Genesis 17:13-23

13 and whoever is of your kindred, he (also) shall be circumcised; and my covenant shall be in your flesh into everlasting bond of peace (and so my covenant shall be made in your flesh as an everlasting covenant).

14 A(ny) man whose flesh of his rod shall not be circumcised, that man shall be done away from his people; for he made void my covenant (for he hath broken my covenant).

15 Also God said to Abraham (And God said Abraham), Thou shalt not call Sarai, thy wife, Sarai, but Sarah;

16 and I shall bless her, and of her I shall give to thee a son, whom I shall bless, and he shall be into nations, and kings of peoples shall be born of him. (and I shall bless her, and I shall give thee a son by her; yea, I shall bless her, and she shall be the mother of nations, and kings of many people shall be born from her.)

17 Abraham felled down on his face, and laughed in his heart, and said, Guessest thou, whether a child shall be born to a man of an hundred years, and Sarah of ninety years shall bear a child? (And Abraham fell down on his face, and laughed in his heart, and said, Thinkest thou, that a child shall be born to a man who is a hundred years old, and that Sarah, who is ninety years old, shall yet bear a child?)

18 And he said to the Lord, I would that Ishmael might live before thee.

19 And the Lord said to Abraham, Sarah, thy wife, shall bear a son to thee, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I shall make my covenant with him into everlasting bond of peace, and to his seed after him; (And the Lord said to Abraham, No, thy wife Sarah shall bear a son for thee, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I shall make my covenant with him, and his descendants after him, yea, an everlasting covenant;)

20 also on Ishmael I have heard thee, lo! I shall bless him, and I shall increase (him), and I shall multiply him greatly; he shall engender twelve dukes, and I shall make him into a great folk. (and regarding Ishmael, I have heard thee, lo! I shall bless him, and I shall increase him, and I shall greatly multiply him; he shall beget twelve princes, and I shall make him into a great nation.)

21 Forsooth I shall make my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall child to thee in this time in the tother year. (But I shall make my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear for thee at this same time next year.)

22 And when the word of the speaker with him was ended (And when he was finished speaking), God ascended from Abraham.

23 Forsooth Abraham took Ishmael, his son, and all the born servants of his house, and all which he had bought, all the males of all men of his house, and circumcised the flesh of their rod(s), anon in that day, as the Lord commanded to him. (Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all the slaves born in his household, and all the slaves he had bought, yea, all the males of his household, and at once circumcised the flesh of their rods on that day, as the Lord had commanded him.)

Genesis 17:13-23 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.