Genesis 17:1-24

1 And Abram was ninety-nine years old, and the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am thy God, be well-pleasing before me, and be blameless.
2 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell upon his face, and God spoke to him, saying,
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.
15 And God said to Abraam, Sara thy wife—her name shall not be called Sara, Sarrha shall be her name.
16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son of her, and I will bless him, and he shall become nations, and kings of nations shall be of him.
17 And Abraam fell upon his face, and laughed; and spoke in his heart, saying, Shall there be a child to one who is a hundred years old, and shall Sarrha who is ninety years old, bear?
18 And Abraam said to God, Let this Ismael live before thee.
19 And God said to Abraam, Yea, behold, Sarrha thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to him and to his seed after him.
20 And concerning Ismael, behold, I have heard thee, and, behold, I have blessed him, and will increase him and multiply him exceedingly; twelve nations shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarrha shall bear to thee at this time, in the next year.
22 And he left off speaking with him, and God went up from Abraam.
23 And Abraam took Ismael his son, and all his home-born , and all those bought with money, and every male of the men in the house of Abraam, and he circumcised their foreskins in the time of that day, according as God spoke to him.
24 And Abraam was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Genesis 17:1-24 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.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.