Genesis 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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
This verse comes during the visit of the LORD to Abraham, after Sarah laughs in disbelief at overhearing the promise that she will bear a son.
What Does Genesis 18:14 Mean?
Genesis 18:14 means that God answers human doubt with a searching question -- "Is any thing too hard for the LORD?" -- and reaffirms His promise that Sarah, well past the age of childbearing, will indeed bear a son. When Sarah laughed within herself at the seeming impossibility, God responded not with rebuke alone but with this great rhetorical question that lifts the matter from human limits to divine power.
The question is meant to settle the heart: nothing lies beyond God's ability. What is impossible for people is not impossible for the One who made them. God then ties His power to a concrete promise -- "At the time appointed I will return unto thee... and Sarah shall have a son." The promise is specific, timed, and certain. This verse stands as one of Scripture's clearest declarations of God's unlimited power joined to His faithful word. It speaks to everyone who has quietly given up on a promise because it seems impossible. The God who brought life from Sarah's old age is the same God whose power is not bounded by our circumstances. With Him, the appointed time always comes.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew "pala" (too hard, wonderful) refers to what is extraordinary or beyond human ability, underscoring that nothing exceeds God's power.
Cross References
“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”
- Jeremiah 32:17
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
- Luke 1:37
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
- Matthew 19:26
Application
When a promise of God seems impossible in your circumstances, remember that nothing is too hard for Him, and trust His power and His perfect timing.