Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision

Genesis 17

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; 1 walk before me, and be n blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and o may multiply you greatly." 3 Then Abram p fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be q the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, 2 but r your name shall be Abraham, 3 s for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make t you into nations, and u kings shall come from you. 7 And I will v establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, w to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And x 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 y 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 z sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is a eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or b 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."

  1. Cross References
    Genesis 6:9
    These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.
    Deuteronomy 18:13
    You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.
    Job 1:1
    There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
    Psalms 119:1
    Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
    Matthew 5:48
    You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 12:2
    And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
    Genesis 13:16
    I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.
    Genesis 22:17
    I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 17:17
    Then Abraham fell on his face 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?
  4. Cross References
    Romans 4:11 - 12
    He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well.
    Romans 4:16
    That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
  5. Cross References
    Nehemiah 9:7
    You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.
  6. Cross References
    Romans 4:17
    As it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations" - in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 35:11
    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 come from your own body.
  8. Cross References
    Genesis 17:16
    I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.
  9. Cross References
    Galatians 3:17
    This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
  10. Cross References
    Hebrews 11:16
    But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
    Genesis 26:24
    And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.
    Genesis 28:13
    And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 12:7
    Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
    Genesis 13:15
    For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.
    Psalms 105:11
    Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.
  12. Cross References
    Exodus 6:7
    I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
    Leviticus 26:12
    And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.
  13. Cross References
    Acts 7:8
    And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
    Romans 4:11
    He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well.
  14. Cross References
    Leviticus 12:3
    And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
    Luke 1:59
    And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father.
    Luke 2:21
    And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
    Philippians 3:5
    Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 12:48 - 49
    If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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