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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!

Context of Genesis 17:4

2that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly." 3Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5No 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. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall 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 of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
• Genesis 13:16I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.
• Genesis 16:10The angel of the Lord also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude."
• Genesis 22:17I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
• Genesis 25:1Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.
• Genesis 32:12But you said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'"
• 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 come from your own body.
• Genesis 36:1These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom).
• Numbers 1:1The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
• Numbers 26:1After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest,
• Romans 4:11He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
• Galatians 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

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