Genesis 17:4

Genesis 17:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
• New International Version (NIV)“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

Context of Genesis 17:4

2I will establish My covenant (everlasting promise) between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly [through your descendants].” 3Then Abram fell on his face [in worship], and God spoke with him, saying, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And [as a result] you shall be the father of many nations. 5No 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. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

Genesis 17:4 word by word

אֲנִ֕י הִנֵּ֥ה בְרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וְהָיִ֕יתָ לְאַ֖ב הֲמ֥וֹן גּוֹיִֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• As for meאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
• behold, my covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• with thee, and thou shalt be a fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• of manyהָמוֹןhâmôn hâmôn · crowdH1995
• nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471

Cross-references for Genesis 17:4

• Genesis 12:2And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];
• Genesis 13:16I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the [grains of] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.
• Genesis 16:10Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count.”
• Genesis 22:17indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies [by conquering them].
• Genesis 25:1Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.
• Genesis 32:12And You [Lord] said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper and make your descendants as [numerous as] the sand of the sea, which is too great to be counted.’ ”
• Genesis 35:11And God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall be born of your loins.
• Genesis 36:1Now these are the records of the descendants of Esau, (that is, Edom).
• Numbers 1:1The Lord spoke [by special revelation] to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) on the first day of the second month in the second year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, saying,
• Numbers 26:1Then it happened after the plague that the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest,
• Romans 4:11He received the sign of circumcision, a seal or confirmation of the righteousness which he had by faith while [he was still] uncircumcised—this was so that he would be the [spiritual] father of all who believe without being circumcised—so that righteousness would be credited to them,
• Galatians 3:28There is [now no distinction in regard to salvation] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you [who believe] are all one in Christ Jesus [no one can claim a spiritual superiority].

Commentaries on Genesis 17:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-27Verses 1-27 - The Sealing of the Covenant 1. שׁדי shaday Shaddai, “Irresistible, able to destroy, and by inference to make, Almighty.” שׁדד shādad “be strong, destroy.” This name is found six times in Genesis, and thirty-one times in Job. 5. אברהם 'abrâhām Abraham, from אברם 'abrām “high-father,” and הם hām the radical part of המין hāmôn a “multitude,” is obtained by a euphonic abbreviation אברהם 'abrâhām “father of a multitude.” The root רהם rhm…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5God guaranteed his promise by changing Abram’s name. Abram means “exalted father.” This referred to his father Terah and his noble lineage (11:27). His new name, Abraham (Hebrew ’ab hamon), means "father of a multitude." This was a wordplay on the promise of his countless descendants (see also John 8:31–59; Romans 4:16–17; Galatians 3:7, 15–19, 29). Whenever the new name was used, he and his household would remember that a multitude of nations would come…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. my covenant is with thee--Renewed mention is made of it as the foundation of the communication that follows. It is the covenant of grace made with all who believe in the Saviour.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 17:4

• Abraham
• Circumcision
• Covenant

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Covenant
• Establish
• Everlasting
• Prophecy
• Works, Covenant of
• Agrarian Laws
• Atonement, Day of
• Circumcision
• Covenant, in the Old Testament

Commentaries on Genesis 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings