Genesis 17

Listen to Genesis 17

Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty;[a] walk before me, and be 1blameless,
2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and 2may multiply you greatly."
3 Then Abram 3fell on his face. And God said to him,
4 "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be 4the father of a multitude of nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram,[b] but 5your name shall be Abraham,[c]6for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make 7you into nations, and 8kings shall come from you.
7 And I will 9establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, 10to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
8 And 11I 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 12I will be their God."
9 And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a 13sign of the covenant between me and you.
12 He who is 14eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or 15bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,
13 both 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.
14 Any 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

15 And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah[d] shall be her name.
16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will 16give[e] you a son by her. I will bless her, and 17she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her."
17 Then Abraham 18fell on his face 19and 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?"
18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"
19 God said, "No, but 20Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name 21Isaac.[f] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and 22multiply him greatly. He 23shall father twelve princes, and 24I will make him into a great nation.
21 But 25I will establish my covenant with Isaac, 26whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."
22 When he had finished talking with him, 27God went up from Abraham.
23 Then 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.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.
27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Cross References 27

  • 1. Genesis 6:9; Deuteronomy 18:13; Job 1:1; Psalms 119:1; Matthew 5:48
  • 2. Genesis 12:2; Genesis 13:16; Genesis 22:17
  • 3. ver. 17
  • 4. Rom. 4:11, 12, 16
  • 5. Nehemiah 9:7
  • 6. Cited Romans 4:17
  • 7. Genesis 35:11
  • 8. ver. 16
  • 9. Galatians 3:17
  • 10. Hebrews 11:16; [Genesis 26:24; Genesis 28:13]
  • 11. Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Psalms 105:11
  • 12. Exodus 6:7; Leviticus 26:12
  • 13. Acts 7:8; Romans 4:11
  • 14. Leviticus 12:3; Luke 1:59; Luke 2:21; Philippians 3:5
  • 15. [Exodus 12:48, 49]
  • 16. Genesis 18:10
  • 17. Genesis 35:11
  • 18. ver. 3
  • 19. Genesis 21:6; Romans 4:19; [John 8:56]
  • 20. Genesis 18:10; Genesis 21:2; Galatians 4:23, 28
  • 21. Genesis 21:3
  • 22. Genesis 16:10
  • 23. See Genesis 25:12-16
  • 24. Genesis 21:13, 18
  • 25. Genesis 26:2-5
  • 26. Genesis 21:2
  • 27. Genesis 35:13

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Hebrew El Shaddai
  • [b]. Abram means exalted father
  • [c]. Abraham means father of a multitude
  • [d]. Sarai and Sarah mean princess
  • [e]. Hebrew have given
  • [f]. Isaac means he laughs

Genesis 17 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.