Genesis 17:9
in Genesis 17God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant—you and your descendants in the generations after you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.
KJV
And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
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This verse in Genesis 17
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
You must keep My covenant
on Genesis 17:9-11
The sign is cut into the flesh of the foreskin, at the place a man's offspring come from. Abraham was counted righteous by faith in 15:6, years before he was circumcised, and Paul builds Romans 4 on that order. Ambrose reads the mark in the body as a pointer to the reality it stands for. The mark goes on every male.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
God said again to Abraham: And you shall therefore keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations; this is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised; …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And God said unto Abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant therefore,.... Observe the sign or token of it, circumcision, in the manner after related: thou, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; in successive ages until the Messiah come, the end of the law for righteousness.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
[EVERY MALE AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED.] Himmol (shall be circumcised) is to be read as if it had a lamed prefixed to it.
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
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֔ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| וְאַתָּ֖ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּרִיתִ֣י | beriti | covenant my | H1285 → | 284 times |
| תִשְׁמֹ֑ר | tishmor | you will keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אַתָּ֛ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וְזַרְעֲךָ֥ | vezarakha | and offspring your | H2233 → | 229 times |
| אַֽחֲרֶ֖יךָ | ʾachareikha | after you | H310 → | 715 times |
| לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃ | ledorotam | for generations their | H1755 → | 167 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֱלֹהִים֙God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַבְרָהָ֔םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
וְאַתָּ֖הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּרִיתִ֣יcovenant my
beritiH1285 →284 times
תִשְׁמֹ֑רyou will keep
tishmorH8104 →468 times
אַתָּ֛הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וְזַרְעֲךָ֥and offspring your
vezarakhaH2233 →229 times
אַֽחֲרֶ֖יךָafter you
ʾachareikhaH310 →715 times
לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃for generations their
ledorotamH1755 →167 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
Psalms 25:10All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees.
it leads to
- James 5:11
See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
- Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
- Psalms 40:11
O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me; Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me.
- Hebrews 8:8–12
But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of…
- John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
- James 5:11
Through
Psalms 103:18to those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
- Luke 1:6
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.
- Psalms 132:12
If your sons keep My covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever.”
- Deuteronomy 7:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Abraham; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).