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.
14. too hard for the Lord ] Lit., as marg, wonderful. The LXX rendering finds an echo in St Luk 1:37. Compare Jer 32:17, “Ah! Lord God! behold, thou hast made, the heaven and the earth by thy great power : there is nothing too hard for thee.”
He who thus speaks of Jehovah, is Himself Jehovah. Cf. Gen 16:11, Gen 19:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord?] hayippale meihovah dabar, shall a word (or thing) be wonderful from the Lord? i.e., Can any thing be too great a miracle for him to effect? The Septuagint translate the passage, ; which St. Luke adopts almost literatim, only making it an affirmative position instead of a question: , which we translate, “With God nothing shall be impossible,” Lu 1:37. Many copies of the Septuagint insert the word before , as in St. Luke; but it makes little difference in the sense. It was to correct Sarah’s unbelief, and to strengthen her faith, that God spoke these most important words; words which state that where human wisdom, prudence, and energy fall, and where nature herself ceases to be an agent, through lack of energy to act, or laws to direct and regulate energy, there also God has full sway, and by his own omnific power works all things after the counsel of his own will. Is there an effect to be produced? God can produce it as well without as with means. He produced nature, the whole system of causes and effects, when in the whole compass of his own eternity there was neither means nor being. HE spake, and it was done; HE commanded, and it stood fast. How great and wonderful is God!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Heb. Hid from God? So the sense is: Though she laughed only in her heart, it is not unknown to me. Or rather, too wonderful for God to effect? Which best suits with the following words.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Is anything too hard for the Lord?…. Whose power is infinite; or “too wonderful” x, so wonderful and beyond all belief, that it can never be thought it will be done by him; and why then should it be thought incredible or impossible that Sarah should have a child, though she is old? Or, is “anything hidden from the Lord” y? Nothing can be, not Sarah’s laughter.
At the time appointed will I return to thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son; which words are repeated not merely for the confirmation of Abraham’s faith, which staggered not, but to remove Sarah’s unbelief, and to encourage her faith in the divine promise.
x “nunquid mirabile vel mirificabitur”, Munster, Piscator, Schmidt. y “Nunquid abscondetur”, Pagninus, Cartwright; “an potest occultari”, Junius Tremellius, Fagius so the Targum of Jonathan and Aben Ezra.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(14) Is anything too hard for the Lord?Heb., Is anything too wonderful for Jehovah? At last it is made evident that the travellers are messengers from God; but until this declaration, there could have been, at most, only a dim feeling that the visitation was more than human. Though the angel does not claim for himself divinity, yet the narrator prefixes to his words, And Jehovah said. In some ineffable way there was an identity between Jehovah and the angel.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Isa 57:11 . What mercy that she was not instantly struck dead! Reader! hath not the same mercy been yours also, in the numberless instances of your unbelief?
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 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.
Ver. 14. Is anything too hard for the Lord? ] He can do all things possible and honourable. He cannot lie, die, deny himself, for that implieth impotency. “He could do no mighty work” in his own country “because of their unbelief.” Mar 6:5-6 He could not, because he would not. He can do more than he will, as “of stones raise up” churches, Mat 3:9 call for “legions of angels,” Mat 26:53 create more worlds in an instant. But whatsoever he willeth, that he doeth in heaven and earth, and none can say, what doest thou? “Our God can deliver us”. Dan 3:17 “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean”. Mat 8:2 , &c.
I will return to thee, according to the time of life.
a Act. and Mon., fol. 1894.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Is any thing? Figure of speech Erotesis.
hard = wonderful. A similar question and same Figure of speech used in Luk 1:37.
time appointed. See note on Gen 1:14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Is: Num 11:23, Deu 7:21, 1Sa 14:6, 2Ki 7:1, 2Ki 7:2, Job 36:5, Job 42:2, Psa 93:1, Psa 95:3, Jer 32:17, Mic 7:18, Zec 8:6, Mat 3:9, Mat 14:31, Mat 19:26, Mar 10:27, Luk 1:13, Luk 1:37, Luk 8:50, Eph 3:20, Phi 3:21, Phi 4:13, Heb 11:19
I will: Gen 18:10, Gen 17:21, Deu 30:3, 2Ki 4:16, Psa 90:13, Mic 7:18, Luk 1:13, Luk 1:18
Reciprocal: Gen 17:1 – Almighty Gen 21:1 – Sarah as Gen 21:2 – at the set Gen 22:8 – General Gen 35:11 – God Almighty Exo 4:11 – General Num 20:8 – speak 2Ki 7:18 – as the man Isa 50:2 – Is my Isa 59:1 – the Lord’s Isa 66:9 – bring to Dan 3:17 – our God Dan 6:20 – able Zep 3:17 – is mighty Mat 22:29 – nor Mar 1:40 – if thou Mar 12:24 – neither Mar 14:36 – all Luk 5:12 – if Luk 18:27 – General Act 26:8 – General Rom 4:21 – he was able Rom 9:9 – At this time
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The Lord’s rhetorical question, one of the great statements of Scripture, reminded the elderly couple of His supernatural power and fortified their faith further (cf. Jer 32:17; Jer 32:27).