Genesis 17:3

17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, ¹  and God said to him, ² 

Genesis 17:17

17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed ³  as he said to himself, ⁴  “Can ⁵  a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? ⁶  Can Sarah ⁷  bear a child at the age of ninety?” ⁸ 

[17:3]  ¹ tn Heb “And Abram fell on his face.” This expression probably means that Abram sank to his knees and put his forehead to the ground, although it is possible that he completely prostrated himself. In either case the posture indicates humility and reverence.

[17:3]  ² tn Heb “God spoke to him, saying.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:17]  ³ sn Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.

[17:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”

[17:17]  ⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.

[17:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”

[17:17]  ⁷ sn It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).

[17:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”