Genesis 17:15-25

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16 And I will bless her and give thee a son also of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of Gentiles; kings of peoples shall be of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him who is one hundred years old? and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac (laughter); and I will confirm my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him.

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I shall bless him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly; he shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all the servants born in his house and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in that same day as God had said unto him.

24 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Genesis 17:15-25 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.