And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
Parallel translations
- WEB Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”
- BSB Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”
- ESV And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”
- NKJV And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”
- NASB Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”
- NLT And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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 rejoices that God has made her laugh, and all who hear will laugh with her. Her earlier doubting laughter turns to joy.
Overview
Sarah's words transform the laughter of disbelief at the promise into laughter of delight at its fulfillment. Her joy is meant to be shared, inviting others to marvel at God's gracious work. This reversal from doubt to praise illustrates how God turns the impossible into occasions for worship, foreshadowing the joy of redemption He brings to His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ps 126:2Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
- Isa 54:1Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
- Gen 17:17Then 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?
- Luke 1:58And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
- Isa 49:21Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?
- Luke 1:14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
- Gal 4:27–28For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
- Luke 1:46–55And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
- Ps 113:9He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
- Rom 12:15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
- Gen 18:12–15Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
- Heb 11:11Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
- John 16:21–22A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
- 1 Sam 1:26And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
- Isa 49:15Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
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 21:6 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
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