Genesis 17

Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty;*17:1 Hebrew El Shaddai walk before me, and be *ch. 6:9;Deut. 18:13;Job 1:1;Ps. 119:1;Matt. 5:48blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and *ch. 12:2;13:16;22:17may multiply you greatly." 3 Then Abram *ver. 17fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be *Rom. 4:11,12,16the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram,*17:5 Abram means exalted father but *Neh. 9:7your name shall be Abraham,*17:5 Abraham means father of a multitude*Cited Rom. 4:17for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make *ch. 35:11you into nations, and *ver. 16kings shall come from you. 7 And I will *Gal. 3:17establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, *Heb. 11:16;[ch. 26:24; 28:13]to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And *ch. 12:7;13:15;Ps. 105:11I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and *Ex. 6:7;Lev. 26:12I will be their God."

9 And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a *Acts 7:8;Rom. 4:11sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is *Lev. 12:3;Luke 1:59;2:21;Phil. 3:5eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or *[Ex. 12:48,49]bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

Isaac’s Birth Promised

15 And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah*17:15 Sarai and Sarah mean princess shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will *ch. 18:10give*17:16 Hebrew have given you a son by her. I will bless her, and *ch. 35:11she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." 17 Then Abraham *ver. 3fell on his face *ch. 21:6;Rom. 4:19;[John 8:56]and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!" 19 God said, "No, but *ch. 18:10;21:2;Gal. 4:23,28Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name *ch. 21:3Isaac.*17:19 Isaac means he laughs I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and *ch. 16:10multiply him greatly. He *See ch. 25:12-16shall father twelve princes, and *ch. 21:13,18I will make him into a great nation. 21 But *ch. 26:2-5I will establish my covenant with Isaac, *ch. 21:2whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year."

22 When he had finished talking with him, *ch. 35:13God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 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. 26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.