Genesis 17:1–7
God establishes his covenant with Abram and changes his name
Study it word by word1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, YHWH appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai; walk before me and be blameless.
2I will set my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.”
3Abram fell on his face, and Elohim spoke with him, saying,
4“As for me, look, my covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
5No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6I will make you fruitful exceedingly, and I will make you into nations, and kings will come from you.
7I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations as an eternal covenant, to be Elohim to you and to your offspring after you.
In its context
…
8And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land where you reside as an alien, all the land of Canaan, as an eternal possession; and I will be their Elohim.”
9Elohim said to Abraham, “As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
Its words in the original
- יְהִיyehi· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- אַבְרָםavram· Abram
Abram, the name of Abraham before God changed it (Genesis 17:5). It means "exalted father".
- בֶּןben· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- תִּשְׁעִיםtishim· ninety
Ninety.
- שָׁנָהshana· year
Year.
- תֵשַׁעtesha· nine
Nine; also "ninth".
- יֵּרָאyera· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- אֵלel· El, God, god
"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".
- שַׁדַּיshaday· Shaddai, Almighty
"Shaddai": an ancient name of God, above all in Genesis and Job. It is usually translated "Almighty"; the exact origin of the word is not certain.
- הִתְהַלֵּךְhithalech· go, walk
Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").
- פָנַfana· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- תָמִיםtamim· blameless
Complete, whole, without defect. Said of a person, blameless: of one piece, without falseness. It does not mean that he has never sinned.
- אֶתְּנָהetna· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- בְרִיתִveriti· covenant
Covenant: a solemn commitment between two parties, with promises and obligations. When God makes it, he is the one who offers it and guarantees it.
- אַרְבֶּהarbe· multiply, increase
Become many, increase in number or amount; multiply. In the causative form, make many, do much.
- מְאֹדmeod· very, much
Very, greatly, exceedingly; a word that strengthens what goes with it. As a noun, strength, might.
- יִּפֹּלyipol· fall
Fall; also fall upon (attack), lie down, desert to someone. In the causative form, "make fall", throw down, cast (lots).
- יְדַבֵּרyedaber· speak
Speak, talk, say; also promise or command.
- אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- אַבav· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- הֲמוֹןhamon· multitude
Multitude, a great crowd of people; also the noise it makes; abundance.
- גּוֹיִםgoyim· nation
Nation, a people with its land. In the plural, "the nations": all the peoples of the world, and especially those who are not Israel.
- יִקָּרֵאyikare· call, proclaim
Call: speak out to someone, summon, invite, give a name, proclaim; also read aloud. "Call on the name of YHWH" is to pray to him and worship him.
- שִׁמְshim· name
Name. In the Bible a name says who someone is; so it also means fame, renown or reputation.
- אַבְרָהָםavraham· Abraham
Abraham, the name God gave to Abram; it sounds like "father of a multitude" (Genesis 17:5). The father of the people of Israel, to whom God promised the land and blessing for all the families of the earth.
- הִפְרֵתִיhifreti· be fruitful
Bear fruit; be fruitful, have descendants.
- מְלָכִיםmelachim· king
King: the ruler of a city, a people or a kingdom.
- יֵצֵאוּyetseu· go out, bring out
Go out, come out. In the causative form, "make go out", "bring out", "lead out", "produce".
- הֲקִמֹתִיhakimoti· rise, stand, establish
Rise, stand up; also stand firm, establish or fulfill something. "Rise against" is to attack.
- זַרְעֲzara· offspring, seed
Seed. From there "offspring": the children and generations that come from someone. Also sowing and semen.
- דֹרֹתָdorota· generation
Generation: the people who live in the same period; also an age, "all generations".
- עוֹלָםolam· forever, eternal
A very long time whose end cannot be seen: looking forward, "forever"; looking back, "of old", "ancient".