Genesis 17:4-19

4 "I make this covenant with you: I promise that you will be the ancestor of many nations.

5 Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, because I am making you the ancestor of many nations. ¹

6 I will give you many descendants, and some of them will be kings. You will have so many descendants that they will become nations.

7 "I will keep my promise to you and to your descendants in future generations as an everlasting covenant. I will be your God and the God of your descendants. ²

8 I will give to you and to your descendants this land in which you are now a foreigner. The whole land of Canaan will belong to your descendants forever, and I will be their God." ³

9 God said to Abraham, "You also must agree to keep the covenant with me, both you and your descendants in future generations.

10 You and your descendants must all agree to circumcise every male among you. ⁴

11 From now on you must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old, including slaves born in your homes and slaves bought from foreigners. This will show that there is a covenant between you and me.

13 Each one must be circumcised, and this will be a physical sign to show that my covenant with you is everlasting.

14 Any male who has not been circumcised will no longer be considered one of my people, because he has not kept the covenant with me."

15 God said to Abraham, "You must no longer call your wife Sarai; from now on her name is Sarah.

16 I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become the mother of nations, and there will be kings among her descendants."

17 Abraham bowed down with his face touching the ground, but he began to laugh when he thought, "Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old? Can Sarah have a child at ninety?"

18 He asked God, "Why not let Ishmael be my heir?"

19 But God said, "No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son and you will name him Isaac. I will keep my covenant with him and with his descendants forever. It is an everlasting covenant.

Genesis 17:4-19 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.

Cross References

• 1. 17.5Romans 4.17.
• 2. 17.7Luke 1.55.
• 3. 17.8Acts 7.5.
• 4. 17.10Acts 7.8;Romans 4.11.

Footnotes

• [a]. abraham: [This name sounds like the Hebrew for "ancestor of many nations."]
• [b]. sarah: [This name in Hebrew means "princess."]
• [c]. isaac: [This name in Hebrew means "he laughs."]