Genesis 18:10

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.

📖 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
• Gen 17:21 : 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.
• Gen 17:19 : 19 And God said, Sarah your wife shall indeed bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.
• Gen 18:13-14 : 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old? 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
• Gen 16:10 : 10 And the angel of the LORD said to her, I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.
• Gen 17:16 : 16 And I will bless her and give you a son also by her; yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall come from her.
• Gen 22:15-16 : 15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son:
• Judg 13:3-5 : 3 And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold now, you are barren and have no children: but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray you, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat no unclean thing: 5 For, behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.
• 2 Kgs 4:16-17 : 16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your maidservant. 17 And the woman conceived, and bore a son at that season that Elisha had said to her, according to the time of life.
• Luke 1:13 : 13 But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
• Rom 9:8-9 : 8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.
• Gal 4:23 : 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, but he of the freewoman was through promise.
• Gal 4:28 : 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.