Genesis 17

Covenant Circumcision

1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I am God Almighty.#Gn 28:3; 35:11; Ex 6:3 Live#17:1 Or Walk in my presence and be blameless.#Gn 6:9; Ps 15:2; Lk 1:6 2I will set up my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you greatly.”

3Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him: 4“As for me, here is my covenant with you: You will become the father of many nations. 5Your name will no longer be Abram;#17:5 = The Father Is Exalted your name will be Abraham,#17:5 = Father of a Multitude for I will make you the father of many nations.#Gn 35:11; 48:19; Rm 4:11–12,16–18 6I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you. 7I will confirm my covenant that is between me and you and your future offspring throughout their generations. It is a permanent covenant#Gn 9:16 to be your God and the God of your offspring after you.#Ex 6:7; Lv 11:45; 26:12,45; Dt 29:13; Heb 11:16; Rv 21:7 8And to you and your future offspring#17:8 Lit seed#Gl 3:16 I will give the land where you are residing — all the land of Canaan — as a permanent possession,#Gn 48:4; Ac 7:5 and I will be their God.”

9God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep my covenant. 10This is my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you, which you are to keep: Every one of your males must be circumcised. 11You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and you.#17:11 You in v. 11 is pl.#Ex 12:48; Dt 10:16; Ac 7:8; Rm 4:11 12Throughout your generations, every male among you is to be circumcised#Lv 12:3; Lk 1:59; 2:21; Php 3:5 at eight days old — every male born in your household or purchased from any foreigner and not your offspring. 13Whether born in your household or purchased, he must be circumcised. My covenant will be marked in your flesh as a permanent covenant. 14If any male is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that man will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

15God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah#17:15 = Princess will be her name. 16I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her.#Gn 18:10 I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

17Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed#Gn 21:6–7; Rm 4:19 and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?” 18So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael were acceptable#17:18 Lit alive to you!”

19But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac.#17:19 = He Laughs I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring. 20As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will certainly bless him; I will make him fruitful and will multiply him greatly. He will father twelve tribal leaders,#Gn 25:13–16 and I will make him into a great nation. 21But I will confirm my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”#Gn 18:10,14; 21:1 22When he finished talking with him, God withdrew#17:22 Lit went up, or ascended from Abraham.#Gn 35:13

23So Abraham took his son Ishmael and those born in his household or purchased — every male among the members of Abraham’s household — and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, just as God had said to him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised, 25and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised. 26On that very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27And all the men of his household — whether born in his household or purchased from a foreigner — were circumcised with him.

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Genesis 17

Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision

1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the #Heb YHWH (Yahweh).Lord appeared to him and said,

“I am #Heb El Shaddai; God is the All-Sufficient One; He gives life; He nurtures; He pours out His blessings.God Almighty;

Walk [habitually] before Me [with integrity, knowing that you are always in My presence], and be blameless and complete [in obedience to Me].

2I will establish My covenant (everlasting promise) between Me and you,

And I will multiply you exceedingly [through your descendants].”

3Then Abram fell on his face [in worship], and God spoke with him, saying,

4“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,

And [as a result] you shall be the father of many nations.

5No longer shall your name be Abram (exalted father),

But your name shall be Abraham (father of a multitude);

For I will make you the father of many nations.

6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and #This prophecy and promise has been literally fulfilled countless times—for example, by all of the kings of Israel and Judah.kings will come from you. 7I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger [moving from place to place], all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession [of property]; and I will be their God.”

9Further, God said to Abraham, “As for you [your part of the agreement], you shall keep and faithfully obey [the terms of] My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10This is [the sign of] My covenant, which you shall keep and faithfully obey, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be the sign (symbol, memorial) of the covenant between Me and you. 12Every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, [including] a servant whether born in the house or one who is purchased with [your] money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. 13A servant who is born in your house or one who is purchased with your money must be circumcised; and [the sign of] My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14And the male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

15Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai (my princess), but her name will be Sarah (#The difference in the names can perhaps be seen in a comment made by the rabbis: “At first she became a princess to her own people, but later she became a princess to the entire world” (as quoted from the Talmud).Princess). 16I will bless her, and indeed I will also give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” 17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael [my firstborn] might live before You!” 19But God said, “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall name him Isaac (laughter); and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him. 20As for Ishmael, I have heard and listened to you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will greatly multiply him [through his descendants]. He will be the father of twelve princes (chieftains, sheiks), and I will make him a great nation. 21But My covenant [My promise, My solemn pledge], I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.” 22And God finished speaking with him and went up from Abraham.

23Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were born in his house and all who were purchased with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin the very same day, as God had said to him. 24So Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised. 25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised. 26On the very same day Abraham was circumcised, as well as Ishmael his son. 27All the men [servants] of his household, both those born in the house and those purchased with money from a foreigner, were circumcised along with him [as the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham].

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