Genesis 18 · Verse 12

Genesis 18:12

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

Genesis 18:12 in other translations

BSBSo she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
WEBSarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
ASVAnd Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
YLTand Abraham and Sarah are aged, entering into days--the way of women hath ceased to be to Sarah;
DARBYAnd Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am become old, shall I have pleasure, and my lord old?
BBEAnd Sarah, laughing to herself, said, Now that I am used up am I still to have pleasure, my husband himself being old?
WebsterTherefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am become old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

What does Genesis 18:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself--Long delay seems to have weakened faith. Sarah treated the announcement as incredible, and when taxed with the silent sneer, she added falsehood to distrust. It was an aggravated offense (Ac 5:4), and nothing but grace saved her (Ro 9:18).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Sarah laughed - Partly through pleasure at the bare idea of the possibility of the thing, and partly from a conviction that it was extremely improbable. She appears to have been in the same spirit, and to have had the same feelings of those who, unexpectedly hearing of something of great consequence to themselves, smile and say, "The news is too good to be true;", see Gen 21:6. There is a case very similar to this mentioned Psa 126:1, Psa 126:2. On Abraham's laughing, See note on Gen 17:17.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 18:9-15

Where is Sarah thy wife? was asked. Note the answer, In the tent. Just at hand, in her proper place, occupied in her household concerns. There is nothing got by gadding. Those are most likely to receive comfort from God and his promises, who are in their proper place, and in the way of their duty, Lu 2:8. We are slow of heart to believe, and need line upon line to the same purport. The blessings others have from…

Read the full comment on Genesis 18:9-15 →

Genesis 18:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַתִּצְחַ֥קva.titz.Chakand she laughedH6711
שָׂרָ֖הsa.RahSarahH8283
בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּbe.kir.Bahin inner being herH7130
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
אַחֲרֵ֤י'a.cha.ReiafterH310
בְלֹתִי֙ve.lo.Tiam worn out IH1086
הָֽיְתָה\־ha.ye.tah-has it be[longed]?H1961
לִּ֣יlito <the> me
עֶדְנָ֔ה'ed.NahpleasureH5730
וַֽאדֹנִ֖יva.do.Niand lord myH113
זָקֵֽן\׃za.Kenhe is oldH2204

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 18:12

  • 1 Peter 3:6

    Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

  • Genesis 17:17

    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?

  • Luke 1:18-20

    And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

  • Genesis 21:6-7

    And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

  • Luke 1:34-35

    Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

  • Genesis 18:13

    And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

  • Psalms 126:2

    Then 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.

  • Ephesians 5:33

    Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

  • Hebrews 11:11-12

    Through 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. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
laughed.
13; 17:17; 21:6,7; Ps 126:2; Lu 1:18-20,34,35; Heb 11:11,12
my.
Eph 5:33; 1Pe 3:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 18:11

    Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

  • Genesis 18:12

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

  • Genesis 18:13

    And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Read all of Genesis 18

Genesis 18:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Rióse, pues, Sara entre sí, diciendo: ¿Después que he envejecido tendré deleite, siendo también mi señor ya viejo?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Sara rit en elle-même, disant: Étant vieille, aurai-je du plaisir?… mon seigneur aussi est âgé.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Sara lachte in ihrem Innern und sprach: Nachdem ich alt geworden bin, sollte ich Wollust haben? Und mein Herr ist ja alt!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quæ risit occulte dicens: Postquam consenui, et dominus meus vetulus est, voluptati operam dabo?