Verse 11 is parenthetical and interrupts the flow of the narrative in order to give further information about the aging of Abraham and Sarah, and to explain Sarah’s response. If the translator finds that this verse adversely affects the discourse, it is possible to maintain the evenness of the account by bringing part of verse 12 forward to be followed by verse 11, and then to continue with the remainder of verse 12. This is how Bible en français courant handles it:

• She began to laugh to herself, because she and Abraham were now old and she had passed the age for having children. So she said to herself, “I am now worn out and my husband is an old man. The times for having pleasure have come and gone.”

In this case the verse numbers are combined. If verse 11 does not significantly interrupt the narrative, adjustments such as in Bible en français courant are not called for.

Now serves in English to introduce the verse as being parenthetical; it is not a time marker.

Old, advanced in age is literally “old, advanced in days.” This expression serves to emphasize their age, and it is often rendered, as in Good News Translation, “very old.”

Ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women: this translates the Hebrew literally and means that Sarah had ceased to menstruate, or as Good News Translation says, “had stopped having her monthly periods.” Translators must exercise good judgment in selecting an expression that can be used in public reading. If a satisfactory expression cannot be found, it may be possible to say, for example, “Sarah was past the age of childbearing” (New International Version, Revised English Bible) or “… was too old to have a baby.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .