the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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Genesis 17:4
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"Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
As for me, look, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
"I am making my agreement with you: I will make you the father of many nations.
"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations.
As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
"As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.
And God seide to hym, Y am, and my couenaunt of pees is with thee, and thou schalt be the fadir of many folkis;
`I -- lo, My covenant [is] with thee, and thou hast become father of a multitude of nations;
"As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That's why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham.
"As for me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations.
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.
As for me, my agreement is made with you, and you will be the father of nations without end.
It is I, behold my couenaut [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
It is I: behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of a multitude of nations.
"This is my part of our agreement: I will make you the father of many nations.
'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.
As for me, behold, my couenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
"See, My agreement is with you. You will be the father of many nations.
"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations.
As for me, lo! my covenant is with thee, - So shalt thou become - father of a multitude of nations;
Beholde, I make my couenant with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations,
As for me, behold, I am establishing my covenant with you, and you shall be a father of many peoples.
"I make this covenant with you: I promise that you will be the ancestor of many nations.
And God said to him: I am, and my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
"Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
And I, behold! my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of a multitude of nations.
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.
“As for me, here is my covenant with you: You will become the father of many nations.
"As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.
"As for me, behold, my covenant shall be with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
Beholde, It is I, and haue my couenaut with the, and thou shalt be a father of many people.
"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
"This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!
"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
a father: Genesis 12:2, Genesis 13:16, Genesis 16:10, Genesis 22:17, Genesis 25:1-18, Genesis 32:12, Genesis 35:11, Genesis 36:1-43, Numbers 1:1-54, Numbers 26:1-65, Romans 4:11-18, Galatians 3:28, Galatians 3:29
many nations: Heb. multitude of nations
Reciprocal: Genesis 6:18 - establish Genesis 17:2 - And I Genesis 17:6 - nations Genesis 26:4 - multiply Exodus 1:7 - fruitful Luke 1:72 - and Romans 4:13 - For the Romans 4:17 - I have Hebrews 7:6 - had
Cross-References
And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];
"I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the [grains of] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.
Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count."
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; Walk [habitually] before Me [with integrity, knowing that you are always in My presence], and be blameless and complete [in obedience to Me].
"And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be the sign (symbol, memorial) of the covenant between Me and you.
And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael [my firstborn] might live before You!"
indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies [by conquering them].
"And You [LORD] said, 'I will certainly make you prosper and make your descendants as [numerous as] the sand of the sea, which is too great to be counted.'"
And God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall be born of your loins.
But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; Manasseh also will become a people and he will be great; but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee,.... Who was gracious to make it, faithful to keep it, and immutable in it, though Abram was but a man, and sinful:
and thou shalt be a father of many nations: as he was of many Arabian nations, and of the Turks in the line of Ishmael; and of the Midianites, and others, in the line of his sons by Keturah; and of the Israelites in the line of Isaac, as well as of the Edomites in the line of Esau; and in a spiritual sense the father of all that believe, in all the nations of the world, circumcised or uncircumcised, as the apostle explains it, Romans 4:11.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- The Sealing of the Covenant
1. ש××× shaday, Shaddai, âIrresistible, able to destroy, and by inference to make, Almighty.â ש××× shaÌdad âbe strong, destroy.â This name is found six times in Genesis, and thirty-one times in Job.
5. ××ר×× 'abraÌhaÌm, Abraham, from ×××¨× 'abraÌm âhigh-father,â and ×× haÌm the radical part of ×××× haÌmoÌn a âmultitude,â is obtained by a euphonic abbreviation ××ר×× 'abraÌhaÌm, âfather of a multitude.â The root ר×× rhm is a variation of ר×× rvm; affording, however, a link of connection in sound and sense with the root ××× haÌmaÌh âhum, be tumultuous,â from which comes ×××× haÌmoÌn a âmultitude.â The confluence of the biliterals ×¨× rm and ×× hm yields the triliteral ר×× rhm occurring in Arabic, though not elsewhere in our written Hebrew. The law of formation here noticed is interesting and real, though ר×× rhm may not have been an actual result of it.
11. × ×××ª× nemaltem formed from × ×× naÌmal, âcircumcised.â ××Ö¼× muÌl âcut, circumcise.â
15. ש××¨× sÌaÌraÌh Sarah, âprincess.â
19. ×צ×ק yıÌtschaÌq Jitschaq, âlaughing.â
The present form of the covenant is not identical with the former. That referred chiefly to the land; this chiefly to the seed. That dwelt much on temporal things; this rises to spiritual things. That specifies only Abram; this mentions both Abram and Sarai. At the former period God formally entered into covenant with Abram ×ר×ת ×רת kaÌrat berıÌyt, Genesis 15:18); at present he takes the first step in the fufillment of the covenant ×ר×ת × ×ª× naÌtan berıÌyt, seals it with a token and a perpetual ordinance, and gives Abram and Sarai new names in token of a new nature. There was an interval of fourteen years at least between the ratification of the covenant and the preparation for the fulfillment of its conditions, during which Abrahamâs faith had time to unfold.
Genesis 17:1-8
The covenant in its spiritual aspect. âThe Lord,â the Author of existence and performance. âGod Almighty,â El Shaddai. âEl,â the Lasting, Eternal, Absolute. âShaddai,â the Irresistible, Unchangeable, Destructive Isaiah 13:6; Joel 1:15. This term indicates on the one hand his judicial, punitive power, and points to his holiness; and on the other hand, his alterative, reconstructive power, and points to his providence. The complex name, therefore, describes God as the Holy Spirit, who works in the development of things, especially in the punishment and eradication of sin and its works, and in the regeneration and defense of holiness. It refers to potence, and potence combined with promise affords ground for faith.
Walk before me and be perfect. - In the institution of the covenant we had âfear notâ - an encouragement to the daunted or the doubting. In its confirmation we have a command, a rule of life, prescribed. This is in keeping with the circumstances of Abraham. For, first, he has now faith in the Lord, which is the fruit of the new man in him prevailing over the old, and is therefore competent to obey; and, next, the Lord in whom he believes is God Almighty, the all-efficient Spirit, who worketh both to will and to do in the destroying of sin and building up of holiness. âWalkâ - act in the most comprehensive sense of the term; âbefore me,â and not behind, as one conscious of doing what is, not displeasing, but pleasing to me; âand be perfect,â not sincere merely, unless in the primitive sense of duty, but complete, upright, holy, not only in walk, which is provided for in the previous clause, but in heart, the spring of action.
Genesis 17:2
My covenant - which I have already purposed and formally closed. âI will grant,â carry into effect, the provisions of it. âMultiply thee.â The seed is here identified with the head or parent seat of life. The seed now comes forward as the prominent benefit of the covenant.
Genesis 17:3-6
Abram fell on his face. - This is the lowliest form of reverence, in which the worshipper leans on his knees and elbows, and his forehead approaches the ground. Prostration is still customary in the East. Abram has attained to loftier notions of God. âGod talked with him.â Yahweh, El Shaddai, is here called God. The Supreme appears as the Author of existence, the Irresistible and Everlasting, in this stage of the covenant relation.
Genesis 17:4
As for me. - The one party to the covenant is here made prominent, as in Genesis 17:9 the other party is brought out with like emphasis. The exalted Being who has entered into it imparts a grandeur, solemnity, and excellence to the covenant. âFather of many nations.â The promise of seed is here expanded and particularized. A multitude of nations and kings are to trace their descent from Abram. This is true in a literal sense. The twelve tribes of Israel and many Arab tribes, the twelve princes of Ishmael, Keturahâs descendants, and the dukes of Edom sprang from him. But it is to be more magnificently realized in a spiritual sense. âNationsâ is a term usually applied, not to the chosen people, but to the other great branches of the human race. This points to the original promise, that in him should all the families of the earth be blessed. âAbraham.â The father of many nations is to be called by a new name, as he has come to have a new nature, and been elevated to a new dignity. The high father has become the father of the multitude of the faithful.
Genesis 17:7
Next, the spiritual part of the covenant comes into view. âTo be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.â Here we find God, in the progress of human development, for the third time laying the foundations of a covenant of grace with man. He dealt with Adam and with Noah, and now be deals with Abraham. âA perpetual covenant.â This covenant will not fail, since God has originated it, notwithstanding the moral instability of man. Though we cannot as yet see the possibility of fulfilling the condition on manâs side, yet we may be assured that what God purposes will somehow be accomplished. The seed of Abraham will eventually embrace the whole human family in fellowship with God.
Genesis 17:8
Thirdly, the temporal and the spiritual are brought together. The land of promise is made sure to the heir of promise, âfor a perpetual possession,â and God engages to âbe their God.â The phrase âperpetual possessionâ has here two elements of meaning - first, that the possession, in its coming form of a certain land, shall last as long as the co-existing relations of things are continued; and, secondly, that the said possession in all the variety of its ever grander phases will last absolutely forever. Each form will be perfectly adequate to each stage of a progressive humanity. But in all its forms and at every stage it will be their chief glory that God is their God.
Genesis 17:9-14
The sign of the covenant. âAnd thou.â The other party to the covenant now learns his obligation. âEvery male of you shall be circumcised.â Circumcision, as the rainbow, might have been in existence before it was adopted as the token of a covenant. The sign of the covenant with Noah was a purely natural phenomenon, and therefore entirely independent of man. That of the Abrahamic covenant was an artificial process, and therefore, though prescribed by God, was dependent on the voluntary agency of man. The former marked the sovereignty of God in ratifying the covenant and insuring its fulfillment, notwithstanding the mutability of man; the latter indicates the responsibility of man, the trust he places in the word of promise, and the assent he gives to the terms of the divine mercy. As the former covenant conveys a common natural blessing to all mankind and contemplates a common spiritual blessing, so the latter conveys a special spiritual blessing and contemplates its universal acceptance. The rainbow was the appropriate natural emblem of preservation from a flood; and the removal of the foreskin was the fit symbol of that removal of the old man and renewal of nature, which qualified Abraham to be the parent of a holy seed. And as the former sign foreshadows an incorruptible inheritance, so the latter prepares the way for a holy seed, by which the holiness and the heritage will at length be universally extended.
It is worthy of remark that in circumcision, after Abraham himself, the parent is the voluntary imponent, and the child merely the passive recipient of the sign of the covenant. Hereby is taught the lesson of parental responsibility and parental hope. This is the first formal step in a godly education, in which the parent acknowledges his obligation to perform all the rest. It is also, on the command of God, the formal admission of the believing parentsâ offspring into the privileges of the covenant, and therefore cheers the heart of the parent in entering upon the parental task. This admission cannot be reversed but by the deliberate rebellion of the child.
Still further, the sign of the covenant is to be applied to every male in the household of Abraham. This indicates that the servant or serf stands in the relation of a child to his master or owner, who is therefore accountable for the soul of his serf, as for that of his son. It points out the applicability of the covenant to others, as well as the children of Abraham, and therefore its capability of universal extension when the fulness of time should come. It also intimates the very plain but very often forgotten truth, that our obligation to obey God is not cancelled by our unwillingness. The serf is bound to have his child circumcised as long as God requires it, though he may be unwilling to comply with the divine commandments.
Genesis 17:12-14
The time of circumcision is the eighth day. Seven is the number of perfection. Seven days are therefore regarded as a type of perfectage and individuality. At this stage, accordingly, the sign of sanctification is made on the child, betokening the consecration of the heart to God, when its rational powers have come into noticeable activity. To be âcut off from his peopleâ is to be excluded from any part in the covenant, and treated simply as a Gentile or alien, some of whom seem to have dwelt among the Israelites. It was sometimes accompanied with the sentence of death Exodus 31:14; and this shows that it did not of itself imply such a doom. Excommunication, however, for the omission of circumcision, would be extremely rare, as no parent would intentionally neglect the sacred interest of his child. Yet the omission of this rite has not been unprecedented, as the children of Israel did not generally circumcise their children in the wilderness Joshua 5:5.
Genesis 17:15-22
Sarai is now formally taken into the covenant, as she is to be the mother of the promised seed. Her name is therefore changed to Sarah, âprincess.â Aptly is she so named, for she is to bear the child of promise, to become nations, and be the mother of kings. âAbraham fell upon his face and laughed.â From the reverential attitude assumed by Abraham we infer that his laughter sprang from joyful and grateful surprise. âSaid in his heart.â The following questions of wonder are not addressed to God; they merely agitate the breast of the astonished patriarch. Hence, his irrepressible smile arises not from any doubt of the fulfillment of the promise, but from surprise at the unexpected mode in which it is to be fulfilled. Laughing in Scripture expresses joy in the countenance, as dancing does in the whole body.
Genesis 17:18-20
Abraham seems up to this time to have regarded Ishmael as the promised seed. Hence, a feeling of anxiety instantly penetrates his breast. It finds utterance in the prayer, âOh that Ishmael might live before thee.â He asks âlifeâ for his beloved son - that is, a share in the divine favor; and that âbefore Godâ - that is, a life of holiness and communion with God. But God asseverates his purpose of giving him a son by Sarah. This son is to be called Isaac - he that laughs or he shall laugh, in reference to the various emotions of surprise and delight with which his parents regarded his birth. Abramâs prayer for Ishmael, however, is not unanswered. He is to be fruitful, beget twelve princes, and become a great nation. But Isaac is to be the heir of promise. At the present season next year he is to be born. The communication being completed, âGod wentâ up from Abram.
Genesis 17:23-27
In the self-same day. - In this passage we have the prompt and punctual fulfillment of the command concerning circumcision detailed with all the minuteness due to its importance. Ishmael was thirteen years of age when he was circumcised. Josephus relates that the Arabs accordingly delay circumcision until the thirteenth year (Ant. I. 12. 2).
