Génesis 17

1 De Abram a «Abraham»
Cuando Abram tenía noventa y nueve años, el Señor
se le apareció y le dijo: «Yo soy El-Shaddai, “Dios Todopoderoso”. Sírveme con fidelidad y lleva una vida intachable.
2 Yo haré un pacto contigo, por medio del cual garantizo darte una descendencia incontable».
3 Al oír eso, Abram cayó rostro en tierra. Después Dios le dijo:
4 «Este es mi pacto contigo: ¡te haré el padre de una multitud de naciones!
5 Además, cambiaré tu nombre. Ya no será Abram, sino que te llamarás Abraham,
porque serás el padre de muchas naciones.
6 Te haré sumamente fructífero. Tus descendientes llegarán a ser muchas naciones, ¡y de ellos surgirán reyes!
7 »Yo confirmaré mi pacto contigo y con tus descendientes
después de ti, de generación en generación. Este es el pacto eterno: yo siempre seré tu Dios y el Dios de todos tus descendientes,
8 y les daré a ti y a tus descendientes toda la tierra de Canaán, donde ahora vives como extranjero. Será posesión de ellos para siempre, y yo seré su Dios».
9 La marca del pacto
Entonces Dios le dijo a Abraham: «Es tu responsabilidad obedecer las condiciones del pacto. Tanto tú como todos tus descendientes tendrán esta responsabilidad de por vida.
10 Este es el pacto que tú y tus descendientes deben cumplir: todo varón entre ustedes debe ser circuncidado.
11 Debes cortar la carne del prepucio como señal del pacto entre tú y yo.
12 De generación en generación, todo varón debe ser circuncidado al octavo día de su nacimiento. Esto incluye no solamente a los miembros de tu familia sino también a los siervos nacidos en tu casa y a los siervos extranjeros que hayas comprado.
13 Todos deben ser circuncidados. Llevarán en su cuerpo la marca de mi pacto eterno.
14 Todo varón que no sea circuncidado será excluido de la familia del pacto por romper el pacto».
15 De Sarai a «Sara»
Entonces Dios le dijo a Abraham: «Con respecto a Sarai, tu esposa, su nombre no será más Sarai. A partir de ahora, se llamará Sara.
16 Y yo la bendeciré, ¡y te daré un hijo varón por medio de ella! Sí, la bendeciré en abundancia, y llegará a ser la madre de muchas naciones. Entre sus descendientes, habrá reyes de naciones».
17 Entonces Abraham se postró hasta el suelo, pero se rió por dentro, incrédulo. «¿Cómo podría yo ser padre a la edad de cien años? —pensó—. ¿Y cómo podrá Sara tener un bebé a los noventa años?».
18 Así que Abraham le dijo a Dios:
—¡Que Ismael viva bajo tu bendición especial!
19 Pero Dios le respondió:
—No. Sara, tu esposa, te dará a luz un hijo. Le pondrás por nombre Isaac,
y yo confirmaré mi pacto con él y con sus descendientes como pacto eterno.
20 Con respecto a Ismael, también a él lo bendeciré, tal como me has pedido. Haré que sea muy fructífero y multiplicaré su descendencia. Llegará a ser padre de doce príncipes, y haré de él una gran nación;
21 pero mi pacto se confirmará con Isaac, quien nacerá de ti y de Sara dentro de un año.
22 Cuando Dios terminó de hablar, dejó a Abraham.
23 Ese mismo día, Abraham tomó a su hijo Ismael, y a todos los varones de su casa, tanto los que habían nacido allí como los que había comprado; y los circuncidó cortándoles el prepucio, tal como Dios le había dicho.
24 Abraham tenía noventa y nueve años cuando fue circuncidado,
25 y su hijo Ismael tenía trece.
26 Tanto Abraham como su hijo Ismael fueron circuncidados ese mismo día,
27 y también los demás varones de la casa, los nacidos allí y los comprados como siervos. Todos fueron circuncidados junto con él.

Génesis 17 Commentary

Chapter 17

God renews the covenant with Abram. (1-6) Circumcision instituted. (7-14) Sarai's name changed, Isaac promised. (15-22) Abraham and his family are circumcised. (23-27)

Verses 1-6 The covenant was to be accomplished in due time. The promised Seed was Christ, and Christians in him. And all who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abram, being partakers of the same covenant blessings. In token of this covenant his name was changed from Abram, "a high father," to Abraham, "the father of a multitude." All that the Christian world enjoys, it is indebted for to Abraham and his Seed.

Verses 7-14 The covenant of grace is from everlasting in the counsels of it, and to everlasting in the consequences of it. The token of the covenant was circumcision. It is here said to be the covenant which Abraham and his seed must keep. Those who will have the Lord to be to them a God, must resolve to be to him a people. Not only Abraham and Isaac, and his posterity by Isaac, were to be circumcised, but also Ishmael and the bond-servants. It sealed not only the covenant of the land of Canaan to Isaac's posterity, but of heaven, through Christ, to the whole church of God. The outward sign is for the visible church; the inward seal of the Spirit is peculiar to those whom God knows to be believers, and he alone can know them. The religious observance of this institution was required, under a very severe penalty. It is dangerous to make light of Divine institutions, and to live in the neglect of them. The covenant in question was one that involved great blessings for the world in all future ages. Even the blessedness of Abraham himself, and all the rewards conferred upon him, were for Christ's sake. Abraham was justified, as we have seen, not by his own righteousness, but by faith in the promised Messiah.

Verses 15-22 Here is the promise made to Abraham of a son by Sarai, in whom the promise made to him should be fulfilled. The assurance of this promise was the change of Sarai's name into Sarah. Sarai signifies my princess, as if her honour were confined to one family only; Sarah signifies a princess. The more favours God confers upon us, the more low we should be in our own eyes. Abraham showed great joy; he laughed, it was a laughter of delight, not of distrust. Now it was that Abraham rejoiced to see Christ's day; now he saw it and was glad, ( John 8:56 ) . Abraham, dreading lest Ishmael should be abandoned and forsaken of God, put up a petition on his behalf. God gives us leave in prayer to be particular in making known our requests. Whatever is our care and fear, should be spread before God in prayer. It is the duty of parents to pray for their children, and the great thing we should desire is, that they may be kept in covenant with Him, and may have grace to walk before him in uprightness. Common blessings are secured to Ishmael. Outward good things are often given to those children of godly parents who are born after the flesh, for their parents' sake. Covenant blessings are reserved for Isaac, and appropriated to him.

Verses 23-27 Abraham and all his family were circumcised; so receiving the token of the covenant, and distinguishing themselves from other families that had no part nor lot in the matter. It was an implicit obedience; he did as God said unto him, and did not ask why or wherefore. He did it because God bade him. It was a speedy obedience; in the self-same day. Sincere obedience makes no delay. Not only the doctrines of revelation, but the seals of God's covenant, remind us that we are guilty, polluted sinners. They show us our need of the blood of atonement; they point to the promised Saviour, and teach us to exercise faith in him. They show us that without regeneration, and sanctification by his Spirit, and the mortification of our corrupt and carnal inclinations, we cannot be in covenant with God. But let us remember that the true circumcision is that of the heart, by the Spirit, ( romans 2:28 romans 2:29 ) . Both under the old and new dispensation, many have had the outward profession, and the outward seal, who were never sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise.

Chapter Summary

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.

Génesis 17 Commentaries

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