Genesis 21 · Verse 6

Genesis 21:6

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

Genesis 21:6 in other translations

BSBThen Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”
WEBSarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”
ASVAnd Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh; every one that heareth will laugh with me.
YLTand Sarah saith, ‘God hath made laughter for me; every one who is hearing laugheth for me.'
DARBYAnd Sarah said,God has made me laugh: all that hear will laugh with me.
BBEAnd Sarah said, God has given me cause for laughing, and everyone who has news of it will be laughing with me.
WebsterAnd Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

What does Genesis 21:6 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 God hath made me to laugh - Sarah alludes here to the circumstance mentioned Gen 18:12; and as she seems to use the word to laugh in this place, not in the sense of being incredulous but to express such pleasure or happiness as almost suspends the reasoning faculty for a time, it justifies the observation on the above-named verse. See a similar case in Luk 24:41, where the disciples were so overcome with the good news of our Lord's resurrection, that it is said, They believed not for joy.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 21:1-8

Chapter Outline Birth of Isaac, Sarah's joy. (1-8) Ishmael mocks Isaac. (9-13) Hagar and Ishmael are cast forth, They are relieved and comforted by an angel. (14-21) Abimelech's covenant with Abraham. (22-34) Verses 1-8 Few under the Old Testament were brought into the world with such expectations as Isaac. He was in this a type of Christ, that Seed which the holy God so long promised, and holy men so long expected…

Read the full comment on Genesis 21:1-8 →

Genesis 21:6 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.

וַתֹּ֣אמֶרva.To.merand she saidH559
שָׂרָ֔הsa.RahSarahH8283
צְחֹ֕קtze.ChoklaughterH6712
עָ֥שָׂה'A.sahhe has madeH6213
לִ֖יlifor <the> me
אֱלֹהִ֑ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
כָּל\־kol-everyoneH3605
הַשֹּׁמֵ֖עַha.sho.Me.a'who hearsH8085
יִֽצְחַק\־yitz.chak-he will laughH6711
לִֽי\׃Lito <the> me

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

Cross references for Genesis 21:6

  • 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.

  • Isaiah 54:1

    Sing, 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.

  • 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 1:58

    And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

  • Galatians 4:27-28

    For 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. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

  • Luke 1:46-55

    And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. …

  • Isaiah 49:21

    Then 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 1:14

    And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

  • Psalms 113:9

    He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

  • Romans 12:15

    Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

  • Genesis 18:12-15

    Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 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. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

  • John 16:21-22

    A 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. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
God.
17:17; 18:12-15; 1Sa 1:26-28; 2:1-10; Ps 113:9; 126:2; Isa 49:15,21
Isa 54:1; Lu 1:46-55; Joh 16:21,22; Ga 4:27,28; Heb 11:11
to laugh.Sarah most likely remembered the circumstance mentioned in ch. 18:12; and also the name Isaac, which implies laughter.
will laugh.
Lu 1:14,58; Ro 12:15

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

Context

  • Genesis 21:5

    And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

  • Genesis 21:6

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

  • Genesis 21:7

    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.

Read all of Genesis 21

Genesis 21:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces dijo Sara: Dios me ha hecho reir, y cualquiera que lo oyere, se reirá conmigo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Sara dit: Dieu m’a donné lieu de rire; quiconque l’entendra rira avec moi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Sara sprach: Gott hat mir ein Lachen bereitet; jeder, der es hört, wird mit mir lachen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dixitque Sara: Risum fecit mihi Deus: quicumque audierit, corridebit mihi.