Genesis 17:3-9
Chapter 17
“This is my Covenant with you: you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
No longer will you be called Abram, but Abraham, because I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.
I will make you more and more famous; I will multiply your descendants; nations shall spring from you, kings shall be among your descendants.
And I will establish a covenant, an everlasting Covenant between you and myself and your descendants after you; from now on, I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you, for generations to come.
I will give to you and your descendants after you the land you are living in, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession, and I will be the God of your race.”
God said to Abraham:
“For your part, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation.
Commentaries
The Covenant of the Lord with Abraham.
This passage recovers the narrative thread surrounding the Lord’s covenant with Abraham, which is interrupted by the story of Ishmael. The central point is the Lord’s command regarding the physical sign of his covenant with Abraham: circumcision (10-14), which begins to acquire religious significance. The intimate and personal experience of Abram is projected and takes shape within a community of believers who embrace this experience as both unique and shared. Circumcision serves as a sign of blessing.