Genesis 17:18

Genesis 17:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
• New International Version (NIV)And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

Context of Genesis 17:18

16I will bless her. She will give birth to a son for you. Many nations of people will be her descendants. Some of them will become kings. That is how much I will bless her!’ 17Abraham fell down so that his face touched the ground. He laughed and he said to himself, ‘I am now 100 years old. That is too old to have a son. Sarah is 90 years old, so she could never give birth to a child. That is too old to have a child.’ So Abraham said to God, ‘I would be happy if you would bless Ishmael as my son.’ 19God said to Abraham, ‘No, your wife Sarah will give birth to a son for you. You must give him the name “Isaac”. I will make my covenant with him and with his descendants for all time. 20I have heard what you want me to do for Ishmael. I will bless him. I will cause him to have many descendants. Among his descendants there will be 12 rulers. His descendants will become a great nation.

Genesis 17:18 word by word

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים ל֥וּ יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל יִחְיֶ֥ה לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• O thatלוּlû' lû' lû · ifH3863
• Ishmaelיִשְׁמָעֵאלyishmâ‛ê'l · IshmaelH3458
• might liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• before theeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440

Cross-references for Genesis 17:18

• Jeremiah 32:39I will make them all want to do one thing. They will want to live in a way that always pleases me. They will do that so that they enjoy good lives and their children also enjoy good lives after them.
• Acts 2:39God has promised to do all this for you and your children. He has also promised this to people who live far away in other places. The Lord our God will do it for all the people that he has called to come to him.’
• Genesis 4:12When you work hard to dig the ground, no plants will grow in it for your food. You will travel from place to place. You will not have your own home.’
• Psalms 4:6Many people say, ‘Will anyone do a good thing for us?’ Lord, let your face smile on us.
• Psalms 41:12You continue to help me because I do what is right. You will let me stay near to you for ever.
• Isaiah 59:2But the wrong things that you have done have made you separate from your God. Your sins have caused him to turn away from you, so that he does not listen to your prayers.

Commentaries on Genesis 17:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18O that Ishmael might live before thee! - Abraham, finding that the covenant was to be established in another branch of his family, felt solicitous for his son Ishmael, whom he considered as necessarily excluded; on which God delivers that most remarkable prophecy which follows in Genesis 17:20, and which contains an answer to the prayer and wish of Abraham: And as for Ishmael I have heard thee; so that the object of Abraham's prayer was, that his son…Read the comment
• 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
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 Here is the promise made to Abraham of a son by Sarai, in whom the promise made to him should be fulfilled. The assurance of this promise was the change of Sarai's name into Sarah. Sarai signifies my princess, as if her honour were confined to one family only; Sarah signifies a princess. The more favours God confers upon us, the more low we should be in our own eyes. Abraham showed great joy; he laughed, it was a laughter of delight, not of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-18he laughed (Hebrew yitskhaq): This was because the promise seemed unbelievable. He thought his family line would continue through Ishmael. But Abraham and Sarah would have their own son.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. O that Ishmael might live before thee--natural solicitude of a parent. But God's thoughts are not as man's thoughts [Is 55:8].Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 17:18

• Abraham
• Barrenness
• Children
• Covenant
• Isaac
• Ishmael
• Parents
• Sarah

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• God
• Ishmael
• Abraham, Abram
• Ishmael, Ishmaelite
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Covenant
• Establish
• Everlasting
• Prayer

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