Genesis 17:17

Genesis 17:17

Then Abraham fell on 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?

a. NLT: 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?”

b. NIV: 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?”

c. 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?'

d. 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 son?

e. Septuagint: 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?

f. Stone Edition Chumash: And Abraham threw himself upon his face and laughed; and he thught, “Shall a child be born to a hundred year old man? And shall Sarah--a ninety-year-old woman—give birth?”

1. “Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed,…”

a. Abraham [85 * ‘Abraham] [Strong: contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram:--Abraham.]

b. fell [5307 * naphal] [Strong: a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative):--be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for 6419), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (X hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, X surely, throw down.]

c. on his face [6440 * paniym] [Strong: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh {paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s) past, (un-)to(-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with(- in, + -stand), X ye, X you.]

1). Abraham fell on his face twice: Genesis 17:3 and again in Genesis 17:17. After the first and before the second, the Lord had to show him about circumcision.

d. and laughed [6711 * tsachaq] [Strong: a primitive root; to laugh outright (in merriment or scorn); by implication, to sport:--laugh, mock, play, make sport.]

1). Some make a distinction between Abraham’s laugh and Sarah’s laugh saying that Abraham’s laugh was one of joy and Sarah’s was cynical. This is why some say that Sarah was rebuked and Abraham was not. I think it is true. Another difference is that Abraham laughed out loud and Sarah laughed within herself.

2. “…and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old?...”

a. and said [559 * ‘amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

b. in his heart [3820 * leb] [Strong: a form of 3824; the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything:--+ care for, comfortably, consent, X considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart((-ed)), X heed, X I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), X regard((-ed)), X themselves, X unawares, understanding, X well, willingly, wisdom.]

c. shall a child be born [3205 * yalad] [Strong: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).]

d. unto him that is a hundred [3967 * me’ah] [Strong:  properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.]

e. years [8141 * shaneh] [Strong: from 8138; a year (as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old, year(X -ly).]

f. old [1121 * ben] [Strong: from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

1). There had to be a rejuvenation of both of their physical bodies for this birth to take place.

a). Romans 4:17-21 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were,

4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform.”

(a)  staggered (1252 * diakrino) In Romans 4:20 it means to be in strife with one’s self, to doubt, waver.

     

(b) It is translated “doubt” in Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:23; Acts 10:20; Acts 11:12.

(c) Strong (1743 * endunamoo) to make strong, vigorous.

(d) The text says Abraham “was strong in faith”; Vincent’s Word Studies In The New Testament, says it literally means, “was strengthened”. The NRSV reads, “he grew strong in his faith”.  And as his faith grew, he received a quickening in his physical body that enabled him to father children again.

(e) [Amplified Bible] “…but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God.”

2). “giving glory to God”.

a). Matthew 9:8 “But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.”

b). Luke 13:13 “And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.”

g). The big difference between the examples given from the gospels and Abraham, is in Matthew and Luke, they did it after the miracle, and Abraham did it before, while there was no change in the natural circumstances. Which is our example, we don’t look at the physical or natural circumstances, we take God’s word as the final authority.

3). In Abrahams case: Romans 4:19 Paul says Abraham’s body was “dead”. I have 5 Greek Dictionaries, Zodiates and Thayer’s use “impotent” in their definitions. The other three, Vincent, Bullinger, and Strong’s do not. I personally believe he was impotent. If Sarah’s womb was described as “deadness” in Romans 4:19 in referring to her inability to conceive, would not Abraham’s impotence be referred to as “dead” in his inability also?

4). Romans 4:19 [Amplified Bible] “He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about an hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s (deadened) womb.” 

5). The questions that Abraham asked in his heart God answered in verse 19.

3. “…And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?”

a. shall Sarah [8283 * Sarah] [Strong: the same as 8282; Sarah, Abraham's wife:--Sarah.]

b. ninety [8673 * tish’iym] [Strong: multiple from 8673; ninety:--ninety.]

c. years [8141 * shanah] [Strong: from 8138; a year (as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old, year(X -ly).]

d. old [1323 * bath] [Strong:  from 1129 (as feminine of 1121); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively):--apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, X first, X old, + owl, town, village.]

e. bear [3205 * yalad] [Strong: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).]

1). In Sarah’s case: She was barren.

a). Genesis 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

2). She stopped having her monthly period.

b). 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.

3). Sarah’s miraculous change is recorded in Hebrew 11:11 which was sparked by the God encounter in Genesis 18:9-15.