Genesis 17
17
Circumcision—Proof of the Agreement
1When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said, “I am God All-Powerful.#17:1 God All-Powerful Literally, “El Shaddai.” Obey me and live the right way. 2If you do this, I will prepare an agreement between us. I will promise to make your people a great nation.”
3Then Abram bowed down before God. God said to him, 4“This is my part of our agreement: I will make you the father of many nations. 5I will change your name from Abram#17:5 Abram This name means “honored father.” to Abraham,#17:5 Abraham This name means “great father” or “father of many.” because I am making you the father of many nations. 6I will give you many descendants. New nations and kings will come from you. 7And I will prepare an agreement between me and you. This agreement will also be for all your descendants. It will continue forever. I will be your God and the God of all your descendants. 8And I will give this land to you and to all your descendants. I will give you the land you are traveling through—the land of Canaan. I will give you this land forever, and I will be your God.”
9Then God said to Abraham, “Now, this is your part of the agreement: You and all your descendants will obey my agreement. 10This is my agreement that all of you must obey. This is the agreement between me and you and all your descendants. Every male must be circumcised. 11You will cut the skin to show that you follow the agreement between me and you. 12When the baby boy is eight days old, you will circumcise him. Every boy born among your people and every boy who is a slave of your people must be circumcised. 13So every baby boy in your nation will be circumcised. Every boy who is born from your family or bought as a slave will be circumcised. 14Abraham, this is the agreement between you and me: Any male who is not circumcised will be cut off from his people#17:14 cut off from his people This means he must be separated from his family and lose his share of the inheritance. because he has broken my agreement.”
Isaac—the Promised Son
15God said to Abraham, “I will give Sarai,#17:15 Sarai A name, probably Aramaic, meaning “princess.” your wife, a new name. Her new name will be Sarah.#17:15 Sarah A Hebrew name meaning “princess.” 16I will bless her. I will give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many new nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”
17Abraham bowed his face to the ground to show he respected God. But he laughed and said to himself, “I am 100 years old. I cannot have a son, and Sarah is 90 years old. She cannot have a child.”
18Then Abraham said to God, “I hope Ishmael will live and serve you.”
19God said, “No, I said that your wife Sarah will have a son. You will name him Isaac.#17:19 Isaac This name means “he laughs” or “he is happy.” I will make my agreement with him that will continue forever with all his descendants.
20“You mentioned Ishmael, and I heard you. I will bless him, and he will have many children. He will be the father of twelve great leaders. His family will become a great nation. 21But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son who Sarah will have. He will be born at this same time next year.”
22After God finished talking with Abraham, God went up into heaven. 23Then Abraham gathered together Ishmael and all the slaves born in his house. He also gathered all the slaves he had bought. Every man and boy in Abraham’s house was gathered together, and they were all circumcised. Abraham circumcised them that day, just as God had told him to do.
24Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised. 25And Ishmael, his son, was 13 years old when he was circumcised. 26Abraham and his son were circumcised on the same day. 27Also, on that day all the men in Abraham’s house were circumcised. All the slaves born in his house and all the slaves he had bought were circumcised.
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Genesis 17
17
The Covenant of Circumcision
1#Ge 6:9; Dt 18:13; Ge 28:3When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am Almighty God. Walk before Me and be blameless. 2#Ge 13:16; 15:18And I will make My covenant between you and Me and will exceedingly multiply you.”
3#Ge 17:17Abram fell on his face and God said to him, 4#Ge 35:11; 12:2“As for Me, My covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5#Ne 9:7; Ge 17:15No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6#Ge 35:11; 17:16I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7#Ge 26:24; 28:13; Heb 11:16I 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 your descendants after you. 8#Ge 12:7; 13:15; Ex 6:7All the land of Canaan, where you now live as strangers, I will give to you and to your descendants for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
9Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10#Ac 7:8This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you; every male among you shall be circumcised. 11#Ro 4:11; Ac 7:8You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12#Lev 12:3; Lk 2:21Every male throughout every generation that is eight days old shall be circumcised, whether born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner who is not your descendant. 13#Ex 12:44He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised. My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. 14#Ex 4:24–26Any uncircumcised male whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised shall be cut off from his people. He has broken My covenant.”
15Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you will not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. 16#Ge 35:11; 17:6I will bless her and also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.”
17#Ge 21:6; 17:3Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man that is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”
19#Ge 21:2–3Then God said, “No, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call his name Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him. 20#Ge 21:18; 21:13And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21#Ge 18:10; 26:2–5But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.” 22#Ge 18:33Then He stopped talking with Abraham, and God went up from him.
23Then Abraham took Ishmael, his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day as God had said to him. 24#Ro 4:11Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25His son, Ishmael, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised on the same day. 27All the men born in Abraham’s household or bought from foreigners were circumcised with him.
Military Bible Association