Abraham Laughed

“Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.” (Genesis 17:17–19, NKJV)

On Sunday, I really wanted to dive deeper into Genesis 17:17, but unfortunately, time was not on my side (it never is). In this passage, Abraham falls on his face and laughs, questioning whether a hundred-year-old man and a ninety-year-old woman who was still barren could even have a child. Some people believe that Abraham’s laugh was one of joy, but I disagree. Like many of us, I think Abraham struggled to reconcile his faith with his reality. As he looked around and surveyed his present condition and situation, I can just imagine him saying to himself, “Yeah right…”

Here’s why I do not see his laugh as a laugh of joy. First, the Hebrew word in this verse used for “laugh” is “צָחַק (ṣā·ḥǎq),” which means to laugh ironically or mockingly. This is the same word used in Genesis 18:12, Genesis 18:13, and Genesis 18:15 when Sarah laughed. This doesn’t seem like the right word to describe a joyful laugh. If the word used was “שִׂמְחָה (śim·ḥā(h)),” which means joy or pleasure, then I would agree that it was a joyous moment but the word used does not hint that it was a laugh of joy.

Another reason I don’t believe it was a laugh of joy, is found in the context. After all that God had said up to this point, telling Abraham all that God will do (over and over God says “I will”) and the covenant God makes with Abraham and even going as far as changing his name from Abram (Exalted father) to Abraham (Father of many) and Sarai’s name to Sarah, Abraham response was mixed. He falls down in worship outwardly, but inwardly he questions in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” We see in verse 18, Abraham pleads with God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you…” or better translated, “Please let Ishmael be the son you promised.” Notice the answer that God gives to Abraham. God says in verse 19, “No…” God outright says no to Abraham’s request.  God continues to tell Abraham, “Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.”

If Abraham’s laugh was a laugh of joy, why did he question in his heart and plead with God to let Ismael be the son of promise?

I believe this is where we struggle to reconcile faith and reality. We know that God is more than able, He is El-Shaddai, God almighty – All-Sufficient, but as we look around and we see our situation getting worse, not better, we question, or we laugh to ourselves “Yeah right”. I also believe that the God that we worship invites us to bring all our doubts to him and say, “I believe; help my unbelief” Mark 9:24.

What do you think?

From my study I have come across these insights:

Worship and incredulity seem intermixed here. We are under no necessity of making Abraham flawless as the Jewish commentators try to do. He found the promise difficult to believe at first. This is borne out by what he said in his heart and by his request to God that the promises might center in Ishmael. The expression O that Ishmael might live before thee! indicates Abraham’s desire that this son be the heir of the promise and that he adopt him. There is an expression in the Law Code of Hammurabi, “My children” or “My son,” indicating a legal adoption formula. If the master had no sons, and a handmaid provided him with a male offspring and sometime subsequent to that he made the previous statement, then the child of the handmaid would inherit his property. But God makes it quite clear; the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman (Gal 4:30) [1]

Fell on his face recalls the words of v. 3. Abraham’s laugh is unexpected and shocking—but completely understandable! For 24 years Abraham had heard—and believed—the same promise: one day he would become the father of a son who would found the nation of promise. He had tried to force the birth of a legitimate heir (see chs. 15; 16), but God had assured him that the true heir would not be an adopted slave (15:4) nor the child of a surrogate mother (16:11, 12). But now, after nearly a quarter of a century and at the age of 99 (17:1), Abraham had reached his limit. Even if Sarah were to conceive now, she would be 90 when the baby was born and he would be 100! At this point it seemed as though the whole thing might be a joke. And so at last he laughed.[2]