Child And Promise

Quod autem promittit Deus Sarae sterili filium, dicens: Circa hoc tempus veniam, non de temporibus significat, sed de qualitate adventurus sui, quando per filium repromissum fidelis erat populus nasciturus. Ista est enim Sara sterilis, cui per Prophetam Dominus dicit: Laetare, sterilis, quae non paris; erumpe et clama, quae non paturis, quoniam plures filii desertae magis quam ejus quae habet virum. Risus autem Sarae non est dubitatio, sed prophetia. Qui risus duplicem habet significantiam. Sive quod risus esset futurus incredulis Christus, sive quod omnes inimicos in judicio suo esset risurus. Unde et ipse qui natus est de Sara, risus nomen accepit. Isaac enim ex Hebraea lingua in Latinum sermonem risus interpretatur. Sanctus Isidorus Hispalensis,Mysticorum Expositiones Sacramentorum Seu Quaestiones In Vetus Testamentum, In Genesin, Caput XIV Source: Migne PL 83.244c-245a

God promised a son to Sarah in her barrenness, saying, 'Around this time I will come,' 1 and this does not signify the time but the manner of His own advent, when by the promised son He was going to birth a faithful people. For it is to this barren Sarah that the Lord speaks through the Prophet: 'Rejoice, sterile one, who has not given birth, jump and cry out, for many more are the sons of her forsaken than she who has a man.' 2 And Sarah's laughter is not on account of doubt, but prophecy. Laughter has a twofold significance; either that laughter was for the wonderous future of Christ, or that all his enemies were in His judgement laughable. Whence he who was born of Sarah received the name Laughter, For Isaac translated into our tongue from the Hebrew is laughter. Saint Isidore of Seville, Expositions of Sacred Mysteries or Questions on the Old Testament, On Genesis, Chap 14 1 Gen 18.9-10 2 Isai 54.1, Galat 4.27