of the promise. This exchange immediately precedes Abraham's significant intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah, showing a pattern of God revealing His plans and Abraham responding with deep faith and concern.
Abraham and Sarah were beyond the age of childbearing, making the promise of a son seem impossible by human standards. What does this tell us about how God's power operates?
The text explicitly states, 'Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.' This isn't just a gentle hint; it's a clear declaration of biological impossibility. Sarah was post-menopausal, and Abraham was also very elderly.
The Impossibility
God's Intervention
This stark contrast between natural limitations and the divine promise highlights a core theological truth: God's power is not bound by human biology or circumstances. When God makes a promise, it is not dependent on our ability to fulfill it naturally, but on His supernatural ability to bring it to pass. This underscores that the miracle wasn't just the birth of Isaac, but the very possibility of conception in the first place.
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Sarah's reaction to the promise of a son was laughter. What was behind her disbelief, and how does it reflect our own struggles with faith?
The promise of a son is delivered, and Sarah, overhearing it from within the tent, laughs. This laughter isn't an expression of joy, but of doubt rooted in her perceived reality.
The Reason for Laughter
God's Response to Doubt
God, who sees all, immediately addresses her doubt. He asks, 'Is anything too hard for the Lord?' This question is not for God's information, but a gentle rebuke to Sarah's limited perspective. It challenges her to consider God's power above her own understanding or circumstances. This moment reveals that even those chosen by God grapple with doubt, but God graciously addresses it, calling them to a higher faith.
Understand the original words
Abraham · Hebrew Proper Noun
A proper name meaning 'father of a multitude'; the patriarch with whom God established His covenant, promising him numerous descendants through whom all nations would be blessed.
Sarah · Hebrew Proper Noun
A proper name meaning 'princess' or 'noblewoman'; the wife of Abraham and mother of the promised son, Isaac, through whom the covenant line continued.
Yahweh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, revealing Him as the self-existent, eternal, covenant-keeping Creator who enters into personal relationship with His people.
mo'ed · Hebrew Noun
The specific, determined time set by God for the fulfillment of His promises or the execution of His divine purposes.
ben · Hebrew Noun
A male child born to a mother; in Scripture, often used to signify the continuation of a lineage, covenant blessings, or the heir of a promise.
The verse highlights the extreme improbability of Sarah conceiving, emphasizing the miraculous nature of the promised birth. This impossibility underscores God's faithfulness to His covenant promises, even when humanly speaking, there is no natural hope.
c. 2091 BC
God's Covenant with Abraham
God establishes a formal covenant with Abraham, promising him numerous descendants and that through him all nations will be blessed.
c. 2091 BC
Birth of Ishmael
Abraham's son Ishmael is born to Sarah's maidservant Hagar, fulfilling part of God's promise but not the ultimate lineage of blessing.
c. 2091 BC— this verse
The Divine Visitors Appear
Three visitors, one of whom is the LORD Himself, appear to Abraham near Mamre, initiating a dialogue that leads to the promise of a son to Abraham and Sarah.
c. 2091 BC
Sarah's Laughter and Doubt
Sarah, overhearing the promise of a son despite her and Abraham's advanced age, laughs in disbelief, prompting a gentle rebuke from the LORD.
c. 2091 BC
The LORD Departs for Sodom
Two of the visitors proceed towards Sodom and Gomorrah, while the LORD stays to discuss His impending judgment on these cities with Abraham.
calvinGenesis 18:1-33: "And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;"
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Et negavit Sarah, dicendo, Non risi: quia timuit. Et dixit, Nequaquam, quia risisti.
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
Et surrexerunt inde viri, et respexerunt contra faciem S…
clarkeGenesis 18:11: "Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women."
It ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women - And consequently, naturally speaking, conception could not take place; therefore if she have a son it must be in a supernatural or miraculous way.
The verse highlights that Sarah had entered a phase of life where natural conception was no longer possible, emphasizing that the promised son would be a miraculous intervention of God, not a result of human effort or natural processes. This detail underscores the extraordinary nature of the divine promise and its fulfillment.
God has just visited Abraham and made a promise about Sarah having a son, but Sarah, overhearing this from inside the tent, laughs because she's well past childbearing age and believes it's impossible. The text emphasizes their extreme old age and Sarah's cessation of normal fertility, highlighting the miraculous nature of the promise. This exchange immediately precedes Abraham's significant intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah, showing a pattern of God revealing His plans and Abraham responding with deep faith and concern.
God has just visited Abraham and made a promise about Sarah having a son, but Sarah, overhearing this from inside the tent, laughs because she's well past childbearing age and believes it's impossible. The text emphasizes their extreme old age and Sarah's cessation of normal fertility, highlighting the miraculous nature of the promise. This exchange immediately precedes Abraham's significant intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah, showing a pattern of God revealing His plans and Abraham responding with deep faith and concern.
"Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sara…" — The verse highlights that Sarah had entered a phase of life where natural conception was no longer possible, emphasizing that the promised son would be a miraculous intervention of God, not a result…
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