Genesis 18:12

Genesis 18:12

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

a. NLT: So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”

b. NIV: So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

c. YLT: and Abraham and Sarah are aged, entering into days -- the way of women hath ceased to be to Sarah;

d. Amplified Bible: Therefore Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I have become aged shall I have pleasure and delight, my lord (husband), being old also?

e. Septuagint: And Sarrha laughed in herself, saying, The thing has not as yet happened to me, even until now, and my lord is old.

f. Stone Edition Chumash: And Sarah laughed at herself, saying,”After I have withered shall I again have delicate skin? And my husband is old!”

1. “Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying…”

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

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

c. within herself [7130 * qereb] [Strong: from 7126; properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition):--X among, X before, bowels, X unto charge, + eat (up), X heart, X him, X in, inward (X -ly, part, -s, thought), midst, + out of, purtenance, X therein, X through, X within self.]

d. saying [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.]

2. “…After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

a. after [310 * ‘achar] [Strong: [310 * ‘achar] [Strong: from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.]

b. after I have waxed old [1086 * balah] [Strong: a primitive root; to fail; by implication to wear out, decay (causatively, consume, spend):--consume, enjoy long, become (make, wax) old, spend, waste.]

c. shall I have pleasure [1530 * ‘eden] [Strong:  from 5727; pleasure:--delicate, delight, pleasure.]

1). Chumash: Delicate skin, in the literal sense, this is simply a simile for the return of youthfulness that would enable her to give birth.

d. my lord [113 * ‘adown] [Strong: from an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine):-- lord, master, owner.]

e. being old also [2204 * zaqen] [Strong: a primitive root; to be old:--aged man, be (wax) old (man).]

1). I personally believe this was a very cynical attitude. Perhaps equivalent to the contemporary statement: “Yeah, right!” Though others may disagree.

2). In the natural, there were three strikes against this couple.

a). Sarah was barren from her youth.

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

b). She went through menopause, she no longer had her period.

(1) 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.

c). Abraham was probably impotent. This is what I gather from the information.

(1) In Romans 4:19, Paul writes that Abraham’s body was “dead”. I have five Greek Dictionaries and of those five, Zodhiates and Thayer’s use “impotent” in their definitions of the word “dead”. The other three, Vincent, Bullinger, and Strong’s do not. Now of course the use of  “dead” was a figure of speech, a metaphor and since the context of the passage was bearing children, I believe the only reasonable conclusion can be is that Paul was referring to Abraham’s impotency.