Genesis 17

1 When Abram [the father of a multitude, originally named Abram] was ninety-nine years old, the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] appeared to him and said, “I am God [El, the Almighty] Almighty [Shadday, the all-powerful One]. Walk [to go, to live] before Me [in My presence, face to face] and be blameless [perfect, unblemished, without defect]. word study 2 I will establish [make, give] My covenant [promise, agreement] between [in the midst of] Me and you, and I will multiply [increase, grow] you exceedingly [very much, greatly].” word study 3 Then Abram [the father of faith, originally named Abram] fell [prostrated himself, bowed down] facedown [on his face, upon the ground], and God [Elohim, the one supreme Lord] said [spoke, communicated] to him, word study 4 “As for Me [I, the Lord], this is My [divine] covenant [promise, agreement] with you: You will be the father [leader, ancestor] of many [a multitude of, numerous] nations [Gentiles, peoples]. word study 5 No longer [not any more, still not] will you be called Abram [the original name, exalted father], but your name [identity, character] will be Abraham [father of many, leader of a multitude], for I have made [appointed, established] you a father [leader, patriarch] of many [a multitude, numerous] nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples]. word study 6 I will make you exceedingly [very] fruitful [producing many descendants]; I will make nations [Gentile groups, large groups of people] of you, and kings [royal rulers, monarchs] will descend [come out, proceed] from you. word study 7 I will establish [firmly establish, make to stand] My covenant [agreement, promise] as an everlasting [forever, age-during] covenant between Me and you and your descendants [seed, offspring] after you, to be your God [Elohim, the supreme God] and the God of your descendants [seed, offspring] after you. word study 8 And to you [as a covenant promise] and your descendants [seed, offspring] I will give [bestow, grant] the land [territory, region] where you are residing [sojourning, dwelling temporarily]—all [the entire, every part of] the land of Canaan [the promised land, a land of milk and honey]—as an eternal [everlasting, forever] possession [inheritance, heritage]; and I will be [exist, come into being as] their God [Elohim, the one supreme God, their divine Protector].” word study 9 God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] also said to Abraham, “You [as a responsible individual] must keep [obey, guard, and protect] My covenant [agreement, promise, or treaty]—you and your descendants [seed, offspring, or posterity] in the generations [periods of time, or successive groups of people] after you. word study 10 This [specific, solemn] is My covenant [promise, agreement] with you and your descendants [seed, offspring] after you, which you are to keep [obey, guard]: Every male [man, male child] among you must be circumcised [cut off, dedicated to God]. word study 11 You are to circumcise [cut off, remove] the flesh [body, living being] of your foreskin [uncircumcised state], and this will be a sign [token, miraculous wonder] of the covenant [promise, agreement] between Me and you. word study 12 Generation [from one generation to another, throughout all your generations] after generation, every male [son, male child] must be circumcised [to circumcise, cut off] when he is eight [a special number] days old, including those born [born in the house] in your household [dwelling place] and those purchased [acquired with silver] from a foreigner [stranger, non-relative]—even those who are not your offspring [seed, descendants] [not of your family or lineage]. word study 13 Whether they are born [naturally, as a home-born son] in your household [your family, your dwelling place] or purchased [bought with silver, acquired], they must be circumcised [cut off, dedicated to God]. My covenant [promise, agreement] in your flesh [your body, your humanity] will be an everlasting [forever, eternal] covenant [treaty, alliance]. word study 14 But if any male [uncircumcised man child] is not circumcised [in the flesh of his foreskin], he will be cut off [excluded, destroyed] from his people [nation, community]; he has broken [frustrated, violated] My covenant [agreement, promise].” word study 15 Then God [Elohim, the supreme Being] said to Abraham, “As for Sarai [princess] your wife, do not call her Sarai [princess], for her name is to be [changed to, now known as] Sarah [noblewoman, mother of nations]. word study 16 And I will bless [praise and honor] her and will surely give [bestow upon] you a son [descendant, offspring] by her. I will bless [confer divine favor upon] her, and she will be [become, exist as] the mother [ancestor, progenitor] of nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrew communities]; kings [royal rulers, sovereigns] of peoples [nations, communities] will descend [come forth, originate] from her.” word study 17 Abraham [the father of many nations] fell facedown [in reverence and humility]. Then he laughed [with joy and amazement] and said to himself, “Can a child [a son, a descendant] be born to a man who is a hundred years old [at an advanced age, beyond normal childbearing years]? Can Sarah [the noblewoman, his wife] give birth [conceive and bear a child] at the age of ninety [in her old age, beyond normal childbearing years]?” word study 18 And Abraham [the father of faith] said to God [Elohim, the supreme God], “O that [if only, would that] Ishmael [God will hear] might live [have life, be revived] under [in the presence of, before] Your blessing [favor, divine care]!” word study 19 But God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] replied, “Your wife [woman, female companion] Sarah [noblewoman, princess] will indeed [truly, surely] bear you a son [child, descendant], and you are to name [call, proclaim] him Isaac [he laughs, laughter]. I will establish [confirm, ratify] My covenant [promise, agreement] with him as an everlasting [forever, eternal] covenant [treaty, pact] for his descendants [seed, offspring] after him [following, succeeding]. word study 20 As for Ishmael [God will hear], I have heard you [given attention to your prayer], and I will surely bless him [bestow divine favor upon him]; I will make him fruitful [productive, bearing spiritual fruit] and multiply him greatly [exceedingly, to a large degree]. He will become the father of twelve rulers [leaders, princes], and I will make him into a great nation [a large and prominent people, Gentiles]. word study 21 But I will establish [formally confirm, ratify] My covenant [promise, agreement, alliance] with Isaac [he laughs, son of Abraham], whom [which, the one] Sarah [noblewoman, princess] will bear [give birth, beget] to you at this [appointed, set] time [season, meeting] next year [the following year, a year from now].” word study 22 When He had finished [completed, ended] speaking [communicating, conversing] with Abraham, God [Elohim, the supreme God] went up [ascended, rose] from him [away from, leaving]. word study 23 On that very day [in the selfsame day, as God had commanded] Abraham [the father of many nations] took his son Ishmael [God will hear] and all those born [naturally born, home-born] in his household [his family, his dwelling place] or purchased [bought, acquired] with his money [silver, wealth]—every male [man, male person] among the members of Abraham’s household [his family, his servants]—and he circumcised [cut off the foreskin, performed the covenant sign] them, just as God [Elohim, the supreme God] had told [spoken, commanded] him. word study 24 So Abraham [the father of many nations] was ninety-nine [ninety and nine] years old when he was circumcised [in the flesh of his foreskin, physically marked as a covenant sign], word study 25 and his son [a descendant, offspring] Ishmael [God will hear] was thirteen [thirteen years old, a son of thirteen years]; word study 26 Abraham [the father of faith, Abram] and his son [descendant, offspring] Ishmael [God will hear, his name meaning divine listening] were circumcised [physically cut, spiritually dedicated] on the same day [in this selfsame day, at that very moment]. word study 27 And all [every single one] the men [male persons, individuals] of Abraham’s household [family, dwelling place]—both servants [those born into service] born in his household [family home] and those purchased [acquired, bought with money] from foreigners [strangers, non-Hebrews]—were circumcised [cut off, spiritually separated] with him. word study