Genesis 17:1-9

1 Forsooth after that Abram began to be of ninety years and nine, the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, I am Almighty God; go thou before me, and be thou perfect; (Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, I am Almighty God; go thou before me, and do thou what is right;)

2 and I shall set my covenant of peace betwixt me and thee; and I shall multiply thee full greatly (and I shall greatly multiply thee).

3 And Abram felled down low on his face. And God said to him,

4 I am, and my covenant of peace is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of many folks (and thou shalt be the father of many nations);

5 and thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thou shalt be called Abraham, for I have made thee [the] father of many folks (for I have made thee the father of many nations);

6 and I shall make thee to wax full greatly, and I shall set thee in folks (and I shall make nations to come out of thee), and kings shall go out of thee;

7 and I shall make my covenant between me and thee, and between thy seed after thee, in their generations, by everlasting bond of peace, that I be thy God, and of thy seed after thee; (and I shall make my covenant between me and thee, and thy descendants after thee, in all their generations, an everlasting covenant, that I be thy God, and the God of thy descendants after thee;)

8 and I shall give to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy pilgrimage, all the land of Canaan, into everlasting possession, and I shall be the God of them. (and I shall give to thee, and to thy descendants after thee, this land where thou art now living, yea, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I shall be their God.)

9 God said again to Abraham, And therefore thou shalt keep my covenant, and thy seed after thee, in their generations. (And God said to Abraham, And so thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy descendants after thee, in all generations.)

Genesis 17:1-9 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.