Genesis 18:10
New International Version
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 to the tent, which was behind him.

New Living Translation
Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.

English Standard Version
The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.

Berean Standard Bible
Then 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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)

New American Standard Bible
He said, “I will certainly return to you at this time next year; and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.

NASB 1995
He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.

NASB 1977
And he said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.

Legacy Standard Bible
And He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door which was behind him.

Amplified Bible
He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son! ” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said to him, “Returning, I shall return to you at this time when she is living, and Sara your wife shall have a son”, and Sara heard at the door of the tent and it was behind him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, I will return and come to thee according to this period seasonably, and Sarrha thy wife shall have a son; and Sarrha heard at the door of the tent, being behind him.

Contemporary English Version
One of the guests was the LORD, and he said, "I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son." Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying and Sara thy wife shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD said, "I promise I'll come back to you next year at this time, and your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah happened to be listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.

Good News Translation
One of them said, "Nine months from now I will come back, and your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was behind him, at the door of the tent, listening.

International Standard Version
Then one of them said, "I will certainly return to you in about a year's time. By then, your wife Sarah will have borne a son." Now Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.--

Literal Standard Version
and He says, “Returning I return to you, about the time of life, and behold, to Sarah your wife a son.” And Sarah is listening at the opening of the tent, which is behind him;

Majority Standard Bible
Then 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.

New American Bible
One of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him.

NET Bible
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.

New Revised Standard Version
Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him.

New Heart English Bible
Then he said, "I will certainly return to you at the time of life. Look, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard from the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, I will certainly return to 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.

World English Bible
He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

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

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sarah Laughs at the Promise
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.…

Cross References
Romans 9:9
For this is what the promise stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

Galatians 4:23
His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.

Genesis 17:16
And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her."

Genesis 17:19
But God replied, "Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

Genesis 17:21
But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year."

Genesis 18:9
"Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked. "There, in the tent," he replied.

Genesis 18:14
Is 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."


Treasury of Scripture

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

he said.

Genesis 18:13,14
And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? …

Genesis 16:10
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

Genesis 22:15,16
And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, …

according.

Genesis 17:21
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Genesis 21:2
For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

2 Kings 4:16,17
And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid…

lo, Sarah.

Genesis 17:16,19,21
And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her…

Genesis 21:2
For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Judges 13:3-5
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son…

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Door Ears Heard Life Returning Round Sarah Season Spring Surely Tent Tent-Door Time Wife Words
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Door Ears Heard Life Returning Round Sarah Season Spring Surely Tent Tent-Door Time Wife Words
Genesis 18
1. The Lord appears to Abraham, who entertains angels.
9. Sarah is reproved for laughing at the promise of a son.
16. The destruction of Sodom is revealed to Abraham.
23. Abraham makes intercession for its inhabitants.














(10) According to the time of life.--Heb., according to the living time. It is evident from Genesis 18:14, and 2Kings 4:16-17, that these words denote some fixed period, but the exact rendering is in dispute. "When the season revives" = next spring, is entirely remote from Oriental thought, and the rendering of Zunz "at the living time" is poetical, but meaningless. The true rendering is probably "a year hence," as when the year is over it dies, and a new year lives in its place. Jewish tradition is strongly in favour of this view, translating "according to this time next year," and adding that the season was the Passover. The only other tenable rendering is "in course of time."

Which was behind him.--The LXX. has a preferable reading, and she was behind it. The door, as we have seen, was an opening made by looping back the curtain, which would effectually conceal Sarah's person.

Verse 10. - And he said (the Principal Guest, as above, who, by the very nature and terms of his announcement, identifies himself with Jehovah), I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life. Literally, at the time reviving; i.e. when the year shall have been renewed, in the next year, or rather spring (vide Ewald, 'Hebrews Synt.,' § 337; Rosenmüller, Drusius, Keil, Kalisch, Lange, Ainsworth, 'Speaker's Commentary'); though other interpretations of the phrase have been suggested, as, e.g., "according to the time of that which is born," i.e. at the end of nine months (Willet, Calvin, Bush, Murphy). And, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. I.e. at the time specified. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the LORD said,
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I will surely
שׁ֣וֹב (šō·wḇ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

return
אָשׁ֤וּב (’ā·šūḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

to you
אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (’ê·le·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

at this time next year,
כָּעֵ֣ת (kā·‘êṯ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

and your wife
אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ (’iš·te·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

Sarah
לְשָׂרָ֣ה (lə·śā·rāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8283: Sarah -- 'princess', a wife of Abraham

will have a son!”
בֵ֖ן (ḇên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

Now Sarah
וְשָׂרָ֥ה (wə·śā·rāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8283: Sarah -- 'princess', a wife of Abraham

was behind him,
אַחֲרָֽיו׃ (’a·ḥă·rāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

listening
שֹׁמַ֛עַת (šō·ma·‘aṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

at the entrance
פֶּ֥תַח (pe·ṯaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance way

to the tent.
הָאֹ֖הֶל (hā·’ō·hel)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 168: A tent


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OT Law: Genesis 18:10 He said I will certainly return (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 18:9
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