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

GENESIS 21:2KJV
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Genesis 21:2 (KJV)

What does Genesis 21:2 mean?

Genesis 21:2 says that Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was old, exactly when God had promised it would happen. This verse highlights that the birth happened just as God had said, showing the fulfillment of a long-awaited promise.

In the story, Sarah and Abraham had waited many years for a child, and both were well past the usual age for having children. The verse is a simple report of the birth, but it also emphasizes that the timing was not random—it was the "set time" God had spoken about earlier, underlining God's faithfulness to His word.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 21:2

  • מוֹעֵד (mo‘ed, "time"): This word often means an appointed or set time, not just any moment. The use of מוֹעֵד here stresses that the birth happened exactly when God had planned, reinforcing the idea of divine timing.
  • דִּבֶּר (dibber, "spoken"): This word for "spoken" carries the sense of a formal or declared promise. It underscores that God’s word was not just a casual statement but a definite commitment that has now been fulfilled.

Why Genesis 21:2 matters

  • Genesis 21:2 clears up any idea that Isaac’s birth was a coincidence or just a natural event; it stresses that it happened by God’s specific promise and timing.
  • The verse connects directly to earlier chapters where God repeatedly promised Abraham and Sarah a son, showing that God keeps His promises even when fulfillment seems impossible.
  • By mentioning Abraham’s old age, Genesis 21:2 highlights the miraculous nature of Isaac’s birth, setting the stage for Isaac’s importance in the ongoing story of Abraham’s family.

Where else these words appear

“age” Hebrew H2208 · used in 4 verses

  • Genesis 21:7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
  • Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
  • Genesis 44:20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

“Sarah” Hebrew H8283 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 17:15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
  • Genesis 18:14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
  • Genesis 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

“conceived” Hebrew H2029 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
  • Genesis 30:19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
  • 1 Chronicles 7:23 And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.