Genesis 17:5
New International Version
No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

New Living Translation
What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.

English Standard Version
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Berean Standard Bible
No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

King James Bible
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

New King James Version
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

New American Standard Bible
“No longer shall you be named Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

NASB 1995
“No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.

NASB 1977
“No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.

Legacy Standard Bible
And no longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Amplified Bible
“No longer shall your name be Abram (exalted father), But your name shall be Abraham (father of a multitude); For I will make you the father of many nations.

Christian Standard Bible
Your name will no longer be Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Your name will no longer be Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations.

American Standard Version
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.

English Revised Version
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So your name will no longer be Abram [Exalted Father], but Abraham [Father of Many] because I have made you a father of many nations.

Good News Translation
Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, because I am making you the ancestor of many nations.

International Standard Version
Your name is no longer to be Abram. Instead your name will be Abraham, since I'll make you the father of many nations.

Majority Standard Bible
No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

NET Bible
No longer will your name be Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham because I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.

New Heart English Bible
Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

World English Bible
Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and your name is no longer called Abram, but your name has been Abraham, for father of a multitude of nations have I made you;

Young's Literal Translation
and thy name is no more called Abram, but thy name hath been Abraham, for father of a multitude of nations have I made thee;

Smith's Literal Translation
And thy name shall no more be called Abram, and thy name shall be Abraham, for the father of a multitude of nations have I given thee.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram: but thou shalt be called Abraham: because I have made thee a father of many nations.

Catholic Public Domain Version
No longer will your name be called Abram. But you will be called Abraham, for I have established you as the father of many nations.

New American Bible
No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a multitude of nations.

New Revised Standard Version
No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many peoples.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I shall make you fruitful, and I shall increase you greatly, and I shall give you the nations, and Kings will go out from your loins.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraam, for I have made thee a father of many nations.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Renaming of Abraham
4“As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you.…

Cross References
Romans 4:17
As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.

Galatians 3:29
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

Hebrews 11:12
And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Romans 9:7-8
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” / So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.

Galatians 3:7-9
Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham. / The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” / So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Acts 3:25
And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’

Romans 4:11-12
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. / And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Galatians 4:28
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

John 8:39
“Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.

Matthew 3:9
And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

Isaiah 51:2
Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.

Genesis 12:2-3
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. / I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 15:5
And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Genesis 22:17-18
I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. / And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Genesis 26:4
I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,


Treasury of Scripture

Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made you.

but thy name.

Genesis 17:15
And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

Genesis 32:28
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Numbers 13:16
These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.

Abraham.

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Abraham Abram Longer Multitude Nations
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.














No longer will you be called Abram
The name "Abram" in Hebrew is "אַבְרָם" (Avram), which means "exalted father." This name was given to him at birth, reflecting perhaps the hopes and aspirations of his parents. However, God is about to redefine Abram's identity and purpose. This change signifies a divine intervention and a new chapter in Abram's life, emphasizing the transformative power of God's calling. It is a reminder that God often calls us beyond our current identity to fulfill His greater purposes.

but your name will be Abraham
The name "Abraham" in Hebrew is "אַבְרָהָם" (Avraham), which means "father of a multitude" or "father of many." This change is not merely cosmetic; it is prophetic. God is declaring His promise and covenant with Abraham, marking him as the patriarch of a multitude of nations. This name change signifies a shift from a personal promise to a universal one, highlighting the expansive nature of God's covenant. It is a testament to God's faithfulness and His ability to bring forth life and blessing from seemingly impossible circumstances.

for I have made you
The phrase "I have made you" indicates God's sovereign action and initiative. It is not something Abraham has achieved on his own; rather, it is a divine appointment. This underscores the concept of grace, where God bestows blessings and responsibilities not based on human merit but on His divine will and purpose. It is a powerful reminder that our destinies are shaped by God's hands, and His plans for us are often beyond our comprehension.

a father of many nations
This phrase encapsulates the promise and the scope of Abraham's new identity. Historically, Abraham is recognized as the patriarch of the Israelites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, and through faith, many other nations. This promise is both literal and spiritual, as it extends to all who share in the faith of Abraham. It highlights the inclusivity of God's covenant, which transcends ethnic and geographical boundaries. This promise is fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ, as believers from all nations are grafted into the family of God, making Abraham the spiritual father of many. This reflects the overarching narrative of the Bible, where God's plan of redemption is for all humanity.

(5) Abram.--That is, high father.

Abraham = Father of a multitude, "raham" being an Arabic word, perhaps current in Hebrew in ancient times. Another interpretation of Abram is that it is equivalent to Abi-aram, Father of Aram, or Syria. This too is an Arabic form, like Abimael in Genesis 10:28. By some commentators the stress is thrown upon the insertion of the letter "h," as being the representative of the name Yahveh or Yehveh. (Compare the change of Oshea into Jehoshua, Numbers 13:16.)

Verse 5. - Neither shall thy name any mere be called Abram, - Abram, i.e. high father (vide Genesis 11:26); but Abraham - Abraham (in Arabic signifying a multitude); hence "the father of a multitude," as the next clause explains - for a father of many (or a multitude of) nations have I made thee.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
No
וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

longer {will}
ע֛וֹד (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

you be called
יִקָּרֵ֥א (yiq·qā·rê)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

Abram,
אַבְרָ֑ם (’aḇ·rām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 87: Abram -- 'exalted father', the original name of Abraham

but your name
שִׁמְךָ֙ (šim·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

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

Abraham,
אַבְרָהָ֔ם (’aḇ·rā·hām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 85: Abraham -- 'exalted father', the father of the Jewish nation

for
כִּ֛י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I have made
נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃ (nə·ṯat·tî·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

you the father
אַב־ (’aḇ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1: Father

of many
הֲמ֥וֹן (hă·mō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1995: A noise, tumult, crowd, disquietude, wealth

nations.
גּוֹיִ֖ם (gō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts


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OT Law: Genesis 17:5 Neither will your name any more be (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 17:4
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