Genesis 17:12
in Genesis 17Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner—even those who are not your offspring.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner that is not of thy seed.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in Genesis 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHe that is eight days old - Because previously to this they were considered unclean, Lev 12:2, Lev 12:3, and circumcision was ever understood as a consecration of the person to God. Neither calf, lamb, nor kid, was offered to God till it was eight days old for the same reason, Lev 22:27.
This site's exposition
when he is eight days old
on Genesis 17:12-14
The eighth day is fixed, and Clarke ties it to the law that no calf, lamb or kid was offered to God before it was eight days old. The sign is commanded for every male in the household, the one born there and the one purchased from a foreigner. A man who refuses it is cut off from his people.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And because he is called to what is perfect, Abraham receives the oracle that summons to perfection. "Circumcise," it says, "every male of yours and circumcise your flesh"; but perfect circumcision is the spiritual one. Indeed, Scripture also teaches this when it says, "Circumcise the hardness of your heart." Even here many interpret the text to be saying, "Circumcise every male of yours," that is, your minds; for nothing is more virile than the mind. Moreover, because the male is also holy, it is said, "Every male opening the womb shall be called holy for the Lord."
The Medieval Church2 voices
A child of eight days shall be circumcised among you. For on the eighth day, that is, after the Sabbath, the Lord rose from the dead, in whose passion and resurrection we are baptized, absolved from the oldness of faults, as if we are renewed …
Every male among your generations, whether born in the house or bought with money, and whoever is not of your seed, shall be circumcised.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), which looked favourably upon the Gentiles, who should in due time be brought into the family of Abraham, by faith. (6.) The religious observance of this institution was required under a very severe penalty,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you,.... A son or infant of eight days old; it might not be circumcised before, but for some reasons might be deferred longer.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
U-nemaltem (and ye shall be circumcised) is similar to u-shemartem (and ye shall keep). 13 U-shemartem is a kal.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבֶן־ | uven- | and a son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שְׁמֹנַ֣ת | shemonat | eight | H8083 → | 109 times |
| יָמִ֗ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| יִמּ֥וֹל | yimol | he will be circumcised | H4135 → | 37 times |
| לָכֶ֛ם | lakhem | of you | ||
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| זָכָ֖ר | zakhar | male | H2145 → | 82 times |
| לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶ֑ם | ledoroteikhem | for generations your | H1755 → | 167 times |
| יְלִ֣יד | yelid | one born of | H3211 → | 13 times |
| בָּ֔יִת | bayit | [the] household | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וּמִקְנַת־ | umiknat- | and a purchase of | H4736 → | 15 times |
| כֶּ֙סֶף֙ | kesef | silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| מִכֹּ֣ל | mikol | from every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נֵכָ֔ר | nekhar | foreignness | H5236 → | 36 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֖ | mizarakha | [is] one of offspring your | H2233 → | 229 times |
| הֽוּא׃ | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וּבֶן־and a son of
uven-H1121 →4930 times
שְׁמֹנַ֣תeight
shemonatH8083 →109 times
יָמִ֗יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
יִמּ֥וֹלhe will be circumcised
yimolH4135 →37 times
לָכֶ֛םof you
lakhem
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
זָכָ֖רmale
zakharH2145 →82 times
לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶ֑םfor generations your
ledoroteikhemH1755 →167 times
יְלִ֣ידone born of
yelidH3211 →13 times
בָּ֔יִת[the] household
bayitH1004 →2046 times
וּמִקְנַת־and a purchase of
umiknat-H4736 →15 times
כֶּ֙סֶף֙silver
kesefH3701 →403 times
מִכֹּ֣לfrom every
mikolH3605 →5413 times
בֶּן־son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
נֵכָ֔רforeignness
nekharH5236 →36 times
אֲשֶׁ֛רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
מִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֖[is] one of offspring your
mizarakhaH2233 →229 times
הֽוּא׃he
hu'H1931 →1879 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 12:3And on the eighth day the flesh of the boy’s foreskin is to be circumcised.
it leads to
- Luke 2:21
When the eight days until His circumcision had passed, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 1:59
On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 7:22–23
But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.)
- Luke 2:21
Through
Luke 2:21When the eight days until His circumcision had passed, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived.
it leads to
- Leviticus 12:3
And on the eighth day the flesh of the boy’s foreskin is to be circumcised.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 1:31
Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.
- Leviticus 12:3
Through
Philippians 3:5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:22
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
- Romans 11:1
I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
- 2 Corinthians 11:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Abraham; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.