Genesis 17:13
New International Version
Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.

New Living Translation
All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.

English Standard Version
both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.

Berean Standard Bible
Whether they are born in your household or purchased, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh will be an everlasting covenant.

King James Bible
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

New King James Version
He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

New American Standard Bible
A slave who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall certainly be circumcised; so My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.

NASB 1995
“A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

NASB 1977
“A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Legacy Standard Bible
A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Amplified Bible
A servant who is born in your house or one who is purchased with your money must be circumcised; and [the sign of] My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Christian Standard Bible
Whether born in your household or purchased, he must be circumcised. My covenant will be marked in your flesh as a permanent covenant.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
a slave born in your house, as well as one purchased with money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be marked in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.

American Standard Version
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

English Revised Version
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Every male born in your household or bought with your money is to be circumcised without exception. So my promise will be a sign on your flesh, an everlasting promise.

Good News Translation
Each one must be circumcised, and this will be a physical sign to show that my covenant with you is everlasting.

International Standard Version
The servant born in your house or the one purchased with money is to be circumcised. My covenant is to remain in your flesh as an eternal covenant.

Majority Standard Bible
Whether they are born in your household or purchased, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh will be an everlasting covenant.

NET Bible
They must indeed be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant will be visible in your flesh as a permanent reminder.

New Heart English Bible
He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.

Webster's Bible Translation
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

World English Bible
He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
he is certainly circumcised who [is] born in your house, or bought with your money; and My covenant has become in your flesh a perpetual covenant;

Young's Literal Translation
he is certainly circumcised who is born in thine house, or bought with thy money; and My covenant hath become in your flesh a covenant age-during;

Smith's Literal Translation
He shall be circumcised with circumcising, he being born in thy house, and bought with thy silver: and my covenant was in your flesh for an eternal covenant.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And my covenant shall be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And my covenant shall be with your flesh as an eternal covenant.

New American Bible
Yes, both the houseborn slaves and those acquired with money must be circumcised. Thus my covenant will be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.

New Revised Standard Version
Both the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money must be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your money, shall be circumcised; and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the uncircumcised male whose flesh of his foreskin will not be circumcised, that soul will be destroyed from his people; he has withdrawn from my covenant.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with money shall be surely circumcised, and my covenant shall be on your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Covenant of Circumcision
12Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner—even those who are not your offspring. 13Whether they are born in your household or purchased, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh will be an everlasting covenant. 14But if any male is not circumcised, he will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”…

Cross References
Genesis 17:10-12
This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. / You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. / Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner—even those who are not your offspring.

Genesis 21:4
When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.

Exodus 12:48
If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover, all the males in the household must be circumcised; then he may come near to celebrate it, and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised man may eat of it.

Leviticus 12:3
And on the eighth day the flesh of the boy’s foreskin is to be circumcised.

Deuteronomy 10:16
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.

Deuteronomy 30:6
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

Jeremiah 4:4
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”

Ezekiel 44:9
This is what the Lord GOD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh may enter My sanctuary—not even a foreigner who lives among the Israelites.

Acts 7:8
Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

Romans 2:28-29
A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. / No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.

Romans 4:11
And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

1 Corinthians 7:18-19
Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man still uncircumcised when called? He should not be circumcised. / Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.

Galatians 5:2-3
Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. / Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

Galatians 6:15
For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.

Philippians 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—


Treasury of Scripture

He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

born.

Genesis 14:14
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

Genesis 15:3
And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

Exodus 12:44
But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

bought.

Genesis 37:27,36
Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content…

Genesis 39:1
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

Exodus 21:2,16
If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing…

Jump to Previous
Age-During Agreement Born Bought Circumcised Circumcision Covenant Everlasting Flesh House Household Marked Money Needs Price Servant Surely Undergo Whether
Jump to Next
Age-During Agreement Born Bought Circumcised Circumcision Covenant Everlasting Flesh House Household Marked Money Needs Price Servant Surely Undergo Whether
Genesis 17
1. God renews the covenant with Abram,
5. and changes his name to Abraham, in token of a greater blessing.
9. Circumcision is instituted.
15. Sarai's name is changed to Sarah, and she is blessed.
17. Isaac is promised, and the time of his birth fixed.
23. Abraham and Ishmael are circumcised.














Whether they are born in your household
This phrase emphasizes the inclusivity of God's covenant with Abraham. The Hebrew word for "household" (בַּיִת, bayit) signifies not just a physical dwelling but a familial and communal unit. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a household included not only immediate family but also servants and extended kin. This reflects God's intention for His covenant to extend beyond biological lineage, encompassing all who are part of the covenant community.

or bought with your money
The mention of those "bought with your money" refers to servants or slaves acquired by purchase, a common practice in the ancient world. The Hebrew word for "bought" (קָנָה, qanah) implies acquisition and possession. This inclusion highlights the radical nature of God's covenant, which transcends social and economic boundaries, inviting all under Abraham's authority into a relationship with God.

they must be circumcised
Circumcision, from the Hebrew word מוּל (mul), is a physical sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants. It serves as a tangible reminder of their unique identity and commitment to God. In the ancient world, physical marks often signified belonging or allegiance, and circumcision set the Israelites apart as God's chosen people, dedicated to His purposes.

My covenant in your flesh
The phrase "My covenant in your flesh" underscores the personal and intimate nature of God's promise. The Hebrew word for "covenant" (בְּרִית, berit) denotes a solemn agreement or pledge. By instituting a physical sign in the flesh, God ensures that His covenant is not merely theoretical but an integral part of the people's identity, affecting their daily lives and relationships.

is to be an everlasting covenant
The term "everlasting" (עוֹלָם, olam) conveys the perpetual and unending nature of God's promise. This covenant is not limited by time or circumstance but is intended to endure through all generations. It reflects God's eternal faithfulness and His unwavering commitment to His people, offering assurance and hope that His promises will never fail.

(13) He that is born in thy house . . . --Two things follow from this wide extension of the rite of circumcision: the first, that all members of Abram's household, being thus sharers in the covenant, were also numbered as belonging to the nations that sprang from him. We have seen that even in early days his followers must have numbered six or seven hundred men (Genesis 14:14), and they were growing in multitude all the rest of his life, and during the lifetime of Isaac. They were then divided between Esau and Jacob at Isaac's death (Genesis 35:27; Genesis 36:6-7), but the diminution in the number of Jacob's family thus caused must have been compensated by those whom he gathered for himself in Mesopotamia (Genesis 30:43). All his household went down with him into Egypt, as part of his taf, translated "little ones" in Genesis 46:5, but really signifying the whole body of dependents, men, women, and children. Placed there in the fruitful Delta, they would be counted as members of that tribe to the chief of which they belonged, and would swell the numbers of the vast host which left Egypt (Exodus 12:37). The second point is, that as all who were circumcised were regarded as Israelites, so also circumcision was confined to the Israelites. It was not 'a catholic ordinance, intended, like baptism, for all people and all times. Nor was it primarily a religious institution. The bought slave was circumcised first, and instructed afterwards. No profession of faith was required, but he was admitted to the privilege in right of his master. The reason of this was that it was an admission into the Jewish nation first, and by consequence only into the church. It is one of the many points which distinguish slavery, as practised among the Jews, from the degrading form of it which existed in modem times, that from the days of Abram onwards the slave by being circumcised was proclaimed to be one of the same race and nation as his master, and thereby entitled to share in his national and religious privileges. . . . Verse 13. - He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised. Literally, circumcised, must be circumcised, he that is born, etc., the niph. inf. abe. with the finite verb occupying the place of emphasis at the beginning of the sentence (vide Gesenius, 'Grammar,' § 131). And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Whether they are born
יְלִ֥יד (yə·lîḏ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3211: Born

in your household
בֵּֽיתְךָ֖ (bê·ṯə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

or purchased,
וּמִקְנַ֣ת (ū·miq·naṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4736: A buying, acquisition, a piece of property, the sum paid

they must be circumcised.
הִמּ֧וֹל ׀ (him·mō·wl)
Verb - Nifal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4135: To cut short, curtail, to blunt, to destroy

My covenant
בְרִיתִ֛י (ḇə·rî·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1285: A covenant

in your flesh
בִּבְשַׂרְכֶ֖ם (biḇ·śar·ḵem)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

will be
וְהָיְתָ֧ה (wə·hā·yə·ṯāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

an everlasting
עוֹלָֽם׃ (‘ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

covenant.
לִבְרִ֥ית (liḇ·rîṯ)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1285: A covenant


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