Genesis 17

Genesis · Chapter 17

Genesis 17:4

1And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.2And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.3And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,4As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.5Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.6And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.7And 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 unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.9And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.10This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.11And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.12And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.13He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.14And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.15And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.16And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.17Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?18And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!19And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.20And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.21But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.22And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.23And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.24And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.26In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.27And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
4As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.“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.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
Iאֲנִ֕י'a-NIH0589
me

אֲנָא (a.na) I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis) Aramaic of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589)

here!הִנֵּ֥הhi-NEHH2009
behold

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if

covenant myבְרִיתִ֖יve-ri-TIH1285
covenant

בְּרִית (be.rit) 1) covenant, alliance, pledge 1a) between men 1a1) treaty, alliance, league (man to man) 1a2) constitution, ordinance (monarch to subjects) 1a3) agreement, pledge (man to man) 1a4) alliance (of friendship) 1a5) alliance (of marriage) 1b) between God and man 1b1) alliance (of friendship) 1b2) covenant (divine ordinance with signs or pledges) 2) (phrases) 2a) covenant making 2b) covenant keeping 2c) covenant violation

[is] with youאִתָּ֑ךְ'i-TAKHH0854
with

אֵת (et) 1) with, near, together with 1a) with, together with 1b) with (of relationship) 1c) near (of place) 1d) with (poss.) 1e) from...with, from (with other prep)

and you will becomeוְהָיִ֕יתָve-ha-YI-taH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

into a father ofלְאַ֖בle-'AVH0001G
father

אָב (av) 1) father of an individual 2) of God as father of his people 3) head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan 4) ancestor 4a) grandfather, forefathers - of person 4b) of people 5) originator or patron of a class, profession, or art 6) of producer, generator (fig.) 7) of benevolence and protection (fig.) 8) term of respect and honour 9) ruler or chief (spec.) Also means: av (אַב "father" H0002)

a multitude ofהֲמ֥וֹןha-MONH1995A
crowd

הָמוֹן (ha.mon) 1) murmur, roar, crowd, abundance, tumult, sound 1a) sound, murmur, rush, roar 1b) tumult, confusion 1c) crowd, multitude 1d) great number, abundance 1e) abundance, wealth

nationsגּוֹיִֽם׃go-YIMH1471A
nation

גּוֹי (goy) 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.