Kejadian 21:6-7

21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. ¹  Everyone who hears about this ²  will laugh ³  with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, ⁴  “Who would ⁵  have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”

Kejadian 30:23-24

30:23 She became pregnant ⁶  and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” ⁷  30:24 She named him Joseph, ⁸  saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”

[21:6]  ¹ tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”

[21:6]  ² tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:6]  ³ sn Sarah’s words play on the name “Isaac” in a final triumphant manner. God prepared “laughter” (צְחֹק, ysÿkhoq ) for her, and everyone who hears about this “will laugh” (יִצְחַק, yitskhaq ) with her. The laughter now signals great joy and fulfillment, not unbelief (cf. Gen 18:12-15).

[21:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “said.”

[21:7]  ⁵ tn The perfect form of the verb is used here to describe a hypothetical situation.

[30:23]  ⁶ tn Or “conceived.”

[30:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “my reproach.” A “reproach” is a cutting taunt or painful ridicule, but here it probably refers by metonymy to Rachel’s barren condition, which was considered shameful in this culture and was the reason why she was the object of taunting and ridicule.

[30:24]  ⁸ sn The name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yoseph) means “may he add.” The name expresses Rachel’s desire to have an additional son. In Hebrew the name sounds like the verb (אָסַף,’asasf) translated “taken away” in the earlier statement made in v. 23. So the name, while reflecting Rachel’s hope, was also a reminder that God had removed her shame.