Genesis 17 Summary

When Abram is ninety-nine years old, the LORD appears to him, identifies himself as the Almighty God, and formally establishes his covenant, promising to make Abram a father of many nations and renaming him Abraham. God extends the covenant to Abraham's descendants, pledging to give them the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession, and institutes circumcision as the required physical sign of the covenant, specifying that any uncircumcised male will be cut off from the people. God likewise renames Sarai to Sarah and declares that she herself will bear Abraham a son, to be named Isaac, through whom the everlasting covenant will continue — while also promising that Ishmael will become a great nation of twelve princes. On that same day, Abraham obediently circumcises himself at age ninety-nine, his son Ishmael at age thirteen, and every male in his household.