Isaac: A Life of Bitter Laughter

Isaac (and Laughter): An Ironic Name

Isaac’s birth comes late in his parent’s marriage. Twenty-five years following God’s promise that from Abraham, and presumably through Sarah his wife, would spring a great nation (Gen. 12:2), finally Sarah conceives. Their child is the long-awaited heir. This is more than just a momentous event. It is a time filled with miraculous joy: Abraham gave his newborn son, whom Sarah had borne him, the name of Isaac [lit. he will laugh] (Gen. 21:3). This was the name God directed Abraham to call his son (Gen. 17:19).

Isaac, in Hebrew Yitzhak, from the root letters tzadi-het-kuf [tz-h-k] in this long-hoped-for context clearly refers to celebratory laughter.¹ There are numerous references and word plays in the Genesis birth narrative associated with the root letters tz-h-k. These occur in the announcement that Isaac would be born (Gen. 17:17), in Sarah’s comments both at the promise of his future birth (Gen. 18:12-15) and her remarks following his birth (Gen. 21:6), and in the circumstances that take place some time after his weaning (Gen. 21:9).

Isaac’s name connotes laughter. He will know periods of happiness, in particular when he marries Rebekah. More often however, ironically, it is bitter laughter that dominates his life.

Chapters 17 and 18: The Announcement

In chapter 17, God asks Abraham to circumcise himself and his household as a sign of the covenant between them. As a part of this dialogue, God explains that Abraham is to change his wife’s name from Sarai to Sarah, and that she will bear a son. Abraham is incredulous. He doubles over with laughter [va-yippol… va-yitzhak (verse 17)].² In his doubt and disbelief he questions God’s statement.³ With seemingly incredulous laughter, Abraham in effect says to God, “Now, at this advanced age, after all these years, now we are going to become parents?” God not only affirms that Sarah will give birth at this season in a year’s time, but that the child will be named Isaac. Further, God will continue the covenantal relationship through Isaac.

The next episode linking Isaac and the root letters tz-h-k appears in Genesis 18. That chapter features the three strangers who unexpectedly visit Abraham and Sarah’s encampment. They ask about Sarah’s whereabouts. Then one of the visitors announces to Abraham, ‘Next year . . . your wife Sarah will have a son!’ According to the biblical text, Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent . . . Sarah laughed [va-titzhak] to herself (Gen. 18:10, 12). In this instance, Sarah is the one who is incredulous. She knows that she is post-menopausal. Now it is too late; this simply cannot happen. Her sour laughter reflects the fact that she considers Abraham (who is 99) an old person, as she is herself (at age 89).⁴ Due to the bitterness of her response, God chides Sarah. The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh? [tzahakah] . . . Is anything too wondrous for the Lord?’ Sarah overhears this question. She is embarrassed. She denies the fact that she laughed. She says, ‘I did not laugh [lo tzahakti]’; for she was frightened. But He replied, ‘You did laugh [tzahakt]’ (Gen. 18:13-15).⁵ God’s response to Sarah’s remark should be seen as a gentle rebuke.⁶

Chapter 21: Isaac’s Birth

When Sarah finally gives birth, Abraham gave his newborn son, whom Sarah had borne him, the name of Isaac [lit. he will laugh] (Gen. 21:3). Sarah now laughs again. Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter [tzehok].’ Sarah then continues, ‘Everyone who hears will laugh [yitzhak] with me’ (Gen. 21:6). Alternatively, she may have thought that “everyone will laugh at me.”

According to rabbinic tradition, many did mock her. People had heard that Abraham and Sarah had spent time in Gerar. There were those who claimed that Isaac was really Abimelech’s son, not Abraham’s child.⁷ Others suggested that Sarah had never gotten pregnant, that the child was a foundling that the aged couple had discovered on the road.⁸ Some alleged that the child was not hers, but her maidservant Hagar’s, Sarah was only making believe when she said she was suckling him.⁹ Each of these midrashim ultimately refutes the allegations against Sarah and Abraham, but on the face of it, the accusations are a form of mocking laughter, aimed at Sarah, as well as Isaac, as they cast doubt on Isaac’s legitimacy.

Chapter 21: Laughter Leads to Sorrow

Although the biblical text does not specify his age, Isaac was probably weaned at about the age of three,¹⁰ making his older brother Ishmael, Hagar and Abraham’s son, about sixteen or seventeen at the time. Some time after his weaning, the celebration of this important milestone in his life, Sarah seems suddenly upset over something Hagar’s son Ishmael does. The biblical narrative is deliberately vague. Sarah saw the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing [laughing? – metzahek] (Gen. 21:9) – again a pun on Isaac’s name, derived from the same root letters tzadi-het-kuf [tz-h-k].¹¹ Underscoring the ambiguity of the term metzahek, in the recent Schocken Bible translation, Everett Fox translates this line: “Sara saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian-woman, whom she had borne to Avraham, laughing . . .”¹²

Sarah then confronts Abraham. She says, ‘Cast out that slave-woman and her son, for the son of that slave shall not share in the inheritance with my son Isaac’ (Gen. 21:10). Though reluctant to do so, Abraham complies with Sarah’s demand. He sends away both Ishmael and Hagar (Gen. 21:11-14).

Metzahek: Multiple Meanings

What did Sarah see? What was Ishmael doing? What prompted Sarah’s reaction? There are several possible answers to those questions, and they all revolve around the correct interpretation of the crucial verb metzahek.

Depending on the context of where the word is found, its possible translations include laughing, playing, mocking, jesting, lewd revelry, seduction (and perhaps rape), bantering, or sexual fondling.¹³ A close homonym to its root letters refers to mortal combat. Abner said to Joab, ‘Let the young men come forward and sport [vi-sahaku] before us’ (II Sam. 2:14).

It is not at all clear what motivates Sarah, or if she has multiple motives for her action. Whatever translation or nuance one gives to metzahek, it is evident that the immediate effect which results from Sarah’s response to Ishmael’s laughing/metzahek is a deep sadness, a rift in the family fabric.

At such a young age, Isaac would be too immature to grasp what was taking place. All he could fathom was that suddenly his birth parents had ripped away two of the closest family members that he knew, Hagar and his half-brother, without an explanation that he could comprehend. Once again we find the verb denoting laughter in a context bereft of joy and mirth.

Chapter 26: Isaac and Rebekah at Gerar

Many years later, in Genesis 26, Isaac and Rebekah live for a time in the Philistine enclave of Gerar. There, in order to protect himself, Isaac explains to the local inhabitants that Rebekah is his sister, not his wife. One day, however, when together privately, Isaac demonstrates his affection for his wife. This display of affection does not go unnoticed. Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looking out of the window, saw Isaac fondling [metzahek] his wife Rebekah (Gen. 26:8). Abimelech immediately senses that they are married, not siblings as they claimed.

Through this affectionate act Isaac endangers both himself and Rebekah. When Abimelech confronts Isaac with evidence of the patriarch’s true relationship with Rebekah, Isaac has good reason to laugh bitterly at his careless deed. King Abimelech is upset over the deception (Gen. 26:10) but does not lash out at Isaac. In fact, he issues a decree that anyone who molests Isaac and Rebekah faces death.

The exposure of the false claim that Rebekah is Isaac’s sister hinges on the word fondling [metzahek]. The verb denoting laughter here put Isaac and Rebekah in a precarious situation.

Conclusion

Although his name, Yitzhak, technically means “he will laugh,” bitter, rather than humorous or amusing laughter, more often filled Isaac’s life. While God hinted at his birth for twenty-five years, Isaac’s actual conception occurred late in his parents’ lives. Both Abraham and Sarah were incredulous when each learned that they would be parents. After Isaac’s birth, Sarah rightly feared that others would question his legitimacy. Some time after Isaac’s weaning, “laughter” gave rise to family dislocation, the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael. Years later, while they were living temporarily in Gerar, intimate laughing/fondling led to an unexpected revelation, with potentially fearful consequences.

Isaac’s life was not bereft of laughter, but on many occasions he may have felt that he was ill-named, for laughter would too often be tinged with sadness. The heart alone knows its bitterness (Prov. 14:10). Life was frequently no laughing matter for Isaac. Still, in a world where the fullness of years suggested divine approval, at the end of his days he had lived longer than all of his relatives, and through this longevity earned the last laugh.