Genesis 17:1-27

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:6

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful ,.... In children, for he had not only a son by Sarai, from whom sprung a numerous offspring, but he had six sons by Keturah, who became the heads of large nations: and I will make nations of thee ; as the nations of Israel and Judah, of the Midianites and Edomites, of the Arabs, Saracens, and Turks: and kings shall come out of thee ; as the twelve princes of Ishmael, the kings of Edom and Midian, of the Arabs, Saracens, and Turks, and of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:7

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee ,.... Not only renew it, but confirm it by the following token of circumcision: and thy seed after thee, in their generation ; such blessings in it as belonged to his natural seed, as such he confirmed to them, to be enjoyed by them in successive ages; and such as belonged to his spiritual seed, to them also, as they should be raised up in future times in one place and another: for an everlasting covenant ; to his natural seed, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:8

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee ,.... To him in right, and to them in possession, and for an inheritance: the land wherein thou art a stranger ; or "the land of sojournings" or "pilgrimages" F12 ארץ מגריך "terram peregrinationum tuarum", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.; , which were many; for he often removed from place to place, and sometimes sojourned in one place, and sometimes in another: all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession ; this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:9

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. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:10

This is my covenant ,.... The token of it, for the promise itself was given before, which is more properly the covenant; circumcision is so called in an improper sense, being only the sign of it: which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee ; which was to be observed by Abraham, and the males in his house then with him, as Ishmael, and those that were born in his house, or bought with his money, and by his posterity in succeeding ages, and it is what follows: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:11

And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin ,.... Or "the foreskin of your flesh" F21 את בשר ערלתכם "praeputium carnis vestrae", Drusius, Piscator. ; by an hypallage F22 According to E. W. Bullinger, "hypallage" "relates to an interchange of construction whereby an adjective or other word, which `logically' belongs to one connection, is grammatically united with another, so that what is said or attributed to one things ought to be said or attributed to another". ,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:12

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. The reasons why this rite was ordered to be performed in infancy, according to Maimonides F4 Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 49. p. 506. , were, because if it had been deferred to riper age it might have been neglected, and never performed; and because at such an age the pain is not so sensibly felt, by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:13

He that is born in thine house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised ,.... Or "in circumcising shall be circumcised" F12 המול ימול "circumcidendo circumcidetur", Pagninus, Montanus &c.; , shall certainly be circumcised; this is repeated to denote the necessity of it, and what care should be taken that this be done, because there was to be no uncircumcised male among them, Genesis 17:10 ; nor any conversation and communion to be had among them,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:14

And the uncircumcised man child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised ,.... Whose circumcision was neglected by his father, or by his mother, or by the civil magistrate, or by himself; for each of these, according to the Jewish canons, were obliged to see this performed;"the commandment lies upon a father to circumcise his son, and upon a master to circumcise his servants born in his house, or bought with money F13 Maimon. ut supra, (Hilchot Milah) c. 1. sect. 1. :'and it is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:15

And God said unto Abraham ,.... After he had changed his name, and given him the covenant of circumcision: as for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah her name shall be ; her former name Sarai signifies "my princess", or rather "princesses", being to him in the room of many, and better than ten thousand; yet only a princess to him, and in his family, being sole mistress there: but Sarah signifies, as Jarchi observes, "princess" absolutely, because she was... read more

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