Genesis 17:1-11

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him, "I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt!

2 I'll make a covenant between us and I'll give you a huge family."

3 Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face.

4 "This is my covenant with you: You'll be the father of many nations.

5 Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that 'I'm making you the father of many nations.'

6 I'll make you a father of fathers - I'll make nations from you, kings will issue from you.

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.

8 And I'm giving you and your descendants this land where you're now just camping, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I'll be their God."

9 God continued to Abraham, "And you: You will honor my covenant, you and your descendants, generation after generation.

10 This is the covenant that you are to honor, the covenant that pulls in all your descendants: Circumcise every male.

11 Circumcise by cutting off the foreskin of the penis; it will be the sign of the covenant between us.

Genesis 17:1-11 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.