Genesis 17:4-14

4 And I, behold! my covenant with thee, and thou shalt be a father of a multitude of nations.

5 And thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraam, for I have made thee a father of many nations.

6 And I will increase thee very exceedingly, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between thee and thy seed after thee, to their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be thy God, and of thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give to thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou sojournest, even all the land of Chanaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them a God.

9 And God said to Abraam, Thou also shalt fully keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee for their generations.

10 And this the covenant which thou shalt fully keep between me and you, and between thy seed after thee for their generations; every male of you shall be circumcised.

11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between me and you.

12 And the child of eight days shall be circumcised by you, every male throughout your generations, and born in the house and he that is bought with money, of every son of a stranger, who is not of thy seed.

13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with money shall be surely circumcised, and my covenant shall be on your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 And the uncircumcised male, who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be utterly destroyed from its family, for he has broken my covenant.

Genesis 17:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 17

This chapter treats of a covenant made with Abram, sometimes called the covenant of circumcision, the time when God appeared to him, and promised to make it, and did, Ge 17:1-3; the particulars of it, both with respect to himself, whose name was now changed, and to his posterity, Ge 17:4-8; the token of it, circumcision, the time of its performance, and the persons obliged to it, Ge 17:9-14; the change of Sarai's name, and a promise made that she should have a son, to the great surprise of Abraham, Ge 17:15-17; a prayer of his for Ishmael, and the answer to it, with a confirmation of Sarah's having a son, whose name should be called Isaac, and the establishment of the covenant with him, Ge 17:18-22; and the chapter is closed with an account of the circumcision of Abraham, and all his family of the male sort, agreeably to the command of God, Ge 17:23-27.