Category: Genesis

23¹AndSarah’s life was 127 years; thus her age. ² Sarah died in Kiriath-Arba or Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham began to lament and weep for Sarah. ³ After Abraham rose from the presence of his dead, he spoke with the Hittites, ⁴ “I am a resident alien among you. Grant me a burial-holding with you so that I can bury my dead.”
     ⁵ And the Hittites responded to Abraham, ⁶ “Hear us, my lord. You are one favored by God among us. Take your pick of our burial sites and bury your dead. No man among us would deny you his own burial plots for burying your dead.”
     ⁷ Abraham rose, bowed to the local citizens—the Hittites, ⁸ and spoke with them, “If it accords with your wish that I bury my dead near me, listen to me and entreat Ephron, son of Zohar, ⁹ to give me title to his own cave of Machpelah that is at the far end of his field. In your presence, I will pay the full price for a title for a burial-holding.”
     ¹⁰ Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham publicly in the hearing of the Hittites and at the city’s gate, ¹¹ “Not so, my lord. Listen, I grant you the field and the cave in it. I grant this in the presence of my kinfolk. Bury your dead!”
     ¹² Abraham bowed before the People of the Land ¹³ and spoke to Ephron publicly in the presence of the People of the Land, “If only you would hear me out. I will give you the price of the field. Take it from me and let me bury my dead there.”
     ¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵ “My lord, hear me! A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? Go bury your dead!” ¹⁶ Abraham heard Ephron’s offer and weighed out to Ephron the silver he had spoken of publicly before the Hittites: four hundred silver shekels at the going merchant’s rate.
     ¹⁷ Thus Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre—the field and the cave in it, and every tree in the field— ¹⁸ passed to Abraham as his property, in full view of the Hittites and of everyone at the city’s gate. ¹⁹ Then Abraham buried Sarah, his wife, in the cave of the Machpelah field near Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ The field and the cave in it passed over to Abraham as a burial-holding from the Hittites.

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First, a note honoring Sarah: She is the only woman whose life span is recorded in the bible. Sarah dies seven years beyond the latest standard of one hundred twenty. Both these numbers are symbolic of completeness.

Abraham has completed his proof-of-trust in YHWH. This trust has come at the expense of Sarah and Isaac.

After Isaac was released, Abraham returned from the Land of Seeing (Moriah) to the Well of Seven Promises (Beer-Sheba). That is the last known residence of his sojourn in a foreign land that was promised to him.

We then hear that Sarah died in Kiriath-Arba. For the moment, this can be understood as Hebron, some thirty miles away from Beer-Sheba. We have not heard of Abraham moving to Hebron, back to the Terebinths of Mamre.

There is also a tradition that Sarah never spoke to Abraham again after the pain of Abraham’s intention to sacrifice Isaac. This silence may put her at a remove from Abraham and account for the difference in location between Abraham’s return to Beer-Sheba and Sarah’s death at Kiriath-Arba. Though, this is difficult to imagine in that patriarchal society. Sarah would be at risk of again falling into the hands of a local Pharaoh or King.

Whether or not Abraham is nearby or at a distance, he mourns Sarah and uses this as an opportunity to finally move beyond being a resident alien in a promised land to being a holder of property.

There ensues an elaborate dance of bargaining with the Hittites, in general, and Ephron, in particular, regarding the purchase of a burial site for his dead, for Sarah. The Hittites could understand this as room for one, and possibly two. They would have no understanding that it is the vanguard of a nation, a people numberless as sand and stars—a nose of a camel under the edge of their tent.

When compared with other recorded sales in the bible, this is an extravagant price of four hundredweight of silver. It probably was the cause of a grand gloat by Ephron for his deal-making. If it is this difficult to get a piece of property for the dead, imagine the difficulty of getting a place for living strangers. Eventually, a different way than economic purchase will be used—military might. 

This cave for burial will become a seed, justifying conquest (to care for our ancestors: Sarah, Abraham, Rebekah, Isaac, Leah, and Jacob). A stop to raise an altar at the Terebinths of Mamre has become the purchase of a burial cave of Machpelah at Mamre. The multiple uses of one location is but one repetitive theme in Genesis.

The “Tomb of the Patriarchs” is currently under a mosque and is a bone of contention in a larger socio-political tension. This cycle of ownership can lead Readers to consider the cycles in their own lives.

22²⁰ After these events, it was told to Abraham, saying: “Look, Milcah has also borne sons to Nahor, your brother. ²¹ Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, ²² Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” ²³ Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. ²⁴ His concubine Reumah gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

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The inexplicable story of the Binding of Isaac or the Boundness of Abraham has come to its conclusion. There are still many loose ends. Where is Isaac? How is Sarah? Was this the last test of Abraham? Did they leave the wood, fire, and cleaver at the scene?

As is typical in Genesis, a transition brings with it a genealogy. This tracing of Abraham’s brother, Nahor, might seem out of place as we are about to trace the generations that will continue through Isaac (vs. Sarah through Isaac). The writers could have gone back to Noah but chose to start again with Abraham’s generation and his brother Nahor (his other brother, Haran, already dead). There was a judgment that Noah was simply a technician for G*D’s decision to Flood creation. Abraham moves in the direction of a partner with G*D as he acts and interacts with YHWH. Abraham both questions the justice of G*D and blindly follows G*D into disregard for Sarah and Isaac.

This generational change does take place within a larger context. This genealogy posits a confederation of twelve Mesopotamian tribes parallel to the coming twelve tribes eventuating from Abraham. We are set up for how these two will interact keeping G*D’s choice of one people to be of one people.

This genealogy contains people we never hear anything more about. It also brings us to a crux of multiplication to become a nation. How to have Isaac both breed true and follow the tradition of Abraham’s G*D. These criteria require both physical and psychic transitions.

To move on, the writers set a stage by referring to a genealogy back in Chapter 11. There we not only heard about Abram’s brother but Nahor’s wife, Milcah. In Midrash stories, there are references to Sarai and Milcah being sisters. We then have brothers (Abram and Nahor) taking to wife, half-sisters (Sarai, and Milcah).

When women show up in patriarchal genealogies, readers need to pay attention. Now we hear that Milcah is the grandmother of Rebekah. This notice prepares us for a coming story of Abraham sending for a wife for Isaac from the other half of his family of origin.

Rebekah and Isaac may be of similar ages. However, Rebekah will come with an extra generation of experience more than Isaac, whose birth was so long delayed. This wisdom of the world will come into play as generational changes continue.

For the moment, this brief genealogical account marks the end of one storyline and prepares us for a next.

22¹⁵ Andthe Lord’s messenger called out to Abraham from heaven again ¹⁶ and said, “By myself I swear, as YHWH’s word, because you have done this deed and not held back your son, your only one, ¹⁷ I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed, as many as stars in the heavens and as grains of sand on the shore of the sea. Your seed shall possess the gates of their enemies. ¹⁸ All nations of the earth shall be blessed through your seed because you listened to my voice.” ¹⁹ And Abraham returned to the lads; they rose, and went to Beer-Sheba where Abraham settled.

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There, on the Mountain of Insight, we hear what this scene has been about—the ambiguity and churn of multiple promises, both in repetition and changing details. Grandiose promises are part of the continual testing autocrats do, lest they lose their power and a coup is raised.

There have been promises aplenty about prosperity and progeny. The prosperity promise has come to fruition, even after testings with time itself and risks with Pharaoh and Abimelech. The testing of descendants is now put to a test. Will Abraham kill Isaac in expectation that G*D will raise up another son out of an even older Sarah? Will Abraham refuse this test in trust that the impossible has already occurred and there is nothing to be gained by doubling-down on impossibilities?

This story has had the effect of Abraham overthinking these choices until he talks himself into hearing a test that wasn’t there and needs to be rescued from himself with an affirmation that there are no such tests as the one he misheard. [Yes, this questions the usual interpretation of the Binding as a historical event, to see this as an instructive dream, not a thriller.]

We are now hearing that the promise was already completed and there is no one but Isaac coming along. Unfortunately, Isaac is not a party to the refutation of the test and affirmation of his position or worth. Whether Isaac was there or not, Abraham’s narrow vision and primary relationship based on his covenant with YHWH can be seen by him and, eventually, by Sarah.

Abraham seems to take this all in stride, shrugs his shoulders, and returns from whence he came—Beer-Sheba—with no word about Isaac. Isaac is lost. No longer “Laughter,” Isaac has become The Pawn, The Laughed At, The One Who Doesn’t Count or Matter.

Readers who are tracking the variants of covenant promises may have noted the inclusion of military triumph that has snuck in this last promise. We have returned to imagery of the Flood that runs counter to G*D’s justification of using a new tribe to bring back together those scattered after Babel. A key question is whether community can be coerced into formation.

Instead of being called the Binding of Isaac, we may consider seeing this episode as an expression of Abraham Bound by fears of a never-ending promise, of not knowing the limits of promise.

22¹¹ And the Lord’s messenger called out to Abraham from the heavens, “Abraham! Abraham!”
     Abraham said, “Here I am.”
     ¹² The messenger said, “Do not reach out your hand against the lad; do not do anything to him. Now I know that you are in awe of God and did not hold back your son, your only son, from me.” ¹³ Abraham raised his eyes and saw a ram ^]caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went, took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ Abraham named that place, “YHWH Sees.”As the saying is today:“On YHWH’s mountain is sight.”

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Isaac is bound. Abraham is prepared to slaughter Isaac with an implement of the butchering trade. A cosmic pause.

A messenger from YHWH speaks from the heavens. Abraham has heard this voice in Haran and Mamre and other places. Hagar heard this voice at Beer-Lahai-Roi. This time the word from the messenger is, “Stop!”

What is revealed is a test. Later Job’s tester will not be called “messenger” but “satan.” How the messenger was able to divine Abraham’s intention to have his hand descend to slaughter Isaac is not known. If it could be told at this moment that Abraham was prepared to strike down Isaac and would not take the option to remain paused before the death blow, but extend it into eternity, why could that have not been called earlier—as he left Beer-Sheba?

Until the strike is completed, there could always be a spasm of anticipatory regret and a misplaced blow that would only injure Isaac, making him unclean for further sacrifice. Whether Isaac was sacrificed or not, the family will not be the same. Abraham vindicated, does not take into account Sarah wounded unto death, and Isaac distanced from both his father and his father’s G*D.

Or was this a trick, not a test? The very vehicle of “multiply and be fruitful” appeared to be at risk. However, this magician god had already prepared the final reveal that dissolves the mark’s confusion, inattention, and tension. Just like pulling a rabbit from a hat, there appears a ram caught in a thicket.

Abraham unbinds Isaac, binds the ram, aids an exhausted Isaac off the wood, places the ram on the wood, and proceeds with his worship of YHWH.

With nary a word about Isaac, Abraham doubles-down on this event being about him. Abraham does a re-naming of this place, from Moriah to YHWH-Yireh (The Lord Sees).

G*D sees Abraham’s intention and invites Abraham to raise his eyes to see G*D’s intention to work through the seed of Isaac—even if he does not laugh anymore.

The covenant between G*D and Abraham has not changed. What has changed is the name of the “place of seeing” and the psyche of Sarah and Isaac. How has the Reader changed?

22⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he took the fire and the knife in his hand. The two of them walked on together. ⁷ Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father?”
     Abraham said, “Here I am, my son.”
     Isaac said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
     ⁸ Abraham said, “God will see to the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” The two of them walked on together.
     ⁹ They arrived at the place God had described to him, and Abraham built an altar there. He arranged the wood, tied up his son Isaac, and laid him atop the wood at the slaughter-site. ¹⁰ And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

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As with all abused, weak, and dispossessed persons—they are loaded down with the very substance of their destruction. Isaac carries the wood (a not unsubstantial amount). He is not “loved son,” but slave.

Abraham carries fire to light the wood and a cleaver to do the butchering. Not mentioned, as it can be less conspicuously carried, is a cord to truss an animal’s legs.

Isaac’s call of “My father,” is an earlier version of a later word “abba” used by Jesus to intimately refer to G*D. This story is part of a stream that can lead to a later theory of blood atonement. In my view, such a theory is ultimately heretical because it doesn’t follow the story long enough.

In this episode, Isaac is never directly addressed by G*D. It is as though “He Laughs” means “He is not taken seriously.” As close as a connection between Isaac and G*D gets is Abraham’s response, “Here I am,” which will come to be G*D public name in the sequel of Exodus.

Loaded with wood and seeing fire and knife, Isaac raises a pertinent question about the whereabouts of an animal to be sacrificed. Undoubtedly Isaac has heard of child sacrifices that happen in adjacent cultures. While child sacrifice will later be spelled out as something not to be done by Israel, for now, it may be entirely too close to be avoided.

Here in the land of Moriah (Seeing) we hear Abraham respond to Isaac’s question with “seeing” what G*D will provide. This jumps us back to Hagar seeing a well when Ishmael is close to death. Sarah was not told of this journey. Echoes of Hagar arise. This is a tangled tale.

Abraham and Isaac continue to the place G*D identifies only to Abraham. In rapid-fire slow-motion, the story comes to a critical point. Arrive….build an altar or slaughter-site….lay out the wood….bind Isaac….place Isaac on the wood….reach out….take the cleaver….raise a butcher’s hand to strike. Without a pious cover for the Bible, consider what this does to Isaac. Is he still laughing?

22¹ After these events, it was God who tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”
     Abraham answered, “Here I am.”
     ² God said, “Do take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go-you-forth to the land of Moriah (“Seeing”). There, offer him up as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will tell you of.” ³ Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two lads with him, together with his son Isaac. He split wood for the offering, set out, and went to the place God had told to him.
     ⁴ On the third day, Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from afar. ⁵ Abraham said to his lads, “You sit here with the donkey. The lad and I will walk up yonder, bow in worship, and return to you.”

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The previous scene indicated, “And Abraham settled in the land of the Philistines many days” (21:34). Thus ends the story begun in Haran. All’s well that ends well!

Well, no such settlement lasts long. With the covenant fulfilled, there is a test of its continuity. Is the deal between Abraham and YHWH still viable or will there be a parting of the ways? The story of the “Binding of Isaac” will mark a risky and traumatic transition to next generations. 

In Haran there was no calling of a name, only a call received directly. With a change in name comes a test, not unlike that of Abram who had a dark dread with a fire moving between split-open animals.

This emotionally fraught experience will set another stage. Further distance is put between Ishmael and Isaac with G*D’s identifying Isaac as Abraham’s only son (Sarah’s only son, Abraham’s second) as the one he loves (Abraham could claim his love of both sons), and, finally, just Isaac. The command is to take Isaac to a wilderness place of seeing or discerning, and there divide him and burn him as a sacrificial offering. The promise to Abraham was only that he would have a son who would become a nation. That is already underway with Ishmael. With Isaac removed, G*D and Abraham will be back to their buddy-movie.

This command comes only to Abraham, not Sarah, and he does not pass this latest state-of-affairs to his wife.

There is an overtone of kidnapping as the instructions indicate a general location and later instructions about where to drop the ransom. Except here the kidnapper uses the parent both to kidnap their own child and to kill the child before getting their cut.

Abraham makes preparations and begins on his way. Some three days later (three being a symbol for just enough days to arrive) the entourage arrives in the general location. Leaving the rest behind Abraham takes Isaac, and they go to listen for further instructions.

The claim is “worship”, the picture is “they will both return.” Readers are recommended to engage their suspension of disbelief.

21²² At that time Abimelech, and Phicol commander of his troops, said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. ²³ So swear to me by God that you will not falsely deal with me, my children, or my descendants. Just as I have treated you faithfully, so you must treat me and the land in which you are a sojourner.”
     ²⁴ Abraham said, “I swear it.” ²⁵ Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
     ²⁶ Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this, nor have you told me. I never heard about it until today.” ²⁷ Abraham took flocks and cattle, gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them cut a covenant. ²⁸ Abraham set aside seven ewes, ²⁹ and Abimelech said to Abraham, “What are these seven lambs you’ve set apart?”
     ³⁰ Abraham said, “These seven lambs you shall take from me; they will witness that I dug this well.” ³¹ Therefore, that place is called Beer-sheba (Well of the Seven-Swearing) because there they swore each other their word. ³² After they cut a covenant^[c] at Beer-sheba, Abimelech, and Phicol commander of his forces, rose and returned to the land of the Philistines. ³³ Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and he worshipped there in the name of YHWH, God of the Ages. ³⁴ Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land for many days.

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After an interlude of Isaac’s birth and Ishmael’s exile, we are returned to the story of Abimelech. It takes a moment to remember that all wombs, even Sarah’s, were opened. It is that result from the false story to Abimelech that led to Isaac.

There were two involved with tricking Abimelech. Now we turn to resolve matters between Abraham and Abimelech. Abimelech and his military general set about formalizing a treaty with Abraham that builds on the gift of sheep, cattle, slaves, and land he was given.

Abraham is pointedly asked not to lie to Abimelech again. This treaty will set a trade agreement regarding sheep, cattle, slaves, and land. In each case, preference will be given to the other.

Without a moment to catch the significance of this agreement, we are thrown into its first crisis—water. Abimelech again claims innocence. After Abraham’s face-saving issue has been dealt with, Abraham and Abimelech seal the deal with a nominal purchase of the well in question. Abraham has claimed his portion of Abimelech’s offer of land.

Another well comes into focus and will return in subsequent tales. Beer-Sheba means either Well of Oath/Promise/Treaty or Well of Seven (for the purchase price of seven ewes).

Two geographic notes: First, the reference to the land of the Philistines is anachronistic as the Philistines will not arrive on Canaan’s coast for another four hundred years. Abimelech is not a king of the Philistines. This misreporting reminds us that, regardless of whatever archeological connections can be made, this is a story larger than any fact or lack of fact. Every telling and retelling of stories-of-origin carry more than provable points.Second, the tamarisk tree is seldom mentioned and functions as a cultic marker, much like the Terebinths (Oaks) of Mamre. It marks a place of life in a dry place, a well that can be seen at some distance. It might be seen as Abraham alongside YHWH (a well of creation where set-apart water allows life to rise from soil). Life in the wilderness needs its well.

21¹⁴ Abraham rose early in the morning, took some bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar—placing them on her shoulder. He gave her the child and sent her away.
     She left and wandered through the wilderness of Beer-Sheba. ¹⁵ When the water in the skin ran out, she flung the child under one of the bushes ¹⁶ and went away from him to sit a bowshot away. She thought, “I can’t see the child die.” She sat at a distance and raised a cry and wept.
     ¹⁷ God heard the lad’s cry, and God’s messenger called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the lad’s voice where he is. ¹⁸ Rise, lift the lad, and grasp his hand for I will make a great nation from him.” ¹⁹ God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, filled the water skin, and gave the lad a drink. ²⁰ God was with the lad; he grew up, settled in the desert, and became an expert archer. ²¹ He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother found him a wife from Egypt.

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Sarah says, “Send her away!” G*D says, “Do as Sarah says.” With this double set of instructions running against Abraham’s own sense, he sends Hagar and Ishmael off with a picnic basket of food and water to face the Negeb wilderness. It should be noted that Ishmael is in his mid-teens at this point.

When the initial supplies have been consumed, and a thirst rose that could not be slaked, Hagar abandons Ishmael under a shading bush and goes to sit under another bush at some distance so she need not watch Ishmael’s death by dehydration. There she waters the soil with the last of her tears.

It is reported that G*D hears the cry of the “lad” even as the cry of Sodom was heard. Why Hagar’s cry is not noted, remains a mystery but rings of patriarchy. Note: “Lad” will also be a later designation of Isaac when bound by Abraham.

When Sodom’s cry was heard, G*D engaged Abraham; when Ishmael is heard, Hagar is engaged. A two-fold involvement began with a rhetorical question, “What’s up, Hagar?” and was followed by directions to rise, return to Ishmael, and to hold him by the hand for he will be the founder of a great nation. How is such positive thinking going to help? Is this adding insult to dying teen?

Either under her bush or while holding Ishmael’s hand, Hagar opened her eyes and saw what wasn’t there before or what she couldn’t see before—a well of water. Readers may remember Hagar’s previous well of Beer-Lahai-Roi, where she was seen and now when Ishmael is heard. Wells are a recurring motif of renewal and worth noting as they come along.

For whatever reason, when the waterskin from Abraham was empty, it was not abandoned in the disillusion of dehydration. Hagar refills the skin and revives Ishmael.So it was that Ishmael survived the wilderness and it became his home. Along the way, Ishmael became known as a hunter of all within a bowshot. Eventually, Hagar arranged for a wife for Ishmael from her Egyptian heritage (anticipating Abraham’s arrangement for Isaac to have a wife from his ancestral family in Mesopotamia). 

21⁸ The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. ⁹ Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. ¹⁰ And she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave-woman and her son! This slave-woman’s son shall not share inheritance with my son, with Isaac.”
     ¹¹ This is terribly bad in Abraham’s eyes because the boy was his son. ¹² God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be evil in your eyes about the boy and the slave-woman. Whatever Sarah says, listen to her voice, for through Isaac shall your seed be called by your name. ¹³ I will make the son of the slave-woman into a great nation, too, because he is also your seed.”

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After Isaac’s birth and nursing came growing and weaning and time to celebrate making it through a dangerous time of life. In concise form, we go from Sarah’s fear of being laughed at to her interpretation of Ishmael’s laughter as laughter at her or a claim of birthright. Whether that was Ishmael’s meaning or Sarah’s fear or lack of trust in a promise about Isaac will not be known.

There, in the middle of a celebration, community falls apart as languages or meanings are confused. The immediate response is Sarah’s—“Send my mocker away!” This response has been building for a while. Sarah desires that her victory of a son never falls into question and is a significant part of the scene.

The question of inheritance, of substance, is yet another attempt to guarantee a promise made by another. This demand is as transparent as placing Hagar on Abram’s lap—forcing G*D’s hand (similar to Christian Zionists attempting to force Jesus to return). There will be no question of inheritance—only Isaac will be the start of the main branch in Abram’s family tree.

Sarah’s solution is not understood by Abraham. It is not that Abraham has any greater trust in YHWH, but he does have years of experience with Ishmael as his only son. Abraham sees Sarah’s demand as “evil.”

Immediately we find a bargaining G*D back at it with Abraham in the reversed role of arguing against a judgment of evil or offense.

The laughter of Ishmael, like it or not, is a discount of Sarah and a usurping of Isaac as the genuine laughter of G*D. As a result, G*D supports Sarah’s decision, separating individual persons from doctrinal and tribal judgments.

Whatever innocence Ishmael may claim, he is an analog of Sodom. Through some yet unspecified method, Ishmael will be the father of a nation, even as Lot became the father of two nations through the unorthodox route of incest.To claim one is called or named is to run headlong into decisions that never measure up to the fullness of mercy and justice—privilege always makes itself known.

21¹ Now YHWH singled out Sarah and carried out just what YHWH had promised her. ² Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the set-time God had told him. ³ Abraham named his son, the one Sarah bore him, Isaac. ⁴ Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, just as God had charged him. ⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. ⁶ Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me. Everyone who hears about it will laugh at me.” ⁷ She said, “Who could have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse sons? Well, I’ve borne him a son in his old age!”

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For Sarah’s sake, all the wombs of Abimelech’s kingdom had been closed. Now, for Sarah’s sake, she has been singled out to have her womb finally opened at the ripe age of ninety. Of course, the background of this attention is the fulfillment of a promise to Abraham. Before hearing from Sarah, it is noted that Abraham names the boy Isaac (Laughter) and circumcises him on his eighth day of life. The eight days echo a first creation of six days and a Sabbath and an additional day for now being in a next creation after a flood.

With this personal and tribal myth actions completed, we turn to hear Sarah reflecting on the ambiguity of her situation of having a new baby suckling at old dugs. There is an unbridled joy here as well as a primal joke by an ancient-of-days coyote leaving discomfiture in his wake.

The Hebrew for laughter is here followed by an indeterminate preposition. Readers will need to decide whether Sarah means that whosoever hears this tale will laugh to hear of it or laugh for joy or laugh with Sarah or laugh at Sarah. The possibilities for confusion about the meaning of this birth may end up with this moment being a classic absurdist scene (as Kafka noted about a ninety-year-old becoming a mother in his parable on Abraham).

Sarah seems to favor the absurdist view as she remarks, “Who in their right mind would have ever thought they would say, ‘Sarah’s nursing!’”

With a recognition that, whether it makes any sense or not, the promise to Abraham many years prior in Haran that Abraham would begin a great nation is now underway. The first piece is in place after a series of risks to Sarah with Pharaoh and Abimelech and Abraham warring to save Lot and worn out with covenant services and seemingly in-vain promises.