Genesis 17
Expanded Bible
Proof of the Covenant
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am ·God Almighty [L El Shaddai]. ·Obey [L Walk before] me and ·do what is right [L be innocent/blameless; Job 1:1]. 2 I will make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] between ·us [L me and you], and I will make you ·the ancestor of many people [L exceedingly numerous].”
3 Then Abram ·bowed facedown on the ground [L fell on his face]. God said to him, 4 “I am making my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] with you: I will make you the father of ·many [L a host/multitude of] nations. 5 I am changing your name from Abram [C meaning “exalted father”] to Abraham [C sounds like “father of a multitude” in Hebrew] because I am making you a father of ·many [L a host/multitude of] nations. 6 I will ·give you many descendants [L cause you to be exceedingly fruitful; 1:22]. ·New nations will be born from you [L I will make nations of you], and kings will come from you. 7 And I will make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] between me and you and all your ·descendants [L seed] ·from now on [or forever]: I will be your God and the God of all your descendants. 8 You live in the land of Canaan now as a ·stranger [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien], but I will give you and your ·descendants [L seed] all this land ·forever [L as a permanent possesssion]. And I will be the God of your ·descendants [L seed].”
9 Then God said to Abraham, “You and your ·descendants [seed] must ·keep [obey; guard] this ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] ·from now on [L throughout their generations]. 10 This is my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] with you and all your ·descendants [L seed], which you must ·obey [keep; guard]: Every male among you must be circumcised [C the ritual of membership in the covenant/treaty]. 11 ·Cut away [Circumcise] [L the flesh of] your foreskin ·to show that you are prepared to follow the agreement [L as a sign of the covenant/treaty] between me and you. 12 ·From now on [L Throughout your generations] when a baby boy is eight days old, you will circumcise him. This includes any ·boy born among your people [L house-born slave] or any who is ·your slave [L bought with money from a foreigner], who is not one of your ·descendants [L seed]. 13 Circumcise every baby boy whether he is born in your ·family [L house] or bought ·as a slave [L with money from a foreigner]. ·Your bodies will be marked to show that you are part of my agreement [L …so that my covenant/treaty might be in your flesh as a covenant/treaty] that lasts forever. 14 Any [L uncircumcised] male ·who [L whose foreskin] is not circumcised will be cut off from his people, because he has broken my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18].”
Isaac—the Promised Son
15 God said to Abraham, “I will change the name of Sarai [C meaning “princess” in her native dialect; 11:29], your wife, to Sarah [C also meaning “princess,” but in a dialect of Canaan, signifying her transition to the Promised Land]. 16 I will bless her and give ·her a son, and you will be the father [L from her to you a son]. She will ·be the mother of [give rise to] many nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”
17 Abraham ·bowed facedown on the ground [L fell on his face] and laughed. He ·said to himself [thought; L said in his heart], “Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth to a child when she is ninety?” 18 Then Abraham said to God, “Please let Ishmael ·be the son you promised [L live before you].”
19 God said, “·No, [or Yes, but] Sarah your wife will have a son, and you will name him Isaac [C related to the verb meaning “to laugh”]. I will make my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] with him to be an ·agreement that continues forever [eternal covenant/treaty] with all his ·descendants [L seed].
20 “As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bless him and ·give him many descendants [L make him fruitful]. And I will cause their numbers to grow greatly. He will be the father of twelve great ·leaders [princes; chiefs; 25:16], and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will make my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] with Isaac, the son whom Sarah will have at this same time next year.” 22 After ·God [L he] finished talking with Abraham, God ·rose and left him [L went up from Abraham].
23 Then Abraham ·gathered [L took] Ishmael, all the males ·born in his camp [L of his house], and ·the slaves he had bought [L those bought with money]. So that day Abraham circumcised [L the flesh of his foreskin of] every man and boy in his camp as God had told him to do. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he ·was circumcised [L circumcised the flesh of his foreskin]. 25 And Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised [L in the flesh of his foreskin]. 26 Abraham and his son were circumcised on the same day. 27 Also on that day all the men in Abraham’s camp were circumcised, including all those born in his ·camp [L house] and all ·the slaves he had bought from other nations [L all those bought of a stranger].
Genesis 17
Names of God Bible
The Lord’s Fifth Promise to Abraham
17 When Abram was 99 years old, Yahweh appeared to him. He said to Abram, “I am El Shadday. Live in my presence with integrity. 2 I will give you my promise,[a] and I will give you very many descendants.” 3 Immediately, Abram bowed with his face touching the ground, and again Elohim spoke to him, 4 “My promise is still with you. You will become the father of many nations. 5 So your name will no longer be Abram [Exalted Father], but Abraham [Father of Many] because I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will give you many descendants. Many nations and kings will come from you. 7 I will make my promise to you and your descendants for generations to come as an everlasting promise. I will be your Elohim and the God of your descendants. 8 I am also giving this land where you are living—all of Canaan—to you and your descendants as your permanent possession. And I will be your Elohim.”
9 Elohim also said to Abraham, “You and your descendants in generations to come are to be faithful to my promise. 10 This is how you are to be faithful to my promise: Every male among you is to be circumcised. 11 All of you must be circumcised. That will be the sign of the promise from me to you. 12 For generations to come every male child who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether he is born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner who’s not related to you. 13 Every male born in your household or bought with your money is to be circumcised without exception. So my promise will be a sign on your flesh, an everlasting promise. 14 Any uncircumcised male must be excluded from his people because he has rejected my promise.”
15 Elohim said to Abraham, “Don’t call your wife by the name Sarai anymore. Instead, her name is Sarah [Princess]. 16 I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become a mother of nations, and kings will come from her.” 17 Immediately, Abraham bowed with his face touching the ground. He laughed as he thought to himself, “Can a son be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, have a child?” 18 Then Abraham said to Elohim, “Why not let Ishmael be my heir?”
19 Elohim replied, “No! Your wife Sarah will give you a son, and you will name him Isaac [He Laughs]. I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants. 20 I have heard your request about Ishmael. Yes, I will bless him, make him fertile, and increase the number of his descendants. He will be the father of 12 princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But I will make my promise to Isaac. Sarah will give birth to him at this time next year.” 22 When Elohim finished speaking with Abraham, he left him.
Abraham’s Household Circumcised
23 So Abraham took his son Ishmael, everyone born in his household, and everyone bought with money—every male in his household—and circumcised them that day, as Elohim had told him. 24 Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised. 25 His son Ishmael was 13 years old when he was circumcised. 26 That same day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 All the men of his household, whether born in the household or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 17:2 Or “covenant.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.