Genesis 17:9

¶ And God said vnto Abraham, Thou shalt keepe my couenant therefore, thou, and thy seede after thee, in their generations.
- King James Version (1611) - View 1611 Bible Scan

God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
- New American Standard Version (1995)

And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.
- American Standard Version (1901)

And God said to Abraham, On your side, you are to keep the agreement, you and your seed after you through all generations.
- Basic English Bible

And God said to Abraham, And [as for] thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations.
- Darby Bible

And God said to Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee, in their generations.
- Webster's Bible

God said to Abraham, "As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.
- World English Bible

And God saith unto Abraham, `And thou dost keep My covenant, thou and thy seed after thee, to their generations;
- Youngs Literal Bible

And God said unto Abraham: 'And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.
- Jewish Publication Society Bible

Wesley's Notes for Genesis 17:9

17:7 And I will establish my covenant - Not to be altered or revoked; not with thee only, then it would die with thee but with thy seed after thee; and it is not only thy seed after the flesh, but thy spiritual seed. It is everlasting in the evangelical meaning of it. The covenant of grace is everlasting; it is from everlasting in the counsels of it, and to everlasting in the consequences of it; and the external administration of it is transmitted, with the seal of it, to the seed of believers, and the internal administration of it by the Spirit to Christ's seed in every age. This is a covenant of exceeding great and precious promises. Here are two which indeed are all - sufficient, that God would be their God. All the privileges of the covenant, all its joys, and all its hopes, are summed up in this. A man needs desire no more than this to make him happy. What God is himself, that he will be to his people: wisdom to guide and counsel them, power to protect and support them, goodness to supply and comfort them; what faithful worshippers can expect from the God they serve, believers shall find in God as theirs. This is enough, yet not all.

17:8 And I will give thee Canaan for an everlasting possession - God had before promised this land to Abraham and his seed, #Ge 15:18|. But here, it is promised for an everlasting possession, as a type of heaven, that everlasting rest which remains for the people of God. This is that better country to which Abraham had an eye, and the grant of which was that which answered the vast extent of that promise, that God would be to them a God; so that if God had not designed this, he would have been ashamed to be called their God, #Heb 11:16|. As the land of Canaan was secured to the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh; so heaven is secured to all his spiritual seed for a possession truly everlasting. The offer of this eternal life is made in the word, and confirmed by the sacraments, to all that are under the external administration of the covenant, and the earnest of it is given to all believers.

17:10 The token of the covenant, is circumcision, for the sake of which the covenant is itself called the covenant of circumcision, #Acts 7:8|. It is here said to be the covenant which Abraham and his seed must keep, as a copy or counterpart, it is called a sign and seal, #Rom 4:11|, for it was. A confirmation to Abraham and his seed of those promises which were God's part of the covenant, assuring them that, in due time, Canaan should be theirs: and the continuance of this ordinance, after Canaan was theirs, intimates, that that promise looked farther, to another Canaan. An obligation upon Abraham and his seed to that duty which was their part of the covenant, not only to the duty of accepting the covenants and putting away the corruption of the flesh, which were primarily signified by circumcision, but in general to the observation of all God's commands. They who will have God to be to them a God, must consent to be to him a people. Now, 1. Circumcision was a bloody ordinance, for all things by the law were purged with blood, #Heb 9:22|. See #Exo 24:8|. But the blood of Christ being shed, all bloody ordinances are now abolished. Circumcision therefore gives way to baptism. 2. It was peculiar to the males, though the women also were included in the covenant. 3. Christ having not yet offered himself for us, God would have man to enter into covenant, by the offering of some part of his own body, and no part could be better spared. 4. The ordinance was to be administered to children when they were eight days old, that they might gather some strength to be able to undergo the pain of it. 5. The children of the strangers were to be circumcised, which looked favourable upon the Gentiles, who should, in due time be brought into the family of Abraham, by faith. Here is, (1.) The promise made to Abraham of a son by Sarai, that son in whom the promise made to him should be fulfilled, that he should be the father of many nations, for she also shall be a mother of nations, and kings of people shall be of her, #Ge 17:16|. Note, God reveals the purposes of his good - will to his people by degrees. God had told Abraham long before, that he should have a son, but never 'till now that he should have a son by Sarai. The blessing of the Lord makes fruitful, and adds no sorrow with it; no such sorrow as was in Hagar's case. I will bless her, with the blessing of fruitfulness, and then thou shalt have a son of her. Civil government and order is a great blessing to the church. It is promised not only that people, but kings of people should be of her; not a headless rout, but a well modelled, well governed society.