Genesis 17:9 kjv
And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
Genesis 17:9 nkjv
And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
Genesis 17:9 niv
Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.
Genesis 17:9 esv
And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.
Genesis 17:9 nlt
Then God said to Abraham, "Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.
Genesis 17 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 6:18 | "But with thee will I establish my covenant..." | Early mention of God establishing a covenant. |
| Gen 9:9 | "And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you..." | Covenant with Noah and his seed, parallel phrasing. |
| Gen 12:1-3 | "Get thee out... I will make of thee a great nation..." | Initial promises that form the basis of the covenant. |
| Gen 15:18 | "In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram..." | Formal making of the covenant before the command to keep. |
| Gen 17:1-8 | "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect... And I will make my covenant between me and thee..." | The preceding establishment and promises of the covenant. |
| Gen 17:10-14 | "This is my covenant, which ye shall keep... Every man child among you shall be circumcised." | Specifies the sign and core obligation of the covenant. |
| Exod 12:24 | "And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever." | Keeping ordinances perpetually for generations. |
| Lev 26:1-13 | "Ye shall make you no idols... If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments..." | Conditions for blessings for covenant keeping. |
| Deut 6:1-3 | "Now these are the commandments... that ye might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments..." | Emphasizes diligently keeping God's commands for future generations. |
| Deut 10:12-13 | "And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD... to keep his commandments..." | The essence of God's demand for covenant faithfulness. |
| Josh 1:7 | "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law..." | The command to keep the law (part of the covenant framework). |
| Ps 105:8-10 | "He hath remembered his covenant for ever... Which covenant he made with Abraham..." | God's faithfulness in remembering and confirming His covenant through generations. |
| Isa 55:3 | "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." | Echoes of an everlasting covenant and God's initiative. |
| Ezek 16:60 | "Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant." | God's enduring commitment to His covenants despite human failure. |
| Jer 31:31-34 | "Behold, the days come... that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..." | Prophecy of the New Covenant, showing progression of divine agreements. |
| Acts 7:8 | "And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac..." | Confirmation that circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. |
| Rom 2:28-29 | "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly... but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart..." | New Covenant understanding of "keeping" the spirit of the covenant. |
| Rom 4:13 | "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." | Clarifies the basis of the Abrahamic promise as faith, not works of the law. |
| Gal 3:16 | "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." | Identifies the ultimate "seed" of the covenant as Christ. |
| Gal 3:29 | "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." | Defines spiritual heirs of Abraham through Christ, extending covenant to all believers. |
| Php 3:3 | "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." | Defines true circumcision in the New Covenant as spiritual transformation. |
| Col 2:11-12 | "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ..." | Connects spiritual circumcision with baptism and new life in Christ. |
| Heb 8:6-13 | "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises." | Discusses the New Covenant's superiority over the Old, fulfilling covenant purposes. |
| Rev 21:7 | "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." | Final realization of God being "God to them" in a renewed covenant. |
Genesis 17 verses
Genesis 17 9 Meaning
Genesis 17:9 conveys God's direct command to Abraham to actively maintain and guard the covenant that God has just established with him. This divine obligation is not limited to Abraham alone but extends perpetually to all his future physical and spiritual descendants, signifying their inherited responsibility to uphold the terms and demands of this everlasting agreement in every generation.
Genesis 17 9 Context
Genesis chapter 17 is a pivotal chapter, often referred to as the formal establishment of the "Abrahamic Covenant" as an "everlasting covenant." Just prior to verse 9, God Almighty (El Shaddai) appears to Abraham, changing his name from Abram, signifying his destiny as "father of a multitude." God reconfirms the extensive promises of innumerable descendants, land possession, and nations and kings springing from him (Gen 17:1-8). These promises are unilateral and depend solely on God's initiative and faithfulness.
Verse 9, however, introduces a crucial bilateral element: a clear command for Abraham and his descendants to "keep" or "guard" the covenant. Immediately following this command, the covenant sign of circumcision is introduced and detailed (Gen 17:10-14). This specific act becomes the physical, perpetual requirement for all male descendants as an outward sign of their inclusion and obligation to the covenant. Thus, verse 9 bridges the gap between God's gracious promises and humanity's expected response of obedient faithfulness, setting the stage for the specific covenant practice to follow.
Genesis 17 9 Word analysis
- And God said: This opening phrase signifies direct divine communication and instruction. "God" (Hebrew: Elohim) emphasizes God's sovereign authority and creative power, affirming the binding nature of the pronouncement. The act of "saying" points to an explicit, authoritative declaration.
- unto Abraham: Abraham is the direct recipient of this command, making him personally accountable. As the head of his household and the covenant partner, he bears the initial responsibility for its observance.
- Thou shalt keep: This is a direct imperative. The Hebrew verb shamar (שָׁמַר) means much more than simple "observe" or "do." It carries the connotation of guarding, protecting, preserving, diligently attending to, and diligently obeying. It implies a watchfulness and active maintenance of the covenant. It signifies a continuous, intentional commitment, not merely passive awareness. This verb underscores the human responsibility within the divinely initiated covenant.
- my covenant: "My" indicates God's ownership and establishment of this covenant. The term "covenant" (Hebrew: brit, בְּרִית) signifies a solemn, binding agreement, often sealed by oaths and carrying specific obligations and consequences. Here, it is not an agreement between equals, but one established by the sovereign Creator, obligating the lesser party (Abraham and his descendants) to its terms. It refers to the specific covenant detailed in Genesis 17, centered on land, seed, and blessing, sealed by circumcision.
- thou, and thy seed after thee: This phrase expands the scope of the covenant obligation beyond Abraham himself. "Thou" (singular) emphasizes Abraham's individual accountability. "Thy seed" (Hebrew: zera', זֶרַע), meaning offspring or posterity, indicates that the responsibility extends to his descendants. "After thee" clarifies that this is a generational obligation, passing down through successive lines. This inclusion of future generations makes the covenant truly familial and enduring.
- in their generations: This phrase reinforces the enduring, perpetual nature of the covenant's observance. "Generations" (Hebrew: ledorotam, לְדֹרֹתָם) emphasizes that this covenant and its obligations are not temporary but are to be maintained "from generation to generation" without end. It highlights the lasting commitment God requires from Abraham's lineage throughout history.
Genesis 17 9 Bonus Section
The command "Thou shalt keep my covenant" (Gen 17:9) is structurally parallel to a "vassal clause" found in ancient Near Eastern suzerainty treaties, where the lesser party (vassal) is commanded to faithfully adhere to the terms set by the greater power (suzerain). This highlights God's role as the divine Suzerain.
While often described as "unconditional" due to God's self-sworn oath (Gen 22:16-18), the Abrahamic Covenant has conditional responsibilities for the human party. Verse 9 precisely points to this human obligation. The promised blessings are certainly secure due to God's nature, but the experience and fullness of these blessings, especially for the subsequent generations, are intrinsically linked to their obedience and faithful keeping of the covenant's stipulations. This distinguishes the covenant's promises from the covenant life.
The word zera' (seed) can be singular or collective, adding layers of meaning. While initially referring to Abraham's many physical descendants, Paul clarifies in Galatians 3:16 that the ultimate "seed" to whom the promises apply is Christ, in whom all believers (Jew and Gentile) become heirs of Abraham (Gal 3:29). This expands the generational aspect from an ethnic lineage to a spiritual lineage connected to Christ.
Genesis 17 9 Commentary
Genesis 17:9 marks a critical shift from God's unilateral pronouncements of blessing to Abraham's active obligation within the covenant. While the promises of land, seed, and divine relationship originate entirely from God's grace and depend on His faithfulness, this verse reveals that the Abrahamic covenant, though everlasting, is not unconditional in every respect. Abraham and his descendants are now commanded to "keep" (Hebrew: shamar) this covenant. The rich meaning of shamar suggests more than just simple observance; it denotes an active guarding, careful protection, and diligent obedience to its terms. This guarding ensures the covenant's vitality and effectiveness within the human realm.
This human responsibility highlights the interactive nature of God's relationship with humanity. God initiates, promises, and remains faithful, yet He also requires a responsive walk of faithfulness from His covenant people. For the original audience, this meant embracing the sign of circumcision as the outward mark of belonging, distinguishing them from other peoples, and living lives that reflected the values and demands of their unique relationship with God. Failure to "keep" the covenant, particularly by rejecting its sign (circumcision, as elaborated in Gen 17:14), would result in being "cut off" from the covenant community, demonstrating a serious consequence for disobedience.
Ultimately, Genesis 17:9 sets a foundational pattern: God's covenant with His people demands both His gracious provision and their loyal devotion across generations. While the New Covenant fulfills and transcends the specific external requirements like circumcision (Rom 2:28-29), the underlying principle of keeping God's covenant remains paramount for believers through faith and obedience to Christ, who is the true Seed of Abraham (Gal 3:16). This enduring commitment to walk in covenant with God brings His blessing.