Genesis 17
English Standard Version
Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;[a] walk before me, and be (A)blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and (B)may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram (C)fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be (D)the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram,[b] but (E)your name shall be Abraham,[c] (F)for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make (G)you into nations, and (H)kings shall come from you. 7 And I will (I)establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, (J)to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And (K)I 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 (L)I 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 (M)sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is (N)eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or (O)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[d] shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will (P)give[e] you a son by her. I will bless her, and (Q)she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham (R)fell on his face (S)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 (T)Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name (U)Isaac.[f] 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 (V)multiply him greatly. He (W)shall father twelve princes, and (X)I will make him into a great nation. 21 But (Y)I will establish my covenant with Isaac, (Z)whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”
22 When he had finished talking with him, (AA)God 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.
Footnotes
- Genesis 17:1 Hebrew El Shaddai
- Genesis 17:5 Abram means exalted father
- Genesis 17:5 Abraham means father of a multitude
- Genesis 17:15 Sarai and Sarah mean princess
- Genesis 17:16 Hebrew have given
- Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs
Genesis 17
1599 Geneva Bible
17 5 Abram’s name is changed to confirm him in the promise. 8 The land of Canaan is the fifth time promised. 12 Circumcision instituted. 15 Sarai is named Sarah. 18 Abraham prayeth for Ishmael. 19 Isaac is promised. 23 Abraham and his house are circumcised.
1 When Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God [a]all sufficient, (A)walk before me, and be thou [b]upright,
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,
4 Behold, I make my covenant with thee, and thou shalt be a [c]father of many nations,
5 Neither shall thy name anymore be called Abram, but thy name shall be [d]Abraham: (B)for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 Also I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and will make nations of thee, yea, Kings shall proceed of thee.
7 Moreover, I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations, for an (C)everlasting covenant, to be God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
8 And I will give thee and thy seed after thee the land, wherein thou art a stranger, even all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.
9 ¶ Again God said unto Abraham, Thou also shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10 [e]This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee, (D)Let every man-child among you be circumcised:
11 That is, ye shall circumcise the [f]foreskin of your flesh, and it shall be a (E)sign of the covenant between me and you.
12 And every man-child of eight days old among you, shall be circumcised in your generations, as well he that is born in thine house, as he that is bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thine house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: so my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 But the uncircumcised [g]man-child, in whose flesh the foreskin is not circumcised, even that person shall be cut off from his people, because he hath broken my covenant.
15 ¶ Afterward God said unto Abraham, Sarai thy wife shalt thou not call Sarai, but [h]Sarah shall be her name.
16 And I will bless her, and will also give thee a son of her, yea, I will bless her, and she shall be the mother of nations: Kings also of people shall come of her.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and [i]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, Oh, that Ishmael might live in thy sight.
19 Then God said, (F)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 [j]everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as concerning Ishmael, I have heard thee: lo, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him [k]exceedingly: twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make a great nation of him.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee, the next (G)year at this season.
22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
23 ¶ Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that was bought with his money, that is, every man-child among the men of Abraham’s house, and [l]he circumcised the foreskin of their flesh in that selfsame day, as God had commanded him.
24 Abraham also himself was ninety years old and nine, when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised.
26 The selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son:
27 And all the men of his house both born in his house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 17:1 Or, Almighty.
- Genesis 17:1 Or, without hypocrisy.
- Genesis 17:4 Not only according to the flesh, but of a far greater multitude by faith, Rom. 4:17.
- Genesis 17:5 The changing of his name is a seal to confirm God’s promise unto him.
- Genesis 17:10 Circumcision is called the covenant, because it signifieth the covenant, and hath the promise of grace joined unto it: which phrase is common to all Sacraments.
- Genesis 17:11 That privy part is circumcised, to show that all that is begotten of man is corrupt, and must be mortified.
- Genesis 17:14 Albeit women were not circumcised, yet were they partakers of God’s promise: for under the mankind all was consecrated, and here is declared, that whosoever contemneth the sign, despiseth also the promise.
- Genesis 17:15 Or, dame, or princess.
- Genesis 17:17 Which proceeded of a sudden joy, and not of infidelity.
- Genesis 17:19 The everlasting Covenant is made with the children of the Spirit: and with the children of the flesh is made the temporal promise, as was promised to Ishmael.
- Genesis 17:20 Hebrew, greatly, greatly.
- Genesis 17:23 They were well instructed which obeyed to be circumcised without resistance: which thing declareth that masters in their houses ought to be as preachers to their families, that from the highest to the lowest they may obey the will of God.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
