Genesis 17:9
New International Version
Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.

New Living Translation
Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.

English Standard Version
And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.

Berean Standard Bible
God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant—you and your descendants in the generations after you.

King James Bible
And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

New King James Version
And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

New American Standard Bible
God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

NASB 1995
God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

NASB 1977
God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

Legacy Standard Bible
God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

Amplified Bible
Further, God said to Abraham, “As for you [your part of the agreement], you shall keep and faithfully obey [the terms of] My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

Christian Standard Bible
God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep my covenant.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep My covenant.

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

Contemporary English Version
Abraham, you and all future members of your family must promise to obey me.

English Revised Version
And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
God also said to Abraham, "You and your descendants in generations to come are to be faithful to my promise.

Good News Translation
God said to Abraham, "You also must agree to keep the covenant with me, both you and your descendants in future generations.

International Standard Version
God continued to speak to Abraham, "You and your descendants who are born in the future are to keep my covenant—that is, you and your descendants, generation after generation.

Majority Standard Bible
God also said to Abraham, ?You must keep My covenant?you and your descendants in the generations after you.

NET Bible
Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep the covenantal requirement I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

New Heart English Bible
God said to Abraham, "As for you, you are to keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

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

World English Bible
God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And God says to Abraham, “And you keep My covenant, you and your seed after you, throughout their generations;

Young's Literal Translation
And God saith unto Abraham, 'And thou dost keep My covenant, thou and thy seed after thee, to their generations;

Smith's Literal Translation
And God will say to Abraham, Thou shalt watch my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee to their generations.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Again God said to Abraham: And thou therefore shalt keep my covenant, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Again God said to Abraham: “And you therefore shall keep my covenant, and your offspring after you in their generations.

New American Bible
God said to Abraham: For your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.

New Revised Standard Version
God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And God said to Abraham, You shall keep my covenant, you, and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
This is my covenant to observe between me and you and between your seed after you, that you shall circumcise every male.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And God said unto Abraham: 'And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And God said to Abraam, Thou also shalt fully keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee for their generations.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Covenant of Circumcision
9God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant— you and your descendants in the generations after you. 10This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised.…

Cross References
Genesis 12:1-3
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. / 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 15:18
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—

Genesis 22:16-18
saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, / 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.”

Exodus 19:5-6
Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. / And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Leviticus 26:42
then I will remember My covenant with Jacob and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.

Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Deuteronomy 29:12-13
so that you may enter into the covenant of the LORD your God, which He is making with you today, and into His oath, / and so that He may establish you today as His people, and He may be your God as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

2 Samuel 7:12-16
And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. / He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. / I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ...

Psalm 105:8-10
He remembers His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations— / the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac. / He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.

Jeremiah 31:31-33
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. / It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. / “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Ezekiel 37:26
And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever.

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.

Romans 9:4
the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.


Treasury of Scripture

And God said to Abraham, You shall keep my covenant therefore, you, and your seed after you in their generations.

Psalm 25:10
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Psalm 103:18
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Isaiah 56:4,5
For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; …

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Abraham Agreement Covenant Descendants Further Generations Seed Side Throughout
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Abraham Agreement Covenant Descendants Further Generations Seed Side Throughout
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.














God also said to Abraham
This phrase indicates a continuation of God's communication with Abraham, emphasizing the ongoing relationship and dialogue between God and the patriarch. Abraham, originally named Abram, is a central figure in the biblical narrative, chosen by God to be the father of many nations. This communication underscores the personal nature of God's covenant with him, which is a recurring theme in Genesis. The use of "also" suggests that this is part of a larger conversation, following God's promise to make Abraham exceedingly fruitful and the establishment of the covenant of circumcision.

You must keep My covenant
The covenant here refers to the solemn agreement between God and Abraham, which includes promises of land, descendants, and blessings. The requirement to "keep" the covenant implies active participation and obedience on Abraham's part. This covenant is marked by the physical sign of circumcision, which serves as a perpetual reminder of the agreement. The concept of covenant is foundational in the Bible, representing God's unbreakable promises and the expected faithfulness of His people. This covenant is a precursor to the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ, who fulfills the law and the prophets.

you and your descendants
This phrase highlights the generational aspect of the covenant, extending beyond Abraham to his offspring. It signifies the enduring nature of God's promises, which are not limited to a single individual but encompass a whole lineage. This generational promise is fulfilled through Isaac, Jacob, and ultimately the nation of Israel. It also foreshadows the inclusion of all believers as spiritual descendants of Abraham, as articulated in the New Testament, particularly in Galatians 3:29, where Paul speaks of those who belong to Christ as Abraham's seed.

in the generations after you
The covenant is not only for Abraham and his immediate descendants but is intended to last through successive generations. This long-term view reflects God's eternal perspective and His plan for humanity. It underscores the importance of faithfulness and obedience across time, as each generation is called to uphold the covenant. This continuity is seen in the history of Israel and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan, culminating in the coming of Jesus Christ, who establishes a new and everlasting covenant with His people.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The Almighty, who establishes a covenant with Abraham, emphasizing His sovereignty and faithfulness.

2. Abraham
The patriarch chosen by God to be the father of many nations, through whom the covenant is established.

3. Covenant
A divine agreement between God and Abraham, signifying a lasting relationship and commitment.

4. Descendants
Refers to the future generations of Abraham's lineage, who are also called to uphold the covenant.

5. Generations to Come
Indicates the perpetual nature of the covenant, extending beyond Abraham's immediate descendants.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Covenant
God's covenant with Abraham is foundational to understanding His relationship with His people. It is a binding agreement that requires faithfulness and obedience.

Generational Faithfulness
The covenant is not just for Abraham but for his descendants. This highlights the importance of teaching and passing down faith to future generations.

Obedience as a Response to God's Promises
Abraham's call to keep the covenant is a reminder that our obedience is a response to God's faithfulness and promises.

The Significance of Identity in God
Being part of God's covenant people shapes identity and purpose. Believers today are called to live in a way that reflects their covenant relationship with God.

Faith and Works in Harmony
The covenant with Abraham shows the harmony between faith and works. Abraham believed God, and his faith was demonstrated through his obedience.Verse 9. - And God said unto Abraham, Thou - literally, and thou, the other party to the covenant, the antithesis to I (ver. 4) - shalt keep my covenant - literally, my covenant thou shalt keep - therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
God
אֱלֹהִים֙ (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

also said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

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

“As for you,
וְאַתָּ֖ה (wə·’at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

you must keep
תִשְׁמֹ֑ר (ṯiš·mōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

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

you
אַתָּ֛ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

and your descendants
וְזַרְעֲךָ֥ (wə·zar·‘ă·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

for the generations
לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃ (lə·ḏō·rō·ṯām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1755: A revolution of time, an age, generation, a dwelling

to come.
אַֽחֲרֶ֖יךָ (’a·ḥă·re·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 310: The hind or following part


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OT Law: Genesis 17:9 God said to Abraham As for you (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 17:8
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