So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.
Parallel translations
- WEB Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
- KJV For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
- NKJV For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
- NASB So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
- NLT She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would.
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
Sarah conceives and bears Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time. The long-promised heir is finally born.
Overview
The birth occurs at the exact time God foretold, against all natural possibility given the couple's age. This miraculous child of promise demonstrates that God's redemptive line advances by grace and divine power, not human ability. Isaac, born by promise, becomes a pattern in Scripture for all who are children of God through faith rather than the flesh.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Heb 11:11By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.
- Gal 4:22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
- Gen 17:21But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”
- Gen 18:10Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
- Gen 17:19But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
- Acts 7:8Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
- Gen 18:14Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
- Luke 1:24–25After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. She declared,
- Luke 1:36Look, even Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month.
- 2 Kgs 4:16–17And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”
- Rom 9:9For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 21:2 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.