Genesis 17: The Covenant of Circumcision
God appears to ninety-nine-year-old Abram, renames him Abraham, and seals an everlasting covenant with circumcision.
Genesis 17 (WEB)
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless.
2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
3 Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,
4 “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.
7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.
8 I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”
9 God said to Abraham, “As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you.
12 He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your seed.
13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.
16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?”
18 Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
19 God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.
20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”
22 When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
23 Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same 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 Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised.
27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Genesis 17 (KJV)
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
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 nations; kings of people 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 that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that 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: and I will establish 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 have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which 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 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were 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 the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, 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 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
Genesis 17 (ASV)
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
9 And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner that is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
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 moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; 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 that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
18 And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!
19 And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish 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 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were 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 the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, 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 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Summary
When Abram is ninety-nine, Yahweh appears as God Almighty and calls him to walk blamelessly. God establishes his covenant, changing Abram's name to Abraham, 'father of a multitude of nations,' and promising kings and nations from him and the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession. As the covenant sign, every male is to be circumcised. God also renames Sarai to Sarah and promises she will bear a son and become a mother of nations. Abraham falls on his face and laughs, wondering how a hundred-year-old man and ninety-year-old woman could have a child, and pleads that Ishmael might live before God. God blesses Ishmael but insists the covenant will be established with Isaac, to be born the next year. That same day Abraham circumcises Ishmael, himself, and all the males of his house in obedient faith.
Main Characters
- Abraham — The patriarch renamed by God, who receives the everlasting covenant and obeys by circumcising his household.
- God Almighty — The Lord who establishes an everlasting covenant, renames Abraham and Sarah, and promises the son Isaac.
- Sarah — Abraham's wife, renamed and blessed by God to bear a son and become a mother of nations.
- Ishmael — Abraham's son, blessed and made fruitful by God, though the covenant is established through Isaac.
Key Verse
Genesis 17:7 (WEB)
I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.
Lessons Learned
- God's covenant is everlasting, binding himself to be God to his people across generations.
- God calls his people to walk before him blamelessly in wholehearted obedience.
- God gives outward signs to mark his people as belonging to him.
- God keeps his promises on his own timetable, even when they seem impossible to us.
- God calls his people to wholehearted walking. God Almighty tells Abram to walk before him and be blameless, calling for a life lived in his presence and integrity (Genesis 17:1, WEB).
- God's covenant is everlasting. God promises to be a God to Abraham and his offspring after him for an everlasting covenant throughout their generations (Genesis 17:7, WEB).
- God renames and reshapes our identity. Abram becomes Abraham, father of a multitude of nations, his new name declaring God's purpose over his life (Genesis 17:5, WEB).
- God marks his people with a covenant sign. Circumcision is given as a token of the covenant in the flesh, a visible mark of belonging to God (Genesis 17:11, WEB).
- God's blessing extends even beyond the promise. God hears Abraham's plea and promises to bless Ishmael and make him fruitful, showing wide-reaching kindness (Genesis 17:20, WEB).
- Faith obeys promptly and fully. That same day Abraham circumcises Ishmael, himself, and every male of his house, obeying God without delay (Genesis 17:23, WEB).
- How does God identify himself to Abram, and what does he call him to do (Genesis 17:1)?
- What changes does God make to Abram's and Sarai's names, and why (Genesis 17:5, 15-16)?
- Why does God insist the covenant be established through Isaac rather than Ishmael (Genesis 17:19-21)?
- What does it mean for you to 'walk before God and be blameless' in everyday life?
- How does Abraham's same-day obedience in circumcising his household challenge your own response to God?
- God identifies himself as God Almighty and calls Abram to walk before him and be blameless. This sets the relationship in terms of God's all-sufficient power and Abram's responsive, wholehearted, integrity-filled life.
- God renames Abram to Abraham, 'father of a multitude of nations,' and Sarai to Sarah, promising she will bear a son and be a mother of nations. The new names declare God's covenant purpose over their lives.
- Though God blesses Ishmael, he establishes the covenant with Isaac, the son Sarah will bear at the set time next year, underscoring that the promise rests on God's choice and miraculous gift, not human effort.
- Personal: invite members to consider what walking before God blamelessly looks like in their work, relationships, and private life. Encourage integrity lived consciously in God's presence.
- Personal: let members reflect on delayed or partial obedience. Hold up Abraham's same-day, complete response as a model, and encourage prompt, wholehearted obedience to what God has made clear.