Genesis 17:7

7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

Genesis 17:7 in Other Translations

KJV
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
ESV
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
NLT
7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
MSG
7 I'm establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants.
CSB
7 I will keep My covenant between Me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant to be your God and the [God] of your offspring after you.

Genesis 17:7 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 17:7

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee
Not only renew it, but confirm it by the following token of circumcision:

and thy seed after thee, in their generation;
such blessings in it as belonged to his natural seed, as such he confirmed to them, to be enjoyed by them in successive ages; and such as belonged to his spiritual seed, to them also, as they should be raised up in future times in one place and another:

for an everlasting covenant;
to his natural seed, as long as they should continue in the true worship of God; and in their own land; or until the Messiah came, in whom the covenant of circumcision had its accomplishment, and was at an end; and to all his spiritual seed, with respect to the spiritual blessings of it, which are everlasting, and are never taken away, or become void;

to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee;
to his natural seed, as the God of nature and providence, communicating the good things of life unto them; protecting, preserving, and continuing them in the land he gave them, and in the possessive of all the good things in it, so long as they were obedient to him as their King and their God; and to his spiritual seed, as the God of all grace, supplying them with grace here, and bestowing upon them glory hereafter.

Genesis 17:7 In-Context

5 No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.

Cross References 6

  • 1. S Genesis 15:18; Leviticus 26:9,15
  • 2. S Genesis 6:18
  • 3. S Hebrews 13:20
  • 4. S Genesis 9:16
  • 5. Exodus 6:7; Exodus 20:2; Exodus 29:45,46; Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 18:2; Leviticus 22:33; Leviticus 25:38; Leviticus 26:12,45; Numbers 15:41; Deuteronomy 4:20; Deuteronomy 7:6,21; Deuteronomy 29:13; 2 Samuel 7:24; Jeremiah 14:9; Revelation 21:7
  • 6. Romans 9:8; Galatians 3:16
Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.