^17:17Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed⁴⁰ as he said to himself,⁴¹ “Can⁴² a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old?⁴³ Can Sarah⁴⁴ bear a child at the age of ninety?”⁴⁵^17:18Abraham said to God, “O that⁴⁶ Ishmael might live before you!”⁴⁷

^17:19God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac.⁴⁸ I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual⁴⁹ covenant for his descendants after him.

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Footnotes

40 Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.
41 Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”
42 The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.
43 Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”
44 It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).
45 Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”
46 The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”
47 Or “live with your blessing.”
48 Heb “will call his name Isaac.” The name means “he laughs,” or perhaps “may he laugh” (see the note on the word “laughed” in v. ).
49 Or “as an eternal.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?” So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael were acceptable to you!”

But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.

NLTNew Living Translation

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?” So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”

But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed. And he said in his heart, “Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old, or can Sarah bear a child at ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” And God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear a son for you, and you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant to his offspring after him.

KJV 1900King James Version

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? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

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