Genesis

Genesis 18:9–15

⁹“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked.

“There, in the tent,” he replied.

¹⁰Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!”

Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent. ¹¹And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. ¹²So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

¹³And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’ ¹⁴Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you — in about a year — and Sarah will have a son.”^c

¹⁵But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.”

“No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”

Footnotes

c 18:14 Cited in Romans 9:9|ROM 9:9

Read all of Genesis 18

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 18:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Where	אַיֵּ֖ה	’ay·yêh	Interrogative	H346 Where?
is your wife	אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ	’iš·te·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
Sarah	שָׂרָ֣ה	śā·rāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8283 Sarah
they asked	וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
There	הִנֵּ֥ה	hin·nêh	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
in the tent	בָאֹֽהֶל׃	ḇā·’ō·hel	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H168 tent
he replied	וַיֹּ֖אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say

Genesis 18:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the LORD said	וַיֹּ֗אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
I will surely return	שׁ֣וֹב	šō·wḇ	Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute	H7725 turn back, return
to you	אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙	’ê·le·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H413 motion to
at this time next year	כָּעֵ֣ת	kā·‘êṯ	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - common singular construct	H6256 time
and your wife	אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ	’iš·te·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
Sarah	לְשָׂרָ֣ה	lə·śā·rāh	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8283 Sarah
will have a son	בֵ֖ן	ḇên	Noun - masculine singular	H1121 son
Now Sarah	וְשָׂרָ֥ה	wə·śā·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8283 Sarah
was behind him	אַחֲרָֽיו׃	’a·ḥă·rāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H310 behind
listening	שֹׁמַ֛עַת	šō·ma·‘aṯ	Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular	H8085 hear
at the entrance	פֶּ֥תַח	pe·ṯaḥ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6607 opening, doorway, entrance
to the tent	הָאֹ֖הֶל	hā·’ō·hel	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H168 tent

Genesis 18:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And Abraham	וְאַבְרָהָ֤ם	wə·’aḇ·rā·hām	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H85 Abraham
and Sarah	וְשָׂרָה֙	wə·śā·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8283 Sarah
were already old	זְקֵנִ֔ים	zə·qê·nîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H2205 old
and well along	בָּאִ֖ים	bā·’îm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
in years	בַּיָּמִ֑ים	bay·yā·mîm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
Sarah	לְשָׂרָ֔ה	lə·śā·rāh	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8283 Sarah
had passed	חָדַל֙	ḥā·ḏal	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2308 cease
the age of childbearing	אֹ֖רַח	’ō·raḥ	Noun - common singular	H734 way, path

Genesis 18:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	שָׂרָ֖ה	śā·rāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8283 Sarah
laughed	וַתִּצְחַ֥ק	wat·tiṣ·ḥaq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H6711 laugh
to herself	בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ	bə·qir·bāh	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H7130 inward part, midst
saying	לֵאמֹ֑ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
After	אַחֲרֵ֤י	’a·ḥă·rê	Preposition	H310 behind
I am worn out	בְלֹתִי֙	ḇə·lō·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common singular	H1086 become old and worn out
and my master	וַֽאדֹנִ֖י	wa·ḏō·nî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H113 lord
is old	זָקֵֽן׃	zā·qên	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2204 be or become old
will I now have	הָֽיְתָה־	hā·yə·ṯāh-	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
this pleasure	עֶדְנָ֔ה	‘eḏ·nāh	Noun - feminine singular	H5730 luxury, dainty, delight

Genesis 18:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And the LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
asked	וַיֹּ֥אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Abraham	אַבְרָהָ֑ם	’aḇ·rā·hām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H85 Abraham
Why	לָ֣מָּה	lām·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
did Sarah	שָׂרָ֜ה	śā·rāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8283 Sarah
laugh	צָחֲקָ֨ה	ṣā·ḥă·qāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H6711 laugh
and say	לֵאמֹ֗ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
Can I really	הַאַ֥ף	ha·’ap̄	Conjunction	H637 also, yea
bear a child	אֵלֵ֖ד	’ê·lêḏ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
when I am	וַאֲנִ֥י	wa·’ă·nî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
old	זָקַֽנְתִּי׃	zā·qan·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H2204 be or become old

Genesis 18:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Is anything	דָּבָ֑ר	dā·ḇār	Noun - masculine singular	H1697 speech, word
too difficult	הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א	hă·yip·pā·lê	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6381 be surpassing, extraordinary
for the LORD	מֵיְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
At the appointed time	לַמּוֹעֵ֞ד	lam·mō·w·‘êḏ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4150 appointed time, place, meeting
I will return	אָשׁ֥וּב	’ā·šūḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7725 turn back, return
to you	אֵלֶ֛יךָ	’ê·le·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H413 motion to
in about a year	כָּעֵ֥ת	kā·‘êṯ	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - common singular construct	H6256 time
and Sarah	וּלְשָׂרָ֥ה	ū·lə·śā·rāh	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8283 Sarah
will have a son	בֵֽן׃	ḇên	Noun - masculine singular	H1121 son

Genesis 18:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But Sarah	שָׂרָ֧ה׀	śā·rāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8283 Sarah
was afraid	יָרֵ֑אָה	yā·rê·’āh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H3372 fear
so	כִּ֣י׀	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
she denied it	וַתְּכַחֵ֨שׁ	wat·tə·ḵa·ḥêš	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3584 be disappointing, deceive, fail, grow lean
and said	לֵאמֹ֛ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
I did not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
laugh	צָחַ֖קְתִּי	ṣā·ḥaq·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H6711 laugh
No	לֹ֖א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
replied	וַיֹּ֥אמֶר׀	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
but	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
you did laugh	צָחָֽקְתְּ׃	ṣā·ḥā·qət	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular	H6711 laugh