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 וְאַבְרָהָ֤ם וְשָׂרָה֙ זְקֵנִ֔ים בָּאִ֖ים בַּיָּמִ֑ים חָדַל֙ לִהְי֣וֹת לְשָׂרָ֔ה אֹ֖רַח כַּנָּשִֽׁים׃ 12 וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן׃ 13 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם לָ֣מָּה זֶּה֩ צָחֲקָ֨ה שָׂרָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר הַאַ֥ף אֻמְנָ֛ם אֵלֵ֖ד וַאֲנִ֥י זָקַֽנְתִּי׃ 14 הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א מֵיְהוָ֖ה דָּבָ֑ר לַמּוֹעֵ֞ד אָשׁ֥וּב אֵלֶ֛יךָ כָּעֵ֥ת חַיָּ֖ה וּלְשָׂרָ֥ה בֵֽן׃ 15 וַתְּכַחֵ֨שׁ שָׂרָ֧ה ׀ לֵאמֹ֛ר לֹ֥א צָחַ֖קְתִּי כִּ֣י ׀ יָרֵ֑אָה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ׀ לֹ֖א כִּ֥י צָחָֽקְתְּ׃

Vocabulary

Verse 11

            חדל  verb: “cease”

            ארח  noun: “way, path”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The waw plus non-verb breaks the typical narrative sequence to give some background information concerning the age of Abraham and Sarah.
• The initial verbless clause has a compound subject, אַבְרָהָ֤ם וְשָׂרָה.
• The following asyndetic clause/phrase is epexegetical, בָּאִ֖ים בַּיָּמִ֑ים “[that is] advancing in years.”
• The second main clause is an idiom describing Sarah’s inability (חדל) to bear children (ארח כנשׁים).

Vocabulary

Verse 12

            צחק  verb: “laugh” (BDB, 850)

            בקרבה  prepositional phrase (beth + קרב + 3fs suffix): “to herself”

            בלה  verb: “become old and worn out” (BDB, 115)

            עדנה  noun: “delight” (BDB, 726)

            זקן  verb: “be old” (BDB, 278)

Verse 13

            צחק  verb: “laugh” (BDB, 850)

            אמנם  adverb “truly, indeed” (BDB, 53)

            זקן  verb: “be old” (BDB, 278)

Verse 14

            פלא  verb: “be beyond one’s power” (BDB, 810)

            מועד  “appointed time”

Verse 15

            כחשׁ  verb (Piel waw-consecutive imperfect 3fs): “acted deceptively” (BDB, 471)

            צחק  verb: “laugh” (BDB, 850)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 12

• The phrase, הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה, is a question marked by the initial interrogative he.  Literally, it could be rendered: “Will delight be (come) to me?”  Idiomatic translation: “Shall I be happy when I am old?”

Verse 13

• The ה prefixed to אף is an interrogative he.

Verse 14

• The ה prefixed to פלא is an interrogative he.
• The verb פלא sequenced with מִן means “something is too difficult for.”
• The phrase, כָּעֵ֥ת חַיָּ֖ה, probably refers to the time of birth, approximately one year from this time.

Verse 15

• The object of the 3ms verb, וַיֹּ֥אמֶר, is Abraham.

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