創世記 17:5

5 從 此 以 後 ， 你 的 名 不 再 叫 亞 伯 蘭 ， 要 叫 亞 伯 拉 罕 ， 因 為 我 已 立 你 作 多 國 的 父 。

創世記 17:5 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 17:5

Neither shall thy name be any more called Abram
Which signifies an "high father", which name he bore for many years before he was the father of anyone:

but thy name shall be Abraham:
with all addition of the letter (h) inserted into it, and makes the last syllable two, "raham": which word in the Arabic language, as Hottinger ^F7 observes, signifies "numerous" {h}; so that with this addition his name Abraham may be interpreted, the father of a numerous offspring; and with this agrees the reason of it, as follows:

for a father of many nations have I made thee;
not that he was so already in fact, but in the purpose and promise of God, ( Romans 4:17 ) ; Abraham has not only been the father of many nations, in a literal sense, as before observed, but in a mystical sense, of the whole world; that is, of all in it that believe, whether Jews or Gentiles; and so the Rabbins ^F9 interpret it: at first, they say, he was the father of Aram, and therefore his name was called Abram, but now he is the father of the whole world, and therefore called Abraham; and so Maimonides ^F11 himself says, quoting this passage,

``behold he is the father of the whole world, who are gathered under the wings of the Shechinah.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Smegma Oriental. p. 88.
F8 <arabic>, "numerus", "copiosus", Golius, col. 1055, 1056. Castel. col. 3537.
F9 In Massechet Biccurim, apud Galat. in Arcan. Cathol. Ver. l. 5, 13. & 9, 12. in Maimon. in Misn. ib. c. 1. sect. 4.
F11 Hilchot Biccurim, c. 4. sect. 3.

創世記 17:5 In-Context

3 亞 伯 蘭 俯 伏 在 地 ； 　 神 又 對 他 說 ：

4 我 與 你 立 約 ： 你 要 作 多 國 的 父 。

5 從 此 以 後 ， 你 的 名 不 再 叫 亞 伯 蘭 ， 要 叫 亞 伯 拉 罕 ， 因 為 我 已 立 你 作 多 國 的 父 。

6 我 必 使 你 的 後 裔 極 其 繁 多 ； 國 度 從 你 而 立 ， 君 王 從 你 而 出 。

7 我 要 與 你 並 你 世 世 代 代 的 後 裔 堅 立 我 的 約 ， 作 永 遠 的 約 ， 是 要 作 你 和 你 後 裔 的 　 神 。