Genesis 17 14

Genesis 17:14 kjv

And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Genesis 17:14 nkjv

And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."

Genesis 17:14 niv

Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

Genesis 17:14 esv

Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

Genesis 17:14 nlt

Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant."

Genesis 17 verses

Genesis 17 14 meaning

Genesis 17:14 declares that any uncircumcised male, who deliberately chooses not to undergo circumcision according to the covenant, shall be excluded from his people. This act of disobedience is considered a direct violation of God's covenant with Abraham, indicating a rejection of God's chosen community and its foundational agreement. The consequence signifies spiritual and communal alienation due to breaking a divinely established pact.

Genesis 17 14 Context

Genesis 17 occurs directly after Chapter 16 where Abram and Sarai attempt to fulfill God’s promise of an heir through Hagar, resulting in Ishmael. Chapter 17 re-establishes God's covenant with Abraham (changed from Abram), reinforcing the promise of numerous descendants, including kings, and establishing a land inheritance forever. As a physical sign of this eternal covenant, God commands circumcision for Abraham, all his household, and his future generations. This verse, Gen 17:14, highlights the seriousness of this sign. To reject circumcision was to reject the covenant itself, which defined Israel's identity and their unique relationship with God among the nations. Historically, this ritual distinguished Abraham’s lineage from other groups in the Ancient Near East who might have practiced some form of incision but not with the specific theological implications or perpetual nature required by God.

Genesis 17 14 Word analysis

• And the uncircumcised male (וְעָרֵל זָכָר, wə-ʻārēl zākār):

  • וְ (wə): "And", a simple conjunction, connecting this verse to the preceding instructions, highlighting a consequence.
  • עָרֵל (ʻārēl): "uncircumcised". This Hebrew word refers literally to having the foreskin intact. Theologically, it represents an alien state, one not set apart by the sign of God’s covenant. It can also be used metaphorically for a "closed" or "unresponsive" heart/ears (e.g., Jer 9:26, Ex 6:12). In this context, it signifies someone outside the covenant’s visual and spiritual mark.
  • זָכָר (zākār): "male". Specificity that the command for circumcision applies exclusively to males. This is consistent with the male lineage central to the covenant promises of descendants.

• who will not be circumcised (אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִמּוֹל, ’ăšer lō’-yimmōl):

  • אֲשֶׁר (’ăšer): "who, that". Relative pronoun linking to the previous phrase.
  • לֹא (lō’): "not". Emphatic negative, indicating clear prohibition or non-compliance.
  • יִמּוֹל (yimmōl): "he will be circumcised". A Niphal imperfect verb, denoting a passive action that is expected or required. The negative lō' indicates a refusal or failure to submit to this requirement. It implies a conscious rejection or persistent neglect, not just accidental omission.

• in the flesh of his foreskin (אֵת בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתוֹ, ’ēt bəśar ‘orlāṯô):

  • בְּשַׂר (bəśar): "flesh". Refers to the physical body.
  • עָרְלָתוֹ (‘orlāṯô): "his foreskin". Specifically identifies the bodily part to be cut. The ritualistic nature of the command is very precise, underscoring its concrete, visible presence as the sign. This tangible mark set Israel apart.

• that person shall be cut off from his people (וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מֵעַמֶּיהָ, wə-nik̄rəṯāh hannefesh hahiw mē-‘ammāyyhā):

  • וְנִכְרְתָה (wə-nik̄rəṯāh): "and he shall be cut off". Niphal perfect verb of the root כָּרַת (kārat), meaning "to cut off." This phrase, kareth, carries severe theological weight in the Old Testament. It signifies exclusion from the covenant community, implying loss of identity, communal blessings, and divine protection. While sometimes signifying capital punishment (Lev 18:29), it often implies premature death by divine judgment, inability to transmit lineage within Israel, or exclusion from rituals and fellowship. It indicates a direct severing of covenant relationship and membership in God’s people.
  • הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא (hannefesh hahiw): "that very person/soul". Emphasizes the individual responsibility and consequence. Nefesh ("soul" or "person") refers to the individual's very being and life.
  • מֵעַמֶּיהָ (mē-‘ammāyyhā): "from his people". Denotes expulsion from the community of Israel, indicating a loss of their unique status as God's chosen nation. This separation means a forfeiture of the covenant blessings that accrue to "His people."

• he has broken My covenant (אֶת־בְּרִיתִי הֵפֵר, ’eṯ-bərîtî hēfēr):

  • אֶת־בְּרִיתִי (’eṯ-bərîtî): "My covenant". Emphatic reference to the sacred pact established by God. The "My" highlights God’s ownership and authority over the covenant.
  • הֵפֵר (hēfēr): "he has broken/violated". A Hiphil perfect verb from the root פָרַר (pārar), meaning "to break, nullify, violate." It indicates an active act of annulment or nullification, highlighting the person’s responsibility in dissolving their end of the agreement. This makes the omission of circumcision not a minor oversight, but a serious act of defiance and betrayal of the divine relationship.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "And the uncircumcised male, who will not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin": This phrase precisely defines the nature of the offense: it's not simply a male lacking circumcision from birth, but one who refuses or fails to be circumcised when it is commanded. This underscores an act of willful defiance or neglect towards a specific divine instruction, signifying rejection of the covenant's physical demands. The emphasis on "flesh of his foreskin" highlights the concrete, inescapable nature of the command – it is a physical sign with deep spiritual implications.
  • "that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant": This pairing directly links the consequence ("cut off from his people") to the transgression's nature ("broken My covenant"). Being "cut off" (kareth) from one’s people signifies more than social exclusion; it's a forfeiture of one's identity and privileges as part of the covenant community, leading to a loss of the unique divine blessings promised to Abraham’s descendants. The reason given is severe: not just ritual negligence, but outright covenant-breaking. This illustrates the supreme importance God placed on the covenant sign as an embodiment of allegiance.

Genesis 17 14 Bonus section

The severity of the "cut off" (kareth) penalty for not observing circumcision, alongside other significant covenant commands like the Passover (Exo 12:48) and the Sabbath (Exo 31:14), underscores the theocratic nature of early Israel. It teaches that inclusion in God's chosen people required active participation and submission to divine mandates. This strict adherence to outward signs, though seemingly physical, prefigured deeper spiritual truths. The Old Testament later emphasizes a "circumcision of the heart" (Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4), indicating that true covenant faithfulness moves beyond mere physical ritual to inner transformation and obedience, which is fully realized in the New Covenant through Christ, where faith in Him, not outward circumcision, defines God’s people (Rom 2:29; Gal 5:6). The continuity is in the call to distinguish God's people by unique characteristics; the discontinuity is in the nature of the sign from physical to spiritual.

Genesis 17 14 Commentary

Genesis 17:14 underscores the non-negotiable nature of the Abrahamic covenant’s sign: circumcision. This verse reveals the extreme seriousness of a person's rebellion against God’s clear directive, linking physical disobedience directly to spiritual disloyalty. Being "cut off" from one's people was a profound penalty in ancient Israel, symbolizing not just social ostracism but an interruption of covenant blessing, inclusion, and the spiritual lifeline of the community. It means forfeiture of the divine relationship and its privileges, implying potential divine judgment or premature death by God's hand. The statement "he has broken My covenant" highlights that the omission or refusal of the physical act was understood as a profound, personal rejection of God’s covenant itself, not merely a forgotten ritual. The sign was not just ceremonial; it was fundamental to belonging to the lineage that received God's promises. In essence, it declared that one who refuses the mark of the covenant has opted out of the covenant relationship and its blessings entirely.