But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
- KJV Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
- NKJV But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
- NASB Sarah denied it, however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
- NLT Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.” But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Frightened, Sarah denies laughing, but the LORD gently insists she did.
Overview
Fear leads Sarah to deny the truth, yet God neither destroys her nor withdraws the promise. His patient correction shows mercy toward a struggling believer. The exchange highlights both human frailty and the steadfastness of God's grace, which does not depend on our perfect faith.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Prov 28:13He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
- 1 Jn 1:8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- Ps 44:21would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?
- Eph 4:23to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
- John 2:25He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.
- John 18:25–27Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they asked him, “Aren’t you also one of His disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”
- Gen 12:13Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”
- John 18:17At this, the servant girl watching the door said to Peter, “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?” “I am not,” he answered.
- Rom 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
- Gen 4:9And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
- Job 2:10“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
- Mark 2:8At once Jesus knew in His spirit that they were thinking this way within themselves. “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” He asked.
- Prov 12:19Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
- Col 3:9Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 18:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.