8. Covenant Sign of Circumcision (17:1-27)

Thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael (16:16; 17:1,24), the Lord appeared to Abram again, reiterating the promises of descendants and land (12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:1,4-5,18-21) and instructing him in the sign and seal of covenant circumcision. The theophanic message addressed the same question of an heir both Abram and Sarai had raised. Abram had proposed the substitute Eliezer (15:3), and Sarai had provided the surrogate wife, Hagar (16:2), whose son Ishmael Abram hoped would be accepted (17:18). The Lord, however, would accomplish his better plan through Isaac, the heir to be born to Abram’s wife (vv. 16,19,21). The covenant promises in chap. 17 echo what had already been announced to Abram but with the new emphasis on the covenant’s perpetuity (vv. 7,8,13,19; cp. 13:15) and the new feature of the “sign” of circumcision (v. 11). Circumcision of the male’s foreskin as a sign and seal is especially fitting for the covenant’s orientation toward future generations (vv. 7-10,19). The Lord provides also new assurances to Abram by conferring the names “Abraham” and “Sarah,” attributing promissory significance to the couple’s status as progenitors of new “nations” (gôyim, vv. 4-5,15-16; cp. 12:2). Even Ishmael, the nonelect son, will father “a great nation [gôy]” by divine promise (v. 20). Ishmael, although he too is circumcised (v. 23), does not inherit the covenant (v. 21), and, while he receives “blessing” (v. 20), it is not in perpetuity.

Composition. Chapter 17 is commonly treated as a literary unity coming from the Priestly writer (P) because of its legislation of circumcision and the chapter’s “P-like” vocabulary (e.g., “El Shaddai,” “confirm” [heqîm] a covenant). The chapter, as we noted above, mirrors the Noahic covenant in significant features (9:8-17), which source critics also universally consider priestly (P). The date of the chapter is exilic, answering the exiles’ need for assurance that there would yet be kings and a land for them. Typically, scholars interpreted chaps. 15 (E/J sources) and 17 (P source) as parallel traditions (“doublets”), recognizing that chap. 17 especially emphasizes the promise of numerous descendants. Yet other voices explain chap. 17 as a free composition relying on a complex compilation of earlier sources rather than a true doublet to chap. 15’s covenant account. McEvenue believes that 17:1-8 relies directly on chap. 15 and 17:15-22 rests on 18:1-16,33, the Yahwist’s account of the promise of an heir. Chapter 17 is the priestly reinterpretation of both passages, transforming the simple oath and promise into an eternal covenant legislating circumcision.

Not only is chap. 17 usually accepted as a late advancement over the earlier stories, many believe the chapter exhibits an original independence of its present context. Among the arguments Carr puts forward are these: the appearance of El Shaddai indicates that the story comes from a literary layer in which the patriarchs do not know the name Yahweh (unlike 15:7); mention is made of the promises of children and land, but chap. 17 appears unaware of the same promises in prior stories (e.g., 15:4-5,7-18); the announcement of the birth, mention of Sarah’s old age, and the surprise of Abraham (17:15-21) recur in 18:10-14, but this time it is Sarah’s laughter, not Abraham’s; and finally the author of chap. 17, if aware of the present context, would not have “replayed” the events but would have modified them in his new composition.

We will show below that the author of chap. 17 is fully aware of the Abraham events, but not to the extent of direct literary dependence. Alexander has demonstrated that the proposed correlations between chap. 17 and chaps. 15 and 18 are not sufficiently clear to support a literary indebtedness. The passages selected for comparison from chaps. 15 and 18 are limited to a few verses from each rather than the whole of the respective accounts. If the author of chap. 17 wants to adapt (or even “correct”) the account of the patriarchal oath, it is striking that he avoids any mention of the animal slaughter (vv. 9-10), a subject that ordinarily was important to priests and a long-lost cultic practice probably desired by the exiles. Also it is difficult to see how such a tightly ordered structure as found in chap. 17 (see “Structure” below) could be achieved if the author embedded portions of two other pericopes without significant modifications. Moreover, the repetitions of chap. 17 with chaps. 15 and 18 are better explained on different rhetorical and exegetical grounds. Repetition of the promises, for example, is a common feature of the Abraham narrative as a whole, and there is no reason to insist that chap. 17 crossreferences earlier notices of the promises. Also the use of divine names (e.g., El Shaddai) for discerning different sources or redactional layers is now recognized by many critics as unreliable. Finally, the appeal to P’s unique vocabulary is equally problematic as a criterion since the same words may appear in non-P passages. As we will show below (see “Covenant”) the Noahic covenant (chaps. 6-9, see vol. 1a, pp. 352-56) and chap. 17 share remarkably the same terms; this is not the result of the same source (P), however, but the consequence of sharing the same subject matter of covenant and the use of the same basic covenant framework of a royal grant.

Chapter 17’s episode is not unfamiliar with the events of chaps. 15-18, calling into question the popular view of an independent source. The author of chap. 17 is fully aware of the Abraham complex of stories, especially chap. 15. It fits comfortably in the horizon of the promissory theme in the Abraham story, presupposing the promises of chaps. 12-13 and 15-16. Abraham’s proposal of Ishmael as heir (17:18) makes sense only in light of the events in chaps. 15 and 16; further, the divine predictions respecting Isaac and his rival Ishmael (17:19-21) echo the same concerns raised by Abram and Sarai in 15:2-4 and chap. 16, pertaining to substitute heirs and a future for the outcast Ishmael. Chronological notices in 16:16 and 17:1 provide a smooth transition between the chapters. The promise of “many nations” (17:4-5) is presaged by the prediction of Ishmael’s prodigious future (16:10; 17:20). Also chap. 17 anticipates the additional revelation in chap. 18 by the prediction of the heir born to Sarah in a year’s time (17:21; 18:10,14); in turn 18:9-15 presumes the names “Abraham” and “Sarah” (17:5,15). Sarah, as did Abraham, laughs at the impossibility of God’s announcement (17:17; 18:12), but the differences in their respective exegetical functions make it unlikely that the two occasions are the result of a borrowing. Chapters 17 and 18 also share interest in what the covenant meant for the destinies of Abraham’s rejected relatives, Ishmael (17:20) and Lot (18:16-33). Both narratives introduce and conclude their theophanic revelation by “appeared” (wayyeraʿ; 17:1; 18:1) and “finished speaking” (kalâ dibber; 17:22; 18:33).

Finally, there is similarity in the narrative structures occurring in chap. 17 and chaps. 15-16 and 18-19; chap. 17 has parallel units or panels as found in chaps. 15-16 and is also chiastic in arrangement as found in 16:7-14 and chaps. 18-19 (see commentary there). Taken together, the evidence points to chap. 17 as an original part of the complex of Abraham stories concerning Ishmael and Isaac created by the same author. Chapter 17 is not a literary doublet of chap. 15, although the two are related. We will now examine how best to explain exegetically and theologically the continuity and discontinuity the two chapters exhibit.

Covenant. The “covenant of circumcision” (Acts 7:8) is a subsequent stage in the revelation of the covenant made with Abram (15:18, “made a covenant,” karat berît) and formally ratified by animal rite (15:17). Some scholars prefer to characterize chap. 17 as a “confirmation” or “reaffirmation” of the initial covenant. In this view too, however, many admit that the covenant of chap. 17 evidences some development or clarification of chap. 15. Although there is a difference in these two interpretations, we do not want to overdraw them. What they hold in common is more important, namely, that there is one covenant in view, not two covenants. The idea of “covenant” is central to chap. 17; the term berit̂ occurs thirteen times in nine verses (vv. 2,4,7,9,10,11,13,14,19). The patriarchal promises of heir, numerous descendants, land, nations, and blessing all appear in this one chapter. Chapter 17, at the center of the Abraham narrative (chaps. 12-22), emphasizes the transformation of barrenness to fruitfulness at the personal, community, and national levels. Unlike the covenant in chap. 15, which had no requirements, chap. 17 includes two demands: (1) to live uprightly before the Lord (v. 2) and (2) to practice circumcision faithfully (vv. 9-11). These obligations, however, did not constitute a covenant relationship but presupposed one already in place. As J. A. Motyer observed, “Circumcision involves the idea of consecration to God but not as its essence.” That the covenant is fundamentally a spiritual relationship, founded and maintained by God’s elective grace, is apparent by the continuation of the covenant despite the repeated failures of the patriarch and his successors to observe a blameless life, for example, the wife-sister ploy (chaps. 20,26) and the circumcision ploy (chap. 34).

The differences between the accounts of the covenant in chaps. 15 and 17 oppose the idea that chap. 17 is a priestly retread (P) of chap. 15’s oath (E/J). These dissimilarities, however, do not indicate two separate covenants. The Abraham narrative describes the giving of the same covenant in successive narrative stages, thereby maintaining the story’s tension and heightening the Genesis theology of divine provision expressed through human instrumentation (12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:4-21; 17:1-22; 18:3-15; 21:1-7,10; 22:15-18). The differences in the settings and purposes of the stages explain the progressive character of the giving of the covenant. Chapters 12 and 22 form the introduction and conclusion to the narrative account of the covenant giving, requiring the patriarch at both points to act upon the divine word (12:2; 22:2). The call of Abraham entails the promises of the covenant (12:1-3; Acts 7:3; Heb 11:8-10), which are formally presented in the animal rite of 15:7-21. The covenant rite in chap. 15 answers Abraham’s perplexity over an heir (15:4-5), reaffirming the promises made in 12:1-2c about the man and his progeny. Chapter 17 establishes the sign and seal of the covenant (Rom 4:3,11) and, as in 12:1, calls upon Abraham to obey the Lord’s demands (17:1b-2; Acts 7:8), which he also fulfills (12:4; 17:3a,23-24). Chapter 17 also answers Abraham’s question of an heir (chap. 15) but from the perspective of Ishmael’s birth (chap. 16). The orientation of the covenant in chap. 17 is the promises pertaining to blessing for the nations, as in 12:2d-3c; the author achieves this by emphasizing Abraham’s prodigious future, that is, circumcision, the new names “Abraham” and “Sarah.” Finally, chap. 22 attaches to the covenant a divine oath (22:16; Heb 6:13-14,17), which follows the climactic act of obedience (22:2,10-12; Heb 11:17; Jas 2:21). The intervals between the announcement of the promises, the ratification, the giving of the sign, and the offering of Isaac are due to the theological explanation of the development of Abraham’s faith. We recognize the same characterization of Jacob and of Jacob’s sons, who undergo a progressive moral and spiritual transformation. The series of trials to Abraham’s faith create the foils for the progressive revelations of God’s promissory covenant. The tension of an heir in chaps. 12-14 are partially alleviated in the night vision of chap. 15; the interference of Sarai in chap. 16 by the birth of Ishmael receives the divine demand for obedience and the clarification of the identity of the appointed heir in chap. 17. Moreover, the broadened horizon of “many nations” and “kings” featured in chap. 17 has its faith challenge in the issue of God’s justice and righteousness, as well as Abraham’s conduct (18:18-19), in chaps. 18-21. Chapter 22 provides the occasion for Abraham to express his faith through obedience, which receives the final confirmation of divine oath. The oath repeats the essential elements of nationhood (descendants, land) and international blessing (22:15-18). Theologically, this progression from faith to obedience is not an acrimonious pairing of opposites, as the apostle James shows in his interpretation of Abraham’s offering of Isaac (Jas 2:21-24). A progression also is seen in the Noahic covenant in which the promissory announcement (6:18) is followed by obedience (6:22; 7:5,9,16) and, last, the sign of covenant (9:1-17).

The apostle Paul treats the covenant chapters in Genesis as one covenant when he contends on the basis of the life of Abraham that salvation is received by faith alone (Rom 4:1-25). The chronological arrangement of the Genesis narrative in which Abraham’s circumcision (17:24) follows his faith (15:6) demonstrates that the rite was a “sign” (semeion) of faith, that is, a “confirmation” or “seal” (sphragida), confirming the righteousness he had already received while he was still “uncircumcised” (en te akrobystia; Rom 4:11). In his letter to the Galatians, he argued that Gentile Christians as imitators of Abraham’s faith were genuine heirs of the promises through Christ (Gal 3:6-5:12). He appealed to the example of Abraham, without maintaining the order of chaps. 15 and 17. Paul avoided the covenant of circumcision of chap. 17, relying on chaps. 12; 15; 18; and 22 and on the Hagar-Sarah episodes of chaps. 16 and 21. F. Thielman observes how the covenant of circumcision taken alone, with its insistence on ritual observance and by its nature as eternal, could be appropriated by his opponents to make their case. By the way the apostle treats chap. 17 in both passages, that is, the chronological argument in Romans and its omission in Galatians, he viewed chap. 17’s circumcision as secondary to the promissory essence of the covenant.

The covenant of circumcision shares important features with the Noahic covenant (6:18; 9:8-17): the covenants are patterned after a royal land grant; covenant “signs” (ʿôt) are established (9:12-13,17; 17:11); the covenants are “everlasting” (ʾôlam; 9:12,16; 17:7-8,13,19); and they share covenant vocabulary, “establish a covenant” (heqîm berît and variations; 6:18; 9:9,11,17; 17:7,19,21; Exod 6:4), “give a covenant” (natan berît; 9:12; 17:2; Num 25:12), and a covenant “between me and you (pl.)” (bênî ûbênêkem; 9:12,15; 17:10,11; Exod 31:13; see vol. 1a, pp. 367-68, 407-12). The Noahic grant, however, is made with all creation (9:9,12,13,16,17), while the covenant of circumcision pertains to Abram and his future generations (17:7,8,9,10), for example, “between me and the earth” (9:13) versus “between me and you (sg.)” (i.e., Abram; 17:2,17).

Circumcision functions as a “sign” like the rainbow for the Noahic covenant and the Sabbath for the Mosaic covenant, all reminders of God’s gracious promises. The rainbow is a reminder to God (9:15-16), whereas circumcision and Sabbath are reminders to both God and Israel, indicating that Israel belongs to the Lord. Also circumcision and Sabbath involve community obligations which when practiced distinguish the community as members of the covenant. Failure to observe these rites resulted in expulsion (17:4) or death (Exod 4:24-26; 31:14). Circumcision signified that the community members were fit for God’s purposes (e.g., 17:7-11; Josh 5:2-9); the metaphorical use of the rite, such as “circumcision of the heart,” indicated spiritual readiness (e.g., Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:25-26; Col 2:11).

Circumcision was not unique to the Hebrews; the Egyptians and some west Semitic groups employed circumcision (Jer 9:25-26), predominantly as a puberty rite or marriage rite. Apparently, some of Israel’s immediate neighbors did not practice the rite (e.g., Shechemites, Gen 34; Philistines, Judg 14:3; 15:18; 1 Sam 17:26,36). The term “uncircumcised” (ʾarel) when used metaphorically as a slur ridiculed Israel’s enemies, who were considered wicked (“unclean,” Isa 52:1; cp. Ezek 28:10; 31:18; 32:17-32). For the Hebrews circumcision above all possessed spiritual significance, which distinguished them as the people of God. Salvation at the Passover event in Egypt required the sign of circumcision (Exod 12:44,48). Circumcision by itself, however, had no probative value (Gal 5:6; 1 Cor 7:19) since it could be exercised by the unrighteous (Gen 34:15; Lev 26:41; Jer 9:25-26). Its practice upon infants on the eighth day (17:12; Lev 12:3, Luke 1:59; 2:21; Phil 3:5) reflected the covenant’s attention to the whole household who inherited the promises by virtue of relationship to Abraham. This relationship, although initiated by divine call and promise, demanded moral accountability (17:1,9).

When later Judaism faced the threat of an encroaching hellenization (second century b.c.), circumcision created a stir between the hellenized Jews and the orthodox. Although they agreed that spiritual circumcision was necessary, they differed over the requirement of ritual circumcision to be considered “Jewish” (e.g., Jub. 1:23-25; 15:25-34; Jdt 14:10; Esth 8:17, lxx; Josephus, Ant. 12.241; 20.38-48; 139,145; 1 Macc. 1:15; 2:46; Philo, Migr. 92; QE 2.2). The sectarian Qumran community differentiated itself from the “apostate Jews” in Jerusalem (who were also circumcised) by insisting they were the truly circumcised of heart (e.g., CD 16:4-6; 1QS 5:5). The church faced a similar debate over the requirement of circumcision for the acceptance of the Gentiles (e.g., Acts 10:45; 11:2; 15:1-5; Gal 2:12; 5:11-12; 6:12; Phil 3:2; Titus 1:10). The apostle Paul addressed this early schism repeatedly and argued that circumcision was permissible, even expedient at times (Acts 16:3), but was not required of the Gentiles (e.g., Acts 15:2,28-29; 21:21; 1 Cor 7:18; Col 3:11). Spiritual circumcision alone was required for salvation, and physical circumcision when promoted as a requirement was to be repudiated (e.g., Rom 2:28-29; 3:30; 4:9-12; 1 Cor 2:11; 3:11; Gal 6:15; Phil 3:2-3). Circumcision, in fact, could be a liability, for it only had value to those who completely obeyed the Mosaic law in every other respect (e.g., Rom 2:25-26; 3:1-2; Gal 5:2-3; 6:13).

Structure. Abraham’s “ninety-nine years” introduces and concludes the chapter (vv. 1a,24a). The theophanic revelation dominates the passage (vv. 1b-22), consisting of three parts: the promises are announced (vv. 1b-8) and explained (vv. 15-22), with instructions concerning the “sign” of the covenant (vv. 9-14) sandwiched in between. The chapter is more of a theological treatise than the typical Abraham story; the terse responses of Abraham (vv. 3a,17-18) take a minor place, giving the interchange the visage of a dialogue. After the divine pronouncements, a brief narrative reports Abraham’s immediate compliance by undergoing circumcision (v. 23). The lengthy and repetitive divine speeches are met by the author with the directness of a single statement. The final verses give the ages of Abraham and Ishmael and a summary of the chapter’s events (vv. 24-27).

v. 1a   Introduction: Abram “ninety-nine”

vv. 1b-22   Covenant revealed

vv. 1b-8   Covenant promises announced

vv. 9-14   Sign of circumcision prescribed

vv. 15-22   Covenant promises explained

v. 23   Circumcision inaugurated

vv. 24-27   Conclusion: Abraham “ninety-nine”

The major unit (vv. 1b-22) can be further analyzed in terms of the five divine speeches and Abraham’s two responses. The speeches show counterbalancing themes: speeches one-two (vv. 1c-8) address the general promise of many progeny, and speeches four-five (vv. 15-16,19-21) move to the specific concern in an individual heir. The center speech (vv. 9-14) contains the instruction on circumcision. Although only circumcision is specifically identified as a memorial “sign” (v. 11), each section of the covenant revelation contains its own reminder: the name “Abraham” for the first part (vv. 1b-8), circumcision for the second (vv. 9-14), and “Sarah” for the third part (vv. 15-22).

v. 1b   The Lord appears

vv. 1c-2   Lord: self-identification (“El Shaddai”) and preamble

v. 3a   Abram’s response: collapses

vv. 3b-8   Lord: “Abraham’s” name, divine promise

vv. 9-14   Lord: “Sign” of circumcision and obligations

vv. 15-16   Lord: “Sarah’s” name, divine promise

vv. 17-18   Abraham’s response: collapses, laughs, and offers Ishmael

vv. 19-21   Lord’s rebuttal: future for Isaac and Ishmael

v. 22   The Lord ascends

S. E. McEvenue observed a chiasmus in vv. 1-25 (yet not perfectly symmetrical) and two panels of parallel elements (cp. 15:1-6,7-21; 16:2-6). In both the chiasmus and the parallel panels, circumcision is the structural focus. Below is the chapter’s twin panels:

(1) El Shaddai Appears to Abram (17:1-3a)

1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. 2I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

3Abram fell facedown,

17:1a This brief introduction and the conclusion of the episode (vv. 24-26) provide essential information for the reader. At “ninety-nine” Abram had been in the land for twenty-four years (12:4), and it was thirteen years since Ishmael’s birth (16:16). Verse 24 repeats his age but uses the name “Abraham”; it also describes the new sign of circumcision. “Abram” may have had questions in his heart about an heir at the start, but by the end of the theophany “Abraham” readily undergoes the pain of the knife. The whole episode occurs over one day, according to the notice “that very/same day” (vv. 23,26).

17:1b-3a Identification of the covenant parties typically begins such documents (e.g., 15:1; Exod 20:1). As in the night vision (15:1b,7), the Lord identifies himself (v. 1b); here he is El Shaddai (evs “God Almighty”). Although its etymology is obscure, the epithet conveys in context the majesty and power of the divine person (e.g., Exod 6:3; Num 24:4,16; Job 11:7). Shaddai is associated in Genesis with the divine promise of children and nations (28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; 49:25; cp. Ruth 1:20; Ps 22:10).

Two obligations, “walk before me . . . be blameless,” are demanded followed by two outcomes: “[so that] I will confirm [lit., “give,” weʿettêna] my covenant . . . and (so that) I will greatly increase your number” (v. 2). The commands require a spiritual preparation for receiving the covenant sign. The two Hebrew imperatives of the sentence echo the call to obedience in 12:1-3; “Go [lek, “leave,” niv] . . . and you will be a blessing [weheyeh berakâ]” (12:1a,2d). Abram responded by departing (12:4), and because he obeyed the divine word, he is now in the place to receive this further word: “Go [hitallek, “walk,” niv] . . . and be blameless” (weheyeh tamîm; 17:1b). Such moral conduct distinguished Noah in his day (6:9; 7:1; see on these terms vol. 1a, pp. 356-57). The exhortations call for Abram to take a course of action, as in 12:1 and 22:2. The requirements may be a generic obedience, but in the context of the chapter, the only action specifically called for is circumcision, which the passage notes he expediently fulfilled (vv. 23,26).

Abram’s gripping response of falling facedown expressed his awe at the theophany (vv. 3a,17). This is the demeanor of respect toward a superior (e.g., 37:10; 42:6; 44:14; 48:12; 2 Sam 9:6; 1 Ki 18:7); also it is the action accompanying profound pleading before the Lord in a moment of crisis (e.g., Num 16:4,22; Josh 7:6; cp. the reaction of Moses to theophany, Exod 34:8). Such reaction in the presence of the Lord is recorded only of Abram and his servant (24:52) among the patriarchs (cp. the greeting, 18:2; 19:1).

(2) Abraham: Father of Many Nations (17:3b-8)

and God said to him, 4“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

17:3b-6 Verses 4-8 describe the covenant as divine in origin and character (“As for me” and “my covenant,” v. 4); the subsequent paragraph (vv. 9-14) shifts attention to the obligations of Abram (“you,” v. 9). The covenant possesses four features.

1. God will make Abram the “father of many nations” (ʿab hamôn gôyim, vv. 4b,5b). This feature is central as shown by the parallel repetition of the promise, forming an inclusion around the change in the patriarch’s name (v. 5a). By a sound play on the words “father” (ʿab) and “many” (hamôn), the Lord provides Abram (ʿabram) the signal name “Abraham” (ʿabraham, v. 5; on “Abraham,” see vol. 1a, p. 500). The giving of a new name may mark a special event (32:27-29; 35:10; cp. 41:45; Dan 1:7). “For I have made you a father of many nations” (v. 5b) expresses a future promise as though already realized.

2. The Lord will grant him numerous progeny (meʿod meʿod = “exceedingly,” v. 6). “Fruitful” (parâ) is the common metaphor for physical descendants, here echoing the creation ordinance (1:22,28) and the Noahic covenant (8:17; 9:1,7); the imagery of fecundity depicts future multitudes, constituting new nations (e.g., 17:20; 28:3; 35:11; 41:52; 48:4; Lev 26:9; Ps 105:24). The beginning fulfillment of the blessing is the population explosion experienced by the Hebrews in Egypt, precipitating their oppression and expulsion (47:27; Exod 1:7). Reference to “kings” among Abraham’s descendants indicates that autonomous nations will result (17:16; 35:11); Abraham, though not a king himself, is the ancestor of multiple royal houses. Genesis shows the progressive realization of this promise by including genealogical lists of Ishmael’s tribal rulers (17:16; 25:12-17) and Edom’s kings (36:9-43); allusion to future rulers in Jacob’s household is the blessing of Judah’s “scepter” (49:10; cf. 36:31).

17:7-8 3. This covenant is multigenerational, even an “everlasting” (ʾôlam) covenant for Abraham’s “generations [dorot] to come” (v. 7). The verse, as with the covenant stipulations cited in vv. 4-8, progresses from the person Abraham to his collective offspring: “between me and you (sg.) and your seed (“descendants,” niv) after you.” “Seed” (zeraʾ) refers to an individual (i.e., Abraham) and, as collective singular, to his posterity (see vol. 1a, p. 246). Echoes of the Noahic and Sinaitic covenants resound in this promise: the Noahic covenant with “between” (bên, 9:12-13,15-17) and “generations to come” (dorot ʾôlam, 9:12) and “everlasting covenant” (berît ʾôlam, 9:16); the Sinai covenant by “to be your God and the God of your people after you” (Deut 26:17; the similar Lev 11:45; 22:33; 25:38; Num 15:41; also “my people,” also Exod 6:7; Lev 26:12). Unlike the Noahic, which is universal (“every living creature,” 9:10a,12b,15a,16b), the Abrahamic is ultimately restricted to a particular branch of his descendants, only through Isaac (21:12), not the children of Hagar and Keturah. Genesis shows a narrowing of the appointed line, involving the election of the younger son (i.e., Jacob; see Rom 9:6-8; Heb 11:17-19).

A puzzling question for Christian readers is the meaning of an “everlasting” (ʾôlam) covenant, since circumcision ceased as a required practice among Christian converts. Circumcision was a “sign,” not the essence of the covenant; the covenant depended ultimately on the spiritual allegiance of the parties. This spiritual dimension was inherent in the covenant as the expulsion of certain circumcised but disqualified members in Abraham’s household shows (e.g., Ishmael); spiritual circumcision was the test required of all those who would enjoy the favor of the Lord (Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; Col 2:11). Hence the eternal nature of the covenant describes the spiritual regeneration of the believer.

4. The final promise combines the key elements of descendants and land. In anticipation of Israel’s possession of Canaan, the promise entails the language of the settlement period: the land (ʿereṣ) is defined by three qualifiers: “your sojournings” (megureyka, “alien,” niv); “all . . . Canaan”; “an everlasting possession” (ʿaḥuzzâ). The land promise is expressed in terms of covenant relationship, “I will be their God.” That the promise is multigenerational is evidenced by its virtual repetition to Jacob (28:3-4). Ishmael in contrast to Isaac would not share in the “inheritance” (21:10; Gal 4:30), neither does Jacob’s twin Esau (25:33-34; 27:37; Heb 12:16). This particular “inheritance” was understood in the New Testament as including the spiritual possession of eternal life (Rom 9:4-13; Heb 11:8; 1 Pet 1:4). Historically, Abraham’s generations came into their possession under Joshua and the subsequent monarchy; their status as “aliens” (gerîm) was transformed by their dispossession of the Canaanites (21:23; Exod 6:3-4; 22:21; Lev 19:34). Theologically, the promise of “inheritance” (ʿaḥuzzâ) was the divine gift reserved for Abraham’s offspring (Exod 32:13; Deut 4:21; 12:10; Josh 11:23; 23:4; Isa 61:7), tenants upon the good land (Lev 25:23). The church expanded the land grant to include the whole earth (Rom 4:3; Matt 5:5 with Ps 37:9) and interpreted it as the inheritance of eternal life (Heb 11:8; 1 Pet 1:4).

(3) Covenant of Circumcision (17:9-14)

9Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

17:9-11 The third divine speech details the obligation of the covenant which involves the practice of the covenant’s sign. The individual Abraham is emphasized at the start, “as for you” (ʿattâ; v. 9). “You [sg.] must keep” is expressed in the form of apodictic law, requiring observance of covenant obligations (e.g., Exod 23:15; Deut 19:19; 28:9). In v. 10 the shift to the plural pronoun “you are to keep” refers to future generations (Deut 6:17; 8:1). Throughout the second speech, an emphasis on future generations and the plural “you” reflects the association of the sign with procreation. “This is my covenant” identifies the covenant as the Lord’s (v. 10), and it involves “every male.” Verse 11 further clarifies the relationship between the covenant and the sign, specifying the nature of the rite. Circumcision (from mûl) involved the removal of the loose foreskin (ʾorlâ), which permanently exposed the gland of the penis. Except for the extreme practice of the hellenized Jews, who underwent a surgical reattachment of the foreskin, the rite resulted in a permanent mark.

17:12-14 More specifics follow in v. 12: the male infant at eight days was circumcised (21:4; Acts 7:8; Luke 1:59; 2:21; Phil 3:5), thus adapting the practice of a puberty or marriage rite to religious ceremony. In the cult seven days of uncleanness were counted for the new mother, followed by the infant’s circumcision on the eighth day and the thirty-three days of purification of the mother (Lev 12:2-4). The eighth held special meaning as the day of atonement or dedication to the Lord (e.g., Exod 22:30; Lev 9:1; 14:10,23; 15:14,29; 22:27; 23:39; Num 6:10; Ezek 43:27). The provision here refers to all male children born as “offspring” to the head of the household (v. 12), including Ishmael though born by a concubine. In addition, all others who either were born into the household by Hebrew parents of slavery or by those of foreign descent (vv. 12-13,23,27; cp. 14:14) must undergo circumcision. Such inclusion was based on the subservient relationship of the parent and child to the Hebrew household (cp. Exod 12:43-44; Ezek 44:9); by this mark in the body the slave identifies with the master’s covenant with God.

Verse 13 reiterates the inclusive and everlasting nature of the covenant. “In your flesh” indicates the permanency of the mark and hence the perpetuity of the covenant. The phrase “in the flesh of his foreskin” in vv. 14,24-25 (absent in the niv; see evs; also Lev 12:3) suggests that “flesh” in v. 13 also refers to the male penis (cf. Lev 15:2-3; Ezek 16:16; 23:20). No special concessions were made for any (adult) person who refused to undergo the custom; the severe threat of expulsion motivated any squeamish offender to reconsider (v. 14). Such excommunication symbolically meant the person’s death in the eyes of the community (e.g., Exod 12:15,19; Lev 7:20-21,27; Num 15:30; 19:13,20; for its meaning of physical execution, e.g., Exod 21:14; Lev 20:3,5; 1 Sam 28:9; or death in war, Judg 21:5-6). Breach of this custom was more than a repudiation of the community, for the culprit in doing so rejected the Lord himself, that is, “broken my covenant.” The language “to break [prr] covenant” describes Israel’s apostasy (Isa 24:5; Jer 11:10; 33:21; Hos 6:7; 8:1; cp. Mal 2:11,14).

(4) Sarah: Mother of Nations (17:15-18)

15God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

17Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

17:15-16 The fourth speech names Abraham’s wife “Sarah” (v. 15) and blesses her with the promise of a numerous progeny, even “nations” and “kings” (v. 16). This announcement exceeds that made to Abraham, as the man’s reaction shows (v. 17; 18:12). Specifically, the Lord promises she will have a “son,” in contradiction to her doubts (16:2). “Sarah” is an alternate form of the older “Sarai,” meaning “princess” (see comments on 11:29); she as the lawful wife becomes the mother of all Israel (Isa 51:2; cp. typology, 1 Pet 3:6). In the context of patriarchialism, the husband is charged with the task of renaming his wife (cp. 3:20); no explanation of the etymology is given, only implied by the association of “princess” with the later word “kings” in the blessing (v. 16). Remarkably, the Lord announces blessing directly upon the woman, usually reserved in Genesis for the male progenitors (including Ishmael, v. 20; 12:2; 22:17; 26:24; cp. Luke 1:42).

17:17-18 Abraham’s reaction consisted of the range of human response; initially, he collapses in reverential awe, laughs, reasons, and then urgently pleas. His laughter (sạḥaq) is shared later by Sarah at the annunciation of Isaac (18:12), which explained the meaning of the name “Isaac” (yiṣḥaq; 21:6). Abraham reasons that their elderly state prevents her pregnancy; again Sarah echoes the same inner dialogue of doubt (18:12). Abraham presents to the Lord a counterproposal by pleading for Ishmael’s acceptance (“if only,” lû, v. 18). The niv’s translation “under your blessing” clarifies the literal “before you” (i.e., God). Abraham’s request is not neglected by the Lord (“I have heard you”), for the boy also receives a blessing (v. 20; 21:12-13).

(5) Promise of Isaac (17:19-22)

19Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 22When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

17:19-21 The fifth divine speech answers Abraham’s concerns regarding the viability of a son born to Sarah and the future of Ishmael. The reality of a son born to Sarah is forcefully confirmed by God in vv. 19 and 21. (1) The Hebrew ʿabal can have an asseverative meaning (“yes, indeed,” av), but here the nuance is adversative (“no, but,” nasb, nrsv or “no,” hcsb; “nevertheless,” nab, njps). The niv’s translation “yes, but” retains both, with “yes” anticipating the blessing for Ishmael (v. 20) yet mitigated by the priority given to Isaac. (2) The participle “will bear you” (yoledet) is the imminent sense, “about to bear you a son”; in other words, the reality of the fulfillment can be expressed on a time line, “next year” (v. 21). (3) The annunciation includes a specific name for the child, “Isaac,” which corresponds to the annunciation of his first son Ishmael (see comments on 16:11). The sound play of the name “Isaac” (“he laughs”) in response to Abraham’s inner laughter indicated the divine intent to answer the patriarch’s wonder. (4) The Lord confirms his promise (“I will establish,” wahaqimotî), repeating the promissory language given to Abraham (vv. 7,19; cf. v. 2). The birth announcements of Ishmael (16:11-12) and Isaac (v. 19) present a striking contrast in the destinies of the two sons. Ishmael will become the father of a great people, but he and his offspring will be outsiders, whereas Isaac will assume his father’s inheritance.

Ishmael is also the concern of the Lord; he ensures the troubled father that the boy will have a prominent future (v. 20). “I have heard you” is another play on the name “Ishmael” (“God hears”). The perfective use of “bless” (beraktî) indicates the action is viewed by the speaker as completed in a future setting: “I will bless him.” “Make fruitful” (parâ) and “greatly increase” (hirbêtî . . . bimʿod meʿod) recall prepatriarchal procreation (1:22,28; 9:1,7) and combine the promissory language of vv. 2 and 6 made to Abraham in chiastic order: “increase” (v. 2), “fruitful” (v. 6), “fruitful” (v. 20), “increase” (v. 20). Twelve “rulers” (neśîʿim) for Ishmael are cited in 25:16; the number twelve corresponds to Jacob’s household (35:22; 49:28). The term “ruler” is quite broad in usage, referring to any leader or chief, especially used of the leaders of later Israel (Num 1:16; 17:2); Abraham is designated as nasíʿ̂ (“prince,” 23:6) as was “Shechem (34:2). It may also be used of kings (melek; 1 Ki 11:34; Ezek 37:24-25). As a result Ishmael produces “a great nation” (also 21:18) as in the divine promises to Abraham (12:2; 18:18) and Jacob (46:3; cp. Exod 32:10; Deut 26:5).

The adversative “but” of v. 21 contrasts the two sons of Abraham and their respective blessings. “My covenant” (berîtî) heads the sentence, differentiating the covenant promises made to Isaac from those made to Ishmael. In the process of highlighting the qualifications of Isaac, the mother again is identified as Sarah. The prediction of his birth in one years is repeated to Abraham by the visitors (18:10,14) and is fulfilled exactly (21:1-2).

17:22 “God went up” indicates a visible ascension; it is the language of theophany (35:13; cp. 18:33; Exod 21:18).

(6) Circumcision of Abraham’s Household (17:23-27)

23On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. 27And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

17:23 Abraham’s obedience was immediate; “on that very day” (vv. 23,26) he carried out the circumcision in exact accord with divine direction (“as God told him”; cp. 12:4). The narrative description (vv. 23,27) of their circumcision corresponds to the earlier language of instruction (vv. 10-14). The paragraph repeatedly points to the inclusiveness of the rite, “all, every” (v. 23, kol [3x]; v. 27). The significance of the event is also pointed up by the twice-used phrase “on that very day” (vv. 23,27), a chronological remark used of other momentous occasions (7:13; Exod 12:17,41,51; Lev 23:21, 28-30; Deut 32:48; Josh 5:11; Ezek 24:2; 40:1).

17:24-27 The final verses (vv. 24-27) reiterate that Abraham himself performed the circumcision on his household, perhaps self-inflicted first (see v. 14), then Ishmael, and all other males. The reports of Abraham’s and Ishmael’s circumcisions are parallel descriptions indicating solidarity between father and son (vv. 24,25). Reference to their ages at ninety-nine and thirteen show further the extent of Abraham’s obedience, which involved personal pain and vulnerability. Moreover, the same formulaic description of their circumcisions reinforces the entire unity of Abraham’s household under the covenant. Abraham’s prompt action signaled a faith that indeed a child will be born to Sarah, as preposterous as it was to ponder (18:10-12). The writers of the New Testament recognized that Abraham believed that the Lord would intervene and provide a son from the aged couple (Rom 4:17-19; Heb 11:11-12).