17 5 Abram’s name is changed to confirm him in the promise. 8 The land of Canaan is the fifth time promised. 12 Circumcision instituted. 15 Sarai is named Sarah. 18 Abraham prayeth for Ishmael. 19 Isaac is promised. 23 Abraham and his house are circumcised.

When Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God [a]all sufficient, (A)walk before me, and be thou [b]upright,

And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly.

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,

Behold, I make my covenant with thee, and thou shalt be a [c]father of many nations,

Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram, but thy name shall be [d]Abraham: (B)for a father of many nations have I made thee.

Also I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and will make nations of thee, yea, Kings shall proceed of thee.

Moreover, I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an (C)everlasting covenant, to be God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

And I will give thee and thy seed after thee the land, wherein thou art a stranger, even all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.

¶ Again God said unto Abraham, Thou also shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10 [e]This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee, (D)Let every man-child among you be circumcised:

11 That is, ye shall circumcise the [f]foreskin of your flesh, and it shall be a (E)sign of the covenant between me and you.

12 And every man-child of eight days old among you, shall be circumcised in your generations, as well he that is born in thine house, as he that is bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13 He that is born in thine house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: so my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 But the uncircumcised [g]man-child, in whose flesh the foreskin is not circumcised, even that person shall be cut off from his people, because he hath broken my covenant.

15 ¶ Afterward God said unto Abraham, Sarai thy wife shalt thou not call Sarai, but [h]Sarah shall be her name.

16 And I will bless her, and will also give thee a son of her, yea, I will bless her, and she shall be the mother of nations: Kings also of people shall come of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and [i]laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him, that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah that is ninety years old, bear?

18 And Abraham said unto God, Oh, that Ishmael might live in thy sight.

19 Then God said, (F)Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an [j]everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20 And as concerning Ishmael, I have heard thee: lo, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him [k]exceedingly: twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make a great nation of him.

21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee, the next (G)year at this season.

22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

23 ¶ Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that was bought with his money, that is, every man-child among the men of Abraham’s house, and [l]he circumcised the foreskin of their flesh in that selfsame day, as God had commanded him.

24 Abraham also himself was ninety years old and nine, when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised.

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised.

26 The selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son:

27 And all the men of his house both born in his house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:1 Or, Almighty.
  2. Genesis 17:1 Or, without hypocrisy.
  3. Genesis 17:4 Not only according to the flesh, but of a far greater multitude by faith, Rom. 4:17.
  4. Genesis 17:5 The changing of his name is a seal to confirm God’s promise unto him.
  5. Genesis 17:10 Circumcision is called the covenant, because it signifieth the covenant, and hath the promise of grace joined unto it: which phrase is common to all Sacraments.
  6. Genesis 17:11 That privy part is circumcised, to show that all that is begotten of man is corrupt, and must be mortified.
  7. Genesis 17:14 Albeit women were not circumcised, yet were they partakers of God’s promise: for under the mankind all was consecrated, and here is declared, that whosoever contemneth the sign, despiseth also the promise.
  8. Genesis 17:15 Or, dame, or princess.
  9. Genesis 17:17 Which proceeded of a sudden joy, and not of infidelity.
  10. Genesis 17:19 The everlasting Covenant is made with the children of the Spirit: and with the children of the flesh is made the temporal promise, as was promised to Ishmael.
  11. Genesis 17:20 Hebrew, greatly, greatly.
  12. Genesis 17:23 They were well instructed which obeyed to be circumcised without resistance: which thing declareth that masters in their houses ought to be as preachers to their families, that from the highest to the lowest they may obey the will of God.

The Covenant of Circumcision

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,(A) the Lord appeared to him(B) and said, “I am God Almighty[a];(C) walk before me faithfully and be blameless.(D) Then I will make my covenant between me and you(E) and will greatly increase your numbers.”(F)

Abram fell facedown,(G) and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you:(H) You will be the father of many nations.(I) No longer will you be called Abram[b]; your name will be Abraham,[c](J) for I have made you a father of many nations.(K) I will make you very fruitful;(L) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.(M) I will establish my covenant(N) as an everlasting covenant(O) between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God(P) and the God of your descendants after you.(Q) The whole land of Canaan,(R) where you now reside as a foreigner,(S) I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you;(T) and I will be their God.(U)

Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant,(V) you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.(W) 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.(X) 11 You are to undergo circumcision,(Y) and it will be the sign of the covenant(Z) between me and you. 12 For the generations to come(AA) every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised,(AB) including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised.(AC) My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.(AD) 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised(AE) in the flesh, will be cut off from his people;(AF) he has broken my covenant.(AG)

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai(AH) your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.(AI) 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.(AJ) I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations;(AK) kings of peoples will come from her.”

17 Abraham fell facedown;(AL) he laughed(AM) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?(AN) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”(AO) 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael(AP) might live under your blessing!”(AQ)

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,(AR) and you will call him Isaac.[d](AS) I will establish my covenant with him(AT) as an everlasting covenant(AU) for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.(AV) He will be the father of twelve rulers,(AW) and I will make him into a great nation.(AX) 21 But my covenant(AY) I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you(AZ) by this time next year.”(BA) 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.(BB)

23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household(BC) or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.(BD) 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old(BE) when he was circumcised,(BF) 25 and his son Ishmael(BG) was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household(BH), including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:1 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Genesis 17:5 Abram means exalted father.
  3. Genesis 17:5 Abraham probably means father of many.
  4. Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs.