Genesis 18 · Verse 15

Genesis 18:15

Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Genesis 18:15, King James Version

Genesis 18:15 in other translations

BSBBut Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”
WEBThen Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
ASVThen Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
YLTAnd Sarah denieth, saying, ‘I did not laugh;' for she hath been afraid; and He saith, ‘Nay, but thou didst laugh.'
DARBYAnd Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And he said, No; but thou didst laugh.
BBEThen Sarah said, I was not laughing; for she was full of fear. And he said, No, but you were laughing.
WebsterThen Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

What does Genesis 18:15 mean?

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 18:15 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.

וַתְּכַחֵ֨שׁva.te.kha.Cheshand she deniedH3584
שָׂרָ֧ה\׀sa.RahSarahH8283
לֵאמֹ֛רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
צָחַ֖קְתִּיtza.Chak.tiI laughedH6711
כִּ֣י\׀kiforH3588
יָרֵ֑אָהya.Re.'ahshe was afraidH3372
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר\׀vai.Yo.merand he saidH559
לֹ֖אlo'In-H3808
כִּ֥יkideedH3588
צָחָֽקְתְּ\׃tza.Cha.ketyou laughedH6711

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

Cross references for Genesis 18:15

  • Proverbs 28:13

    He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

  • 1 John 1:8

    If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

  • Ephesians 4:23

    And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

  • Psalms 44:21

    Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

  • John 18:25-27

    And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not. One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.

  • Job 2:10

    But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

  • Mark 2:8

    And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

  • Genesis 4:9

    And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

  • Genesis 12:13

    Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

  • John 2:25

    And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

  • John 18:17

    Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not.

  • Proverbs 12:19

    The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
denied.
4:9; 12:13; Job 2:10; Pr 28:13; Joh 18:17,25-27; Eph 4:23; Col 3:9
1Jo 1:8
Nay.
Ps 44:21; Pr 12:19; Mr 2:8; Joh 2:25; Ro 3:19

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

Context

  • Genesis 18:14

    Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

  • Genesis 18:15

    Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

  • Genesis 18:16

    And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

Read all of Genesis 18

Genesis 18:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Sara negó diciendo: No me reí; porque tuvo miedo. Y él dijo: No es así, sino que te has reído.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Sara le nia, disant: Je n’ai pas ri; car elle eut peur. Et il dit: Non, car tu as ri.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Sara leugnete und sprach: Ich habe nicht gelacht! denn sie fürchtete sich. Er aber sprach: Nein, sondern du hast gelacht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Negavit Sara, dicens: Non risi, timore perterrita. Dominus autem: Non est, inquit, ita: sed risisti.