7 `And I have established My covenant between Me and thee, and thy seed after thee, to their generations, for a covenant age-during, to become God to thee, and to thy seed after thee;
and Jehovah appeareth unto him during that night, and saith, `I `am' the God of Abraham thy father, fear not, for I `am' with thee, and have blessed thee, and have multiplied thy seed, because of Abraham My servant;'
but now they long for a better, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He did prepare for them a city.
for to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all those afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call.'
and I have walked habitually in your midst, and have become your God, and ye -- ye are become My people;
To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant, An oath that He sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered, To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life.
because this `is' the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, giving My laws into their mind, and upon their hearts I will write them, and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to Me for a people;
and to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed; He doth not say, `And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, `And to thy seed,' which is Christ; and this I say, A covenant confirmed before by God to Christ, the law, that came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not set aside, to make void the promise,
nor because they are seed of Abraham `are' all children, but -- `in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;' that is, the children of the flesh -- these `are' not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed; for the word of promise `is' this; `According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah a son.'
He received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness, As He spake unto our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed -- to the age.'
and Jesus having seen, was much displeased, and he said to them, `Suffer the children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the reign of God;
Thou givest truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, That thou hast sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!
And they have dwelt on it confidently, And builded houses, and planted vineyards, And dwelt confidently -- in My doing judgments, On all those despising them round about, And they have known that I, Jehovah, `am' their God!'
He hath remembered to the age His covenant, The word He commanded to a thousand generations, That He hath made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And doth establish it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel -- a covenant age-during, Saying, `To thee I give the land of Canaan, The portion of your inheritance,'
`And now, if ye really hearken to My voice, then ye have kept My covenant, and been to Me a peculiar treasure more than all the peoples, for all the earth `is' Mine; and ye -- ye are to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation: these `are' the words which thou dost speak unto the sons of Israel.'
and also I have established My covenant with them, to give to them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, wherein they have sojourned;
And God saith again unto Moses, `Thus dost thou say unto the sons of Israel, Jehovah, God of your fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this `is' My name -- to the age, and this My memorial, to generation -- generation.
He saith also, `I `am' the God of thy father, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob;' and Moses hideth his face, for he is afraid to look towards God.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 17
Commentary on Genesis 17 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 17
This chapter contains articles of agreement covenanted and concluded upon between the great Jehovah, the Father of mercies, on the one part, and pious Abram, the father of the faithful, on the other part. Abram is therefore called "the friend of God,' not only because he was the man of his counsel, but because he was the man of his covenant; both these secrets were with him. Mention was made of this covenant (ch. 15:18), but here it is particularly drawn up, and put into the form of a covenant, that Abram might have strong consolation. Here are,
Gen 17:1-3
Here is,
Gen 17:4-6
The promise here is introduced with solemnity: "As for me,' says the great God, "behold, behold and admire it, behold and be assured of it, my covenant is with thee;' as before (v. 2), I will make my covenant. Note, The covenant of grace is a covenant of God's own making; this he glories in (as for me), and so may we. Now here,
Gen 17:7-14
Here is,
Gen 17:15-22
Here is,
Gen 17:23-27
We have here Abraham's obedience to the law of circumcision. He himself and all his family were circumcised, so receiving the token of the covenant and distinguishing themselves from other families, that had no part nor lot in the matter.