New English Translation
Genesis 21:6
6Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
Genesis 21:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
- New International Version (NIV)Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”
Context of Genesis 21:6
4When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. 5(Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7She went on to say, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!” 8The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
Read all of Genesis 21Genesis 21:6 word by word
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר שָׂרָ֔ה צְחֹ֕ק עָ֥שָׂה לִ֖י אֱלֹהִ֑ים כָּל־הַשֹּׁמֵ֖עַ יִֽצְחַק־לִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 21:6
- Genesis 17:17Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”
- Genesis 18:12So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, especially when my husband is old too?”
- 1 Samuel 1:26She said, “Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord.
- 1 Samuel 2:1Hannah prayed, “My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted high because of the Lord. I loudly denounce my enemies, for I am happy that you delivered me.
- Psalms 113:9He makes the barren woman of the family a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord!
- Psalms 126:2At that time we laughed loudly and shouted for joy. At that time the nations said, “The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”
- Isaiah 49:15Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast? Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne? Even if mothers were to forget, I could never forget you!
- Isaiah 54:1“Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth! Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one are more numerous than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
- Luke 1:46And Mary said, “My soul exalts the Lord,
- John 16:21When a woman gives birth, she has distress because her time has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being has been born into the world.
- Galatians 4:27For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.”
- Hebrews 11:11By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.
- Luke 1:14Joy and gladness will come to you, and many will rejoice at his birth,
- Romans 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Commentaries on Genesis 21:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6God hath made me to laugh - Sarah alludes here to the circumstance mentioned Genesis 18:12; and as she seems to use the word to laugh in this place, not in the sense of being incredulous but to express such pleasure or happiness as almost suspends the reasoning faculty for a time, it justifies the observation on the above-named verse. See a similar case in Luke 24:41, where the disciples were so overcome with the good news of our Lord's resurrection, that…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-34Verses 1-34 - The Birth of Isaac 7. מלל mı̂lēl “speak,” an ancient and therefore solemn and poetical word. 14. חמת chêmet “bottle,” akin to חמה chāmâh “surround, enclose,” and הוּם chûm “black. באר שׁבע beêr -sheba‛ Beer-sheba, “well of seven.” 22. פיכל pı̂ykol Pikhol, “mouth or spokesman of all.” 23. נין nı̂yn “offspring, kin;” related: “sprout, flourish.” נכד neked “progeny,” perhaps “acquaintance,” cognate with נגד ngd “be before” (the eyes) and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Sarah’s made a wordplay with the name Isaac (Hebrew yitskhaq, meaning “he laughs”). It shows how laughing in disbelief turned to laughing in joy when God fulfilled the promise (18:12). Isaac’s name might reflect the pleasure of God and his parents at his birth. Sarah knew everyone who heard about this would laugh and celebrate with her.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-131. the Lord visited Sarah--The language of the historian seems designedly chosen to magnify the power of God as well as His faithfulness to His promise. It was God's grace that brought about that event, as well as the raising of spiritual children to Abraham, of which the birth of this son was typical [Calvin].Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 21:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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