God’s Word Translation
Genesis 17:12
12For generations to come every male child who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether he is born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner who’s not related to you.
Genesis 17:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
- New International Version (NIV)For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,
- New King James Version (NKJV)He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.
Context of Genesis 17:12
10This is how you are to be faithful to my promise: Every male among you is to be circumcised. 11All of you must be circumcised. That will be the sign of the promise from me to you. For generations to come every male child who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether he is born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner who’s not related to you. 13Every male born in your household or bought with your money is to be circumcised without exception. So my promise will be a sign on your flesh, an everlasting promise. 14Any uncircumcised male must be excluded from his people because he has rejected my promise.”
Read all of Genesis 17Genesis 17:12 word by word
וּבֶן־שְׁמֹנַ֣ת יָמִ֗ים יִמּ֥וֹל לָכֶ֛ם כָּל־זָכָ֖ר לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶ֑ם יְלִ֣יד בָּ֔יִת וּמִקְנַת־כֶּ֙סֶף֙ מִכֹּ֣ל בֶּן־נֵכָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹ֥א מִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֖ הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he that is eightשְׁמֹנֶהshemôneh shemôneh shemônâh shemônâh · eightH8083
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- oldבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
- shall be circumcisedמוּלmûl · to circumciseH4135
- among you, every man childזָכָרzâkâr · maleH2145
- in your generationsדּוֹרdôr dôr · generationH1755
- he that is bornיָלִידyâlîyd · bornH3211
- in the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- or boughtמִקְנָהmiqnâh · purchaseH4736
- with moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- of any strangerנֵכָרnêkâr · foreignH5236
- not of thy seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
Cross-references for Genesis 17:12
- Genesis 21:4When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded.
- Leviticus 12:3The boy must be circumcised when he is eight days old.
- Luke 1:59When the child was eight days old, they went ⌞to the temple⌟ to circumcise him. They were going to name him Zechariah after his father.
- Luke 2:21Eight days after his birth, the child was circumcised and named Jesus. This was the name the angel had given him before his mother became pregnant.
- John 7:22Moses gave you the teaching about circumcision (although it didn’t come from Moses but from our ancestors). So you circumcise a male on a day of rest—a holy day.
- Acts 7:8“God gave Abraham circumcision to confirm his promise. So when Abraham’s son Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day. Isaac did the same to his son Jacob, and Jacob did the same to his twelve sons (the ancestors of our tribes).
- Romans 2:28A person is not a Jew because of his appearance, nor is circumcision a matter of how the body looks.
- Philippians 3:5I was circumcised on the eighth day. I’m a descendant of Israel. I’m from the tribe of Benjamin. I’m a pure-blooded Hebrew. When it comes to following Jewish laws, I was a Pharisee.
- Genesis 17:23So Abraham took his son Ishmael, everyone born in his household, and everyone bought with money—every male in his household—and circumcised them that day, as God had told him.
- Exodus 12:48“Foreigners may want to celebrate the Lord’s Passover. First, every male in the household must be circumcised. Then they may celebrate the Passover like native-born Israelites. But no uncircumcised males may ever eat the Passover meal.
Commentaries on Genesis 17:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12He that is eight days old - Because previously to this they were considered unclean, Leviticus 12:2, Leviticus 12:3, and circumcision was ever understood as a consecration of the person to God. Neither calf, lamb, nor kid, was offered to God till it was eight days old for the same reason, Leviticus 22:27.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. 7-14Verses 7-14 The covenant of grace is from everlasting in the counsels of it, and to everlasting in the consequences of it. The token of the covenant was circumcision. It is here said to be the covenant which Abraham and his seed must keep. Those who will have the Lord to be to them a God, must resolve to be to him a people. Not only Abraham and Isaac, and his posterity by Isaac, were to be circumcised, but also Ishmael and the bond-servants. It sealed not…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-14God gave circumcision as a confirming sign that reminded all households of loyalty to the covenant.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-271. Abram ... ninety years old and nine--thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael [Ge 16:16]. During that interval he had enjoyed the comforts of communion with God but had been favored with no special revelation as formerly, probably on account of his hasty and blameable marriage with Hagar. the Lord appeared--some visible manifestation of the divine presence, probably the Shekinah or radiant glory of overpowering effulgence. I am the Almighty God--the…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 17:12
In the dictionaries
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
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