Genesis 17:3

And Abram fell on his face ,.... At the sight of so glorious a Person that appeared to him, and in reverence of his majesty, and as sensible of his unworthiness of such a visit, and of having such favours bestowed upon him; and not because he was not as yet circumcised, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it; and so other Jewish F6 Jarchi in loc. Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 29.) writers observe, that before he was circumcised he fell, when God spoke to him, but afterwards he sat and stood, Genesis 18:1 ; but it may be observed, that not only uncircumcised persons, as Balaam, Numbers 22:31 , in whom Jarchi instances, but circumcised ones, as Ezekiel, Ezekiel 1:28 , Joshua, Joshua 5:14 , and others, have fallen on their faces at a divine appearance:

and God talked with him ; after he was raised up, and was strengthened and encouraged to stand up before God, and hear what he had to say to him; for after this we read of his falling on his face again, Genesis 17:17 ; which shows that he had been erect, after he first fell on his face: saying; as follows.