Genesis 17 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And Abram was ninety-nine years old, when Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said to him, I [am] the Almighty God: walk before my face, and be perfect.
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 And I will set my covenant between me and thee, and will very greatly multiply thee.
2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
3 And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying,
3 Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,
4 It is I: behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of a multitude of nations.
4 “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 And thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.
5 Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6 And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.
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 to thee, and to thy seed after thee.
7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you.
8 And I give to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be a God to them.
8 I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”
9 And God said to Abraham, And [as for] thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations.
9 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 ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee — that every male among you be circumcised.
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 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and [that] shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you.
12 And at eight days old shall every male in your generations be circumcised among you — he who is born in the house, and he who is bought with money, any stranger who is not of thy seed.
12 He who is eight days old shall 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 offspring.
13 He who is born in thy house, and he who is bought with thy money, must be circumcised; and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised male who hath not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his peoples: he hath broken my 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 And God said to Abraham, [As to] Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah.
16 And I will bless her, and I will give thee a son also of her; and I will bless her, and she shall become nations: kings of peoples shall be of her.
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 And Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall [a child] be born to him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?
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 And Abraham said to God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!
18 Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall indeed 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.
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 offspring after him.
20 And for Ishmael I have heard thee: behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will very greatly multiply him; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
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 will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to thee at this appointed time in the next year.
21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”
22 And he left off talking with him; and God went up from Abraham.
22 When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money — every male among the people of Abraham's house — and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that same day, as God had said to him.
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 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
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.
25 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;
26 In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised.
27 and all the men of his house, born in his house, or bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abraham
Called by God, he left home in faith to become the father of a chosen people.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 12–25
Ishmael
Abraham's son by Hagar, blessed by God to become a great nation.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 16; 17:20; 21; 25:12–18
Sarah
Wife of Abraham who bore Isaac in her old age, long after hope seemed gone.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 17-21
Cross references (26)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Philippians 4:13; Ephesians 3:20; Luke 1:6; Genesis 18:14; Genesis 6:9
- 2 Genesis 17:4–6; Genesis 12:2; Genesis 15:18; Psalm 105:8–11; Genesis 13:16
- 3 Genesis 17:17; Judges 13:20; Matthew 17:6; Joshua 5:14; Numbers 16:45
- 4 Genesis 35:11; Romans 4:11–18; Galatians 3:28–29; Genesis 12:2; Genesis 22:17
- 5 Matthew 1:21–23; Nehemiah 9:7; Romans 4:17; Genesis 17:15; Genesis 32:28
- 6 Genesis 17:4; Matthew 1:6–17; Genesis 35:11; Genesis 17:16; Genesis 17:20
- 7 Romans 9:7–9; Genesis 26:24; Acts 2:39; Genesis 15:18; Hebrews 8:10
- 8 Leviticus 26:12; Psalm 105:11; Genesis 12:7; Exodus 6:7; Genesis 13:15
- 9 Psalm 25:10; Psalm 103:18; Isaiah 56:4–5
- 10 Acts 7:8; Colossians 2:11–12; Galatians 5:3–6; Romans 4:9–11; Joshua 5:2
- 11 Romans 4:11; Acts 7:8; Deuteronomy 10:16; Exodus 4:25; Joshua 5:3
- 12 Leviticus 12:3; Luke 2:21; Philippians 3:5; Exodus 12:48–49; Luke 1:59
- 13 Exodus 12:44; Nehemiah 5:8; Genesis 37:36; Exodus 21:16; Genesis 37:27
- 14 Exodus 4:24–26; Numbers 15:30–31; Exodus 12:19; Exodus 30:33; Isaiah 33:8
- 15 Genesis 32:28; Genesis 17:5; 2 Samuel 12:25
- 16 Genesis 35:11; 1 Peter 3:6; Isaiah 49:23; Galatians 4:26–31; Genesis 18:10–14
- 17 Genesis 18:12; Genesis 21:6; Romans 4:19–20; John 8:56; Revelation 11:16
- 18 Acts 2:39; Psalm 4:6; Psalm 41:12; Genesis 4:14; Jeremiah 32:39
- 19 Genesis 21:2–3; Luke 1:13–20; Genesis 18:10–14; Galatians 4:28–31; Genesis 21:6
- 20 Genesis 21:18; Genesis 21:13; Genesis 25:12–18; Genesis 16:10–12
- 21 Genesis 21:2–3; Genesis 26:2–5; Genesis 18:10; Romans 9:9; Galatians 3:29
- 22 Genesis 35:9–15; Genesis 18:33; John 10:30; Deuteronomy 5:4; Judges 13:20
- 23 Psalm 119:60; Proverbs 27:1; Genesis 17:10–14; Genesis 18:19; Genesis 17:26–27
- 24 Romans 4:11; Genesis 12:4; Genesis 17:17; Romans 4:19–20; Genesis 17:1
- 26 Psalm 119:60; Genesis 12:4; Genesis 22:3–4
- 27 Genesis 18:19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For it declares: "God said unto Abraham, Every male among you shall be circumcised; and ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, as a token of the covenant between Me and you." This same does Ezekiel the prophet say with regard to the Sabbaths: "Also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that …
… handmaid's son, "when Abram was ninety years old and nine, God appeared to him, and said unto him, I am God; be well-pleasing in my sight, and be without complaint, and I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will fill thee exceedingly." Here there are more distinct promises about the calling of the nations in Isaac, that …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Being faithful in these things, he was sealed for righteousness, and received circumcision as a seal of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, having received a promise that he should be the father of many nations.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
When it is said, "The male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people, because he hath broken my covenant," some may be troubled how that ought to be understood, since it can be no fault of the infant whose life it is said must perish; nor has the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
And I will give thee a son of Sarah; and I will bless him, and he shall become nations, and kings of nations shall be of him," --a promise which we now see fulfilled in Christ,--from that time forward this couple are not called in Scripture, as formerly, Abram and Sarai, but Abraham and Sarah, as we have called them …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)