Genesis 17:4

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 17:4-6

The promise here is introduced with solemnity: ?As for me,? says the great God, ?behold, behold and admire it, behold and be assured of it, my covenant is with thee;? as before (Gen. 17:2), I will make my covenant. Note, The covenant of grace is a covenant of God's own making; this he glories in (as for me), and so may we. Now here, I. It is promised to Abraham that he should be a father of many nations; that is, 1. That his seed after the flesh should be very numerous, both in Isaac and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:4

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee ,.... Who was gracious to make it, faithful to keep it, and immutable in it, though Abram was but a man, and sinful: and thou shalt be a father of many nations : as he was of many Arabian nations, and of the Turks in the line of Ishmael; and of the Midianites, and others, in the line of his sons by Keturah; and of the Israelites in the line of Isaac, as well as of the Edomites in the line of Esau; and in a spiritual sense the father of all... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 17:4

Verse 4 4.As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee (404) They who translate the passage, ‘Behold, I make a covenant with thee,’ or, ‘Behold, I and my covenant with thee;’ do not seem to me faithfully to represent the meaning of Moses. For, first, God declares that he is the speaker, in order that absolute authority may appear in his words. For since our faith can rest on no other foundation than his eternal veracity, it becomes, above all things, necessary for us to be informed that what is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 17:4

As for me . Literally, I , standing alone at the beginning of the sentence by way of emphasis. Equivalent to "So far as I am concerned," or, " I for my part," or, "So far as relates to me." Behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be —literally, shalt become (cf. Genesis 2:7 ), or grow to (cf. Genesis 9:15 )— a father of many (or of a multitude of) nations . read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 17:1-27

- The Sealing of the Covenant1. שׁדי shaday, Shaddai, “Irresistible, able to destroy, and by inference to make, Almighty.” שׁדד shādad “be strong, destroy.” This name is found six times in Genesis, and thirty-one times in Job.5. אברהם 'abrâhām, Abraham, from אברם 'abrām “high-father,” and הם hām the radical part of המין hāmôn a “multitude,” is obtained by a euphonic abbreviation אברהם 'abrâhām, “father of a multitude.” The root רהם rhm is a variation of רום rvm; affording, however, a... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Genesis 17:4

Genesis 17:4. The promise is here introduced with solemnity: As for me, saith the great God, behold Admire, and be assured of it; my covenant is with thee; and thou shalt be a father of many nations This implies, 1st, That his seed after the flesh should be very numerous, both in Isaac and in Ishmael, and in the sons of Keturah. And the event answered; for there have been, and are, more of the children of men descended from Abraham, than from any one man at an equal distance with him... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Genesis 17:1-27

The covenant sealed (17:1-27)As Abram and Sarai grew older, God told them again that he would be faithful to his promises. He revealed himself to them in a new name of power (God Almighty) and gave them each new names (Abraham and Sarah) to emphasize that he would make them parents of a multitude (17:1-6,15-16). The Almighty had made a covenant to be God to Abraham and his descendants, and he would give them Canaan to be their homeland (7-8).To reassure Abraham that he would keep his covenant... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Genesis 17:4

many. Emph. Figure of speech Antimereia (of Noun), for emphasis. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 17:3-5

"And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name be any more called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.""And Abram fell on his face ..." "Man on his face, God on his throne, only in this posture can God really talk to us."[10]"As for me ..." The antithesis of this is in Genesis 17:9, where we have,... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 17:4

Genesis 17:4. As for me— The Almighty begins with setting forth his part of the covenant, with declaring what he would do for Abram; and in Genesis 17:9, &c. he sets forth Abram's part of it.—In token of that increase, which, in a temporal and spiritual sense, he would give to Abram, he changes his name to Abraham, the meaning of which name is also given, as is generally the case in Scripture: thy name shall be Abraham, for a father of many nations have I made thee. Abram, it is generally... read more

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