Genesis 21:7

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 21:7 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age.
Genesis 21:7 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 21

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
7And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And she said, who would have said unto Abraham, etc.] No one a year ago could ever have thought of such a thing, much less have come and told Abraham that he should have a child or children by Sarah; the thing was incredible, and next to impossible; none but God himself, or an angel from him, could have declared this, as none but he could bring it about, the thing is so marvellous and astonishing: that Sarah should have given children suck? that she who was ninety years of age should bear a child, and suckle it, as she did; and in doing which she set an example to her daughters to do the like, since neither age nor grandeur, nor the business of her family, were any objection to this duty of…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification