Genesis 17:17
New International Version
Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”

New Living Translation
Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”

English Standard Version
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Berean Standard Bible
Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”

King James Bible
Then 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?

New King James Version
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?

New American Standard Bible
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth to a child?

NASB 1995
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

NASB 1977
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, “Will a son be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son?”

Amplified Bible
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Christian Standard Bible
Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?”

American Standard Version
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmayl may live before you!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abraam fell upon his face, and laughed; and spoke in his heart, saying, Shall there be a child to one who is a hundred years old, and shall Sarrha who is ninety years old, bear?

Contemporary English Version
Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, "I am almost 100 years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is 90. How can she have a child?" So he started laughing.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, saying in his heart: Shall a son, thinkest thou, be born to him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sara that is ninety years old bring forth?

English Revised Version
Then 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?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Immediately, Abraham bowed with his face touching the ground. He laughed as he thought to himself, "Can a son be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, have a child?"

Good News Translation
Abraham bowed down with his face touching the ground, but he began to laugh when he thought, "Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old? Can Sarah have a child at ninety?"

International Standard Version
Abraham fell to the ground, laughed, and told himself, "Can a child be born to a 100-year-old man? Can a 90-year-old Sarah give birth?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart: 'Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?'

Literal Standard Version
And Abraham falls on his face, and laughs, and says in his heart, “Is one born to the son of one hundred years? Or does Sarah—daughter of ninety years—bear?”

Majority Standard Bible
Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”

New American Bible
Abraham fell face down and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at ninety?”

NET Bible
Then 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?"

New Revised Standard Version
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

New Heart English Bible
Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?

World English Bible
Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?”

Young's Literal Translation
And Abraham falleth upon his face, and laugheth, and saith in his heart, 'To the son of an hundred years is one born? or doth Sarah -- daughter of ninety years -- bear?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Covenant of Circumcision
16And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.” 17Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?” 18And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!”…

Cross References
Luke 1:18
"How can I be sure of this?" Zechariah asked the angel. "I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years."

Romans 4:19
Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah's womb.

Genesis 17:3
Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,

Genesis 17:18
And Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!"

Genesis 18:11
And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

Genesis 18:12
So she laughed to herself, saying, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"

Genesis 21:5
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.


Treasury of Scripture

Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

fell.

Genesis 17:3
And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

Leviticus 9:24
And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

Numbers 14:5
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

laughed.

Genesis 18:12
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

John 8:56
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Jump to Previous
Abraham Age Bear Birth Born Child Daughter Face Facedown Fell Heart Hundred Laughed Ninety Sarah
Jump to Next
Abraham Age Bear Birth Born Child Daughter Face Facedown Fell Heart Hundred Laughed Ninety Sarah
Genesis 17
1. God renews the covenant with Abram,
5. and changes his name to Abraham, in token of a greater blessing.
9. Circumcision is instituted.
15. Sarai's name is changed to Sarah, and she is blessed.
17. Isaac is promised, and the time of his birth fixed.
23. Abraham and Ishmael are circumcised.














(17) Abraham . . . laughed.--The Jewish interpreters regard Abraham's laugh as one of joy, and Sarah's (Genesis 18:12) as one of unbelief. We may, however, well doubt whether there really was this difference between them; but our Lord confirms the View that joy was uppermost in Abraham's heart (John 8:56). Still with belief there was surprise, and the feeling that what was promised was so strange as to be well-nigh incredible. One who was ready to sacrifice his only son at God's word (Hebrews 11:19) would not be staggered by this strangeness, and yet the thought of Sarah's bearing a child at the age of ninety might easily present itself to his mind in a ludicrous aspect. As for Sarah, there is no proof that at the time when she laughed she knew or even suspected that the three travellers were more than men. She overheard their conversation, and laughed, imagining perhaps that they did not know how old she was. Really, the idea brought out by this double laughter is that Isaac's birth was contrary to nature.

Verse 17. - Then Abraham fell upon his face (vide Ver. 3), and laughed. וַיּצְחָק from צָחַק, to laugh. Cf. καχάζω καγχάζω, cachin-nor, German, kichern; καὶ ἀγέλασε (LXX.); rejoiced (Onkelos); marveled (Jerome, Targums); laughed for joy (Arabic version, Augustine, Calvin, Delitzsch, Keil, Murphy, et alii); not a smile of incredulity (Jerome, Chrysostom) or of diffidence (Kalisch), as partitionists assert in order to produce a contradiction between the Elohist and Jehovist of Genesis 15. And said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is (literally, to the son of) an hundred years old? A suggestion of natural reason which was overruled by faith (Calvin, Wordsworth), though better regarded as the exclamation of holy wonder, or as an illustration of believing not for joy (Inglis; cf. Luke 24:41). And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? Yes. What reason declared impossible was possible to faith. "He considered not the deadness of Sarah s womb" (Romans 4:19).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Abraham
אַבְרָהָ֛ם (’aḇ·rā·hām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 85: Abraham -- 'exalted father', the father of the Jewish nation

fell facedown.
וַיִּפֹּ֧ל (way·yip·pōl)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

Then he laughed
וַיִּצְחָ֑ק (way·yiṣ·ḥāq)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6711: To laugh outright, to sport

and said
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to himself,
בְּלִבּ֗וֹ (bə·lib·bōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

“Can a child be born
יִוָּלֵ֔ד (yiw·wā·lêḏ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

to a man who is
הַלְּבֶ֤ן (hal·lə·ḇen)
Article, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

a hundred
מֵאָֽה־ (mê·’āh-)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 3967: A hundred

years old?
שָׁנָה֙ (šā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

Can Sarah
שָׂרָ֔ה (śā·rāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8283: Sarah -- 'princess', a wife of Abraham

give birth
תֵּלֵֽד׃ (tê·lêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

at the age of ninety?”
תִּשְׁעִ֥ים (tiš·‘îm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 8673: Ninety


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OT Law: Genesis 17:17 Then Abraham fell on his face (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 17:16
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