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Genesis 17

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1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless.

2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."

3 Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,

4 "As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

5 Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.

7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.

8 I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God."

9 God said to Abraham, "As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you.

12 He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your seed.

13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant."

15 God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.

16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her."

17 Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?"

18 Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"

19 God said, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.

20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year."

22 When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

23 Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him.

24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26 In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised.

27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Genesis 17

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff

Here are some excerpts from Swedenborg's "Arcana Coelestia" that help explain the inner meaning of this chapter:

AC 1985. The subject here treated of is the union of the Lord’s Divine Essence with the Human Essence, and of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence; and also the conjunction of the Lord, through the Human Essence, with the human race.

AC 1986. Jehovah was manifested to the Lord in His Human (verse 1). Foretelling the union (verses 2, 3); namely, of the Divine with the Human, and of the Human with the Divine (verses 4, 5). And that all good and truth is from Him (verse 6). The conjunction of the Divine with the human race would thus be effected through Him (verse 7). And the heavenly kingdom would be His, which He would give to those who should have faith in Him (verses 8, 9). But man must first remove his loves and their foul cupidities, and so be purified; this is what was represented and is signified by circumcision (verses 10, 11). Thus conjunction would be effected, both with those who are within the church, and with those who are without it (verse 12).

[2] Purification must by all means precede; otherwise there is no conjunction, but condemnation; and yet after all the conjunction cannot take place except in man‘s impurity (verses 13, 14). The union of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence, or of truth with good, is foretold (verses 15 to 17). Also conjunction with those who are in the truths of faith, namely, as with those who are of the celestial church, so with those who are of the spiritual church (verses 18, 19). And that the latter also would be imbued with the goods of faith (verse 20). In conclusion, these things will be effected through the union in the Lord of the Human Essence with the Divine Essence (verse 21). The end of the prediction (verse 22). It was so to be done, and it was so done (verses 23 to 27).

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Arcana Coelestia # 2137

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2137. The Lord's state of perception within the Human at that time is meant by the oak-groves of Mamre, verse 1.

In this state He perceived the Divine, which was manifesting itself to His Human, verse 2

- at which He rejoiced, verse 3;

also, in this state, He desired that the Divine should draw nearer to His Human by taking on something natural, verse 4,

and that the Human should draw nearer to the Divine by taking on the celestial, verse 5

- the celestial, and the spiritual deriving from this, which He took upon Himself being meant by the three measures of the meal of fine flour from which the cakes were made, verse 6;

and then, in this state, He put on a conformable natural, which is meant by the young bull, verse 7;

as a result conformability existed and a communication of the Divine with the Human, and of the Human with the Divine, verse 8.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.