Genesis 17
17
Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision
1When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;#17:1 Hebrew El Shaddai walk before me, and be #ch. 6:9; Deut. 18:13; Job 1:1; Ps. 119:1; Matt. 5:48blameless, 2that I may make my covenant between me and you, and #ch. 12:2; 13:16; 22:17may multiply you greatly.” 3Then Abram #ver. 17fell on his face. And God said to him, 4“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be #Rom. 4:11, 12, 16the father of a multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be called Abram,#17:5 Abram means exalted father but #Neh. 9:7 your name shall be Abraham,#17:5 Abraham means father of a multitude #Cited Rom. 4:17for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make #ch. 35:11 you into nations, and #ver. 16kings shall come from you. 7And I will #Gal. 3:17 establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, #Heb. 11:16; [ch. 26:24; 28:13]to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8And #ch. 12:7; 13:15; Ps. 105:11 I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and #Ex. 6:7; Lev. 26:12I will be their God.”
9And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a #Acts 7:8; Rom. 4:11sign of the covenant between me and you. 12He who is #Lev. 12:3; Luke 1:59; 2:21; Phil. 3:5 eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or #[Ex. 12:48, 49]bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
Isaac’s Birth Promised
15And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah#17:15 Sarai and Sarah mean princess shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and moreover, I will #ch. 18:10 give#17:16 Hebrew have given you a son by her. I will bless her, and #ch. 35:11she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17Then Abraham #ver. 3 fell on his face #ch. 21:6; Rom. 4:19; [John 8:56]and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19God said, “No, but #ch. 18:10; 21:2; Gal. 4:23, 28 Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name #ch. 21:3Isaac.#17:19 Isaac means he laughs I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and #ch. 16:10 multiply him greatly. He #See ch. 25:12-16 shall father twelve princes, and #ch. 21:13, 18I will make him into a great nation. 21But #ch. 26:2-5 I will establish my covenant with Isaac, #ch. 21:2whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”
22When he had finished talking with him, #ch. 35:13God went up from Abraham. 23Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Genesis 17
17
1 WHEN ABRAM was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete).
2 And I will make My covenant (solemn pledge) between Me and you and will multiply you exceedingly.
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God said to him,
4 As for Me, behold, My covenant (solemn pledge) is with you, and you shall be the father of many nations.
5 Nor shall your name any longer be Abram [high, exalted father]; but your name shall be Abraham [father of a multitude], for I have made you the father of many nations.
6 And I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting, solemn pledge, to be a God to you and to your posterity after you. [Gal. 3:16.]
8 And I will give to you and to your posterity after you the land in which you are a stranger [going from place to place], all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. [Acts 7:5.]
9 And God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall therefore keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your posterity after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token or sign of the covenant (the promise or pledge) between Me and you.
12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male throughout your generations, whether born in [your] house or bought with [your] money from any foreigner not of your offspring.
13 He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the male who is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.
15 And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai; but Sarah [Princess] her name shall be.
16 And I will bless her and give you a son also by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.
17 Then 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 son?
18 And [he] said to God, Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!
19 But God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall call his name Isaac [laughter]; and I will establish My covenant or solemn pledge with him for an everlasting covenant and with his posterity after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard and heeded you: behold, I will bless 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. [Fulfilled in Gen. 25:12-18.]
21 But My covenant, My promise and pledge, I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.
22 And God stopped talking with him and went up from Abraham.
23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among [those] of Abraham's house, and circumcised [them] the very same day, as God had said to him.
24 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised.
26 On the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son as well.
27 And all the men of his house, both those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised along with him.
1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation