Genesis 17

1When Abram was 99, the Lord appeared to him and told him, “I am God Almighty. Live in my presence and don't do wrong.#17:1. “Live in my presence and don't do wrong,” literally, “walk before me and be innocent.” 2I will make my agreement between me and you, and I will give you many, many descendants.”

3Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, and God told him, 4“Listen! This is the agreement I'm making with you. You will be the father of many nations, 5so your name won't be Abram any longer. Instead, your name will be Abraham#17:5. The name change is usually interpreted to be from Abram (“exalted father”) to Abraham (“father of many”). because I'm going to make you the father of many nations. 6I will make sure you have a large number of descendants. They will become many nations, and some of their kings will also come from your line. 7I promise to continue my agreement with you, and with your descendants who come after you, for generations to come. This is an eternal agreement. I will always be your God, and the God of your descendants. 8I will give you and your descendants the whole country of Canaan—where you've been living as a foreigner—as land to own forever, and I will be their God.”

9Then God told Abraham, “Your part is to keep my agreement—you and your descendants for generations to come. 10This is my agreement with you and your descendants who come after you, the agreement you are to keep: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You are to circumcise your foreskin, and this will be the sign of the agreement between me and you. 12From now and for all generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. This includes not only your sons but also those born in your household or bought from foreigners. 13You must circumcise those born in your household or bought from foreigners as a sign in your bodies of my eternal agreement. 14Any uncircumcised male who refuses circumcision will be excluded from his people because he has broken my agreement.”

15Then God told Abraham, “Now about Sarai your wife. Don't call her Sarai any longer. Instead, her name will be Sarah. 16I will bless her and I promise to give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will become the mother of nations, and kings will be among her descendants.”

17Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground. But inside he was laughing, asking himself, “How on earth could I have a son at the age of one hundred? How could Sarah have a child when she is ninety?”

18Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael always live under your blessing!”

19“No, it's your wife Sarah who is going to have a son for you!” God replied. “You are to call him Isaac.#17:19. Isaac means “he laughs.” I will keep my agreement with him and his descendants as an eternal agreement. 20Now about Ishmael. I heard what you said, and I will also bless him. I will make sure he has a great many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21But it's with Isaac that I will keep my agreement, the son Sarah will give birth to about this time next year.” 22When God had finished speaking with Abraham he left him.

23That day Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael as well as all those born in his household or purchased, in fact every male among the members of Abraham's household, just as God had told him. 24Abraham was 99 when he was circumcised, 25and his son Ishmael was thirteen. 26Both Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day. 27All the males in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or purchased from foreigners, were circumcised with him.

Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com

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Genesis 17

The LORD’s Fifth Promise to Abraham

1When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said to Abram, “I am God Almighty. Live in my presence with integrity. 2I will give you my promise,#17:2 Or “covenant.” and I will give you very many descendants.” 3Immediately, Abram bowed with his face touching the ground, and again God spoke to him, 4“My promise is still with you. You will become the father of many nations. 5So your name will no longer be Abram [Exalted Father], but Abraham [Father of Many] because I have made you a father of many nations. 6I will give you many descendants. Many nations and kings will come from you. 7I will make my promise to you and your descendants for generations to come as an everlasting promise. I will be your God and the God of your descendants. 8I am also giving this land where you are living—all of Canaan—to you and your descendants as your permanent possession. And I will be your God.”

9God also said to Abraham, “You and your descendants in generations to come are to be faithful to my promise. 10This is how you are to be faithful to my promise: Every male among you is to be circumcised. 11All of you must be circumcised. That will be the sign of the promise from me to you. 12For generations to come every male child who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether he is born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner who’s not related to you. 13Every male born in your household or bought with your money is to be circumcised without exception. So my promise will be a sign on your flesh, an everlasting promise. 14Any uncircumcised male must be excluded from his people because he has rejected my promise.”

15God said to Abraham, “Don’t call your wife by the name Sarai anymore. Instead, her name is Sarah [Princess]. 16I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become ⌞a mother of⌟ nations, and kings will come from her.” 17Immediately, Abraham bowed with his face touching the ground. He laughed as he thought to himself, “Can a son be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, have a child?” 18Then Abraham said to God, “Why not let Ishmael be my heir?”

19God replied, “No! Your wife Sarah will give you a son, and you will name him Isaac [He Laughs]. I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants. 20I have heard your request about Ishmael. Yes, I will bless him, make him fertile, and increase the number of his descendants. He will be the father of 12 princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21But I will make my promise to Isaac. Sarah will give birth to him at this time next year.” 22When God finished speaking with Abraham, he left him.

Abraham’s Household Circumcised

23So Abraham took his son Ishmael, everyone born in his household, and everyone bought with money—every male in his household—and circumcised them that day, as God had told him. 24Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised. 25His son Ishmael was 13 years old when he was circumcised. 26That same day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27All the men of his household, whether born in the household or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

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