Genesis 18:10

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Then one of them said, 'I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.' Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וֹב אָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְשָׂרָ֥ה שֹׁמַ֛עַת פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל וְה֥וּא אַחֲרָֽיו׃

Transliteration

And-wayyōʾmer šôḇ ʾāšûḇ to-you kāʿēṯ ḥayyâ and-hinnēh-ḇēn to-Śārâ ʾišteḵā and-Śārâ šōmaʿaṯ peṯaḥ the-ʾōhel and-he ʾaḥărāyw.

Grammar Details

• *wayyōʾmer*: qal waw-consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - he said
• *šôḇ*: qal infinitive absolute - returning
• *ʾāšûḇ*: qal imperfect, 1st person singular - I will return
• *kāʿēṯ*: preposition with noun - according to the time
• *ḥayyâ*: adjective, feminine singular - living/reviving
• *hinnēh*: demonstrative particle - behold
• *ḇēn*: noun, masculine singular - son
• *ʾišteḵā*: noun with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your wife
• *šōmaʿaṯ*: qal participle, feminine singular - hearing/listening
• *peṯaḥ*: noun, masculine singular construct - entrance of
• *ʾaḥărāyw*: preposition with 3rd masculine singular suffix - behind him

Word Meanings

• *šôḇ ʾāšûḇ*: I will surely return (emphatic construction)
• *kāʿēṯ ḥayyâ*: at the time of life/next year/when the season comes around/in the spring

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And he said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he said,{H559} I will certainly{H7725} return{H7725} unto thee when the season{H6256} cometh round;{H2416} and, lo, Sarah{H8283} thy wife{H802} shall have a son.{H1121} And Sarah{H8283} heard{H8085} in the tent{H168} door,{H6607} which was behind him.{H310}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he said{H559}{(H8799)}, I will certainly{H7725}{(H8800)} return{H7725}{(H8799)} unto thee according to the time{H6256} of life{H2416}; and, lo, Sarah{H8283} thy wife{H802} shall have a son{H1121}. And Sarah{H8283} heard{H8085}{(H8802)} it in the tent{H168} door{H6607}, which was behind him{H310}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And he sayde: I will come agayne vnto the as soone as the frute can lyue. And loo: Sara thy wife shall haue a sonne. That herde Sara out of the tent doore which was behind his backe.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Then sayde he: aboute this tyme twolue moneth, (yf I lyue) I will come to the agayne, and Sara thy wyfe shal haue a sonne. And Sara herde that out of the tent dore, which was behynde his backe.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And he saide, I will certainely come againe vnto thee according to ye time of life: and loe, Sarah thy wife shall haue a sonne; Sarah heard in the tent doore, which was behinde him.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And he sayde: I wyll certaynely returne vnto thee according to the time of lyfe: and lo, Sara thy wyfe shall haue a sonne. That heard Sara in the tent doore, which was behynde hym.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard [it] in the tent door, which [was] behind him.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and he saith, `returning I return unto thee, about the time of life, and lo, to Sarah thy wife a son.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And he said, I will certainly come back to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife will have a son. And his words came to the ears of Sarah who was at the back of the tent-door.

• World English Bible (2000)

  He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  One of them said,“I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!”(Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him.

Referenced Verses

• Gen 21:2 : 2 Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had promised him.
• Gen 17:21 : 21 But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.
• Gen 17:19 : 19 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.
• Gen 18:13-14 : 13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Can I really bear a child when I am old?”' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time next year, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.
• Gen 16:10 : 10 The angel of the LORD also said, "I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they cannot be counted because of their great numbers."
• Gen 17:16 : 16 I will bless her and surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will become the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.
• Gen 22:15-16 : 15 Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, 'By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
• Judg 13:3-5 : 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold, you are barren and have not had children, but you will conceive and give birth to a son." 4 Now therefore, be careful! Do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean. 5 For you will conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor is to touch his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines.
• 2 Kgs 4:16-17 : 16 Then Elisha said, "At this time next year, you will be holding a son in your arms." She replied, "No, my lord, man of God, do not deceive your servant." 17 But the woman conceived and gave birth to a son at the appointed time the next year, just as Elisha had told her.
• Luke 1:13 : 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John.
• Rom 9:8-9 : 8 This means it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is the word of promise: 'At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.'
• Gal 4:23 : 23 But the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, while the son by the free woman was born through the promise.
• Gal 4:28 : 28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.