Genesis 17:3

3 Da fiel Abram auf sein Angesicht, und Gott redete mit ihm und sprach:

Genesis 17:3 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 17:3

And Abram fell on his face
At the sight of so glorious a Person that appeared to him, and in reverence of his majesty, and as sensible of his unworthiness of such a visit, and of having such favours bestowed upon him; and not because he was not as yet circumcised, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it; and so other Jewish ^F6 writers observe, that before he was circumcised he fell, when God spoke to him, but afterwards he sat and stood, ( Genesis 18:1 ) ; but it may be observed, that not only uncircumcised persons, as Balaam, ( Numbers 22:31 ) , in whom Jarchi instances, but circumcised ones, as Ezekiel, ( Ezekiel 1:28 ) , Joshua, ( Joshua 5:14 ) , and others, have fallen on their faces at a divine appearance:

and God talked with him;
after he was raised up, and was strengthened and encouraged to stand up before God, and hear what he had to say to him; for after this we read of his falling on his face again, ( Genesis 17:17 ) ; which shows that he had been erect, after he first fell on his face: saying; as follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Jarchi in loc. Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 29.)

Genesis 17:3 In-Context

1 Und Abram war neunundneunzig Jahre alt, da erschien Jehova dem Abram und sprach zu ihm: Ich bin Gott, der Allmächtige; wandle vor meinem Angesicht und sei vollkommen.

2 Und ich will meinen Bund setzen zwischen mir und dir und will dich sehr, sehr mehren.

3 Da fiel Abram auf sein Angesicht, und Gott redete mit ihm und sprach:

4 Ich, siehe, mein Bund ist mit dir, und du wirst zum Vater einer Menge Nationen werden.

5 Und nicht soll hinfort dein Name Abram heißen, sondern Abraham soll dein Name sein; denn zum Vater einer Menge Nationen habe ich dich gemacht.