Discovery BoxGenesis 21:6 
Context21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. 1 Everyone who hears about this 2 will laugh 3 with me.”
Genesis 24:1
Context24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, 4 and the Lord had blessed him 5 in everything.
Genesis 35:5
Context35:5 and they started on their journey. 6 The surrounding cities were afraid of God, 7 and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
1 tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”
2 tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 sn Sarah’s words play on the name “Isaac” in a final triumphant manner. God prepared “laughter” (צְחֹק, ysÿkhoq ) for her, and everyone who hears about this “will laugh” (יִצְחַק, yitskhaq ) with her. The laughter now signals great joy and fulfillment, not unbelief (cf. Gen 18:12-15).
4 tn Heb “days.”
5 tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
6 tn Heb “and they journeyed.”
7 tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).
