The Meaning of Genesis 17:17 Explained

Genesis 17:17

KJV: 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?

YLT: 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?'

Darby: And Abraham fell on 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?

ASV: 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?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Genesis 17:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 17:15-27 - Isaac Is Promised
There are two allusions to laughter in these chapters. Sarah's was the laugh of incredulity, see Genesis 18:12; but Abraham's was the laugh of happy confidence, which reckoned on God. As r.v. puts it, he looked his difficulties in the face, and then turned away to the promise of God, and wavered not, but waxed strong, giving glory to God. Ponder Romans 4:20-21. Therefore, he obtained promises for his wife, for Ishmael, and for the coming child, which was to bear the name of Laughter, partly because of that hour, and also because he would bring sunshine into the old man's life. His heart had entwined about Ishmael. As he had watched the masterful and clever youth, he had said to himself, "He will hold the camp together when I am gone." But the divine covenant could not be with one that had slave-blood in his veins and was not to abide in the house forever. See John 8:35; Galatians 4:22. The covenant is always with Isaac. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Genesis 17:17 mean?

And fell Abraham on his face and laughed and said in his heart to a son of a hundred years shall [a child] be born and shall Sarah who is old ninety years bear [a child]
וַיִּפֹּ֧ל אַבְרָהָ֛ם עַל־ פָּנָ֖יו וַיִּצְחָ֑ק וַיֹּ֣אמֶר בְּלִבּ֗וֹ הַלְּבֶ֤ן מֵאָֽה־ שָׁנָה֙ ؟ יִוָּלֵ֔ד וְאִ֨ם־ שָׂרָ֔ה הֲבַת־ תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה ؟ תֵּלֵֽד

וַיִּפֹּ֧ל  And  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
אַבְרָהָ֛ם  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
פָּנָ֖יו  his  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַיִּצְחָ֑ק  and  laughed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָחַק  
Sense: to laugh, mock, play.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּלִבּ֗וֹ  in  his  heart 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
הַלְּבֶ֤ן  to  a  son 
Parse: Article, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מֵאָֽה־  of  a  hundred 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
שָׁנָה֙  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
؟ יִוָּלֵ֔ד  shall  [a  child]  be  born 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
וְאִ֨ם־  and  shall 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
שָׂרָ֔ה  Sarah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׂרָה  
Sense: wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac.
הֲבַת־  who  is  old 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
תִּשְׁעִ֥ים  ninety 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: תִּשְׁעִים  
Sense: ninety.
שָׁנָ֖ה  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
؟ תֵּלֵֽד  bear  [a  child] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.