Genesis Chapter 17 {SideNote: We are discussing Abram - the first patriarch in the age of Israel. Now we are thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael. See Romans 4:16 for more details on this passage. From Romans, we see that Abram was 'resting in the Lord' - faith rest - for these 13 years. "Abram believed the Lord who 'quickens the dead' means 'brings back to life that which is dead'. In view here is sexual death. Abram is 99 and sexually dead. Sarai is well beyond menopause and never was able to have children. Neither is capable of having children anymore - totally hopeless and helpless. So, now God will step up to keep His promise - as He always does.} {Verses 1-8: Revelation from God - Importance of the Word} 1^~And when Abram was ninety years old and nine {99 years old}, Jehovah/God appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I . . . {am} the Almighty {Shadday} 'El/God. Walk yourself {halak - reflexive Hithpa'el imperative -   idiom for 'your way of life'} before My Presence/Face {paniym}   {being in fellowship with God in time}, {and} 'be mature'/'grow up spiritually'/'demonstrate integrity'   {tamiym - understanding and applying divine viewpoint to   experiences in life}. {Note: At 99 years old, this is the peak of Abram helplessness.} {Note: RBT says 'El is used for God in His Power - His omnipotence. Shadday is the Hebrew word meaning 'many breasts' - as in a mother feeding many babies. It is used for 'many sources of help' - and becomes 'Almighty'. It means there is no problem in the life a believer for which God has not made provision. But, you must be saved (Abram believed . . . ), rebound (Abram returned to Canaan - 1 John 1:9), be in fellowship (walk in My Presence/Way, and demonstrate integrity (bible doctrine/divine viewpoint transferred from the Written Page into the norms and standards of your soul - and then applied to experience)} 2^~And I will give { nathan-grace operation-God does the work} My covenant {b@riyth - and this is 'unconditional' here   - no dependence on Abram or what 'work' he does} between me and you, and multiplying . . . I will multiply   { m@`od m@`od - doubling of the word - very strong} you {Abram} exceedingly {many, many nations will be descended from Abram}. 3-4^~And Abram kept on falling on his face {picture of his own helplessness - a perfect response   to the grace of God}. 'Elohiym/Godhead kept on communicating categorically {dabar} {with him}, saying {'amar}, 4^~ "As for Me { 'aniy}, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of a great multitude {hamown} of nations {gowy}." 5^~"Neither shall your name {shem} any more be kept on calling 'Abram'   {means 'father of high and windy places'}, but your name . . . {shall be} 'Abraham' {means 'father of many nations'}. For a 'father of great multitude' {'ab + hamown} of nations {gowy} have I {God} given {you to be}." {Note: As Abram, God took him to the top of a mountain and said look in all directions. This land I give to you. Abram was the 'father of all the mountain peaks that he saw'. Now, God is changing his name to Abraham because He is ready to fulfill His promise to make him the father of many nations. The name comes before the son comes.} 6^~"Fruitful exceedingly . . . exceedingly fruitful, I {God}will give {to you for descendents}, and I will give nations {to you as descendents} . . . kings shall keep on coming {from your seed}." {Note: This kings will be Arabic kings and Jewish kings and so on. Many and many will keep on coming.} 7^~" And I {God} will cause to establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting { `owlam} covenant . . .  to be 'Elohiym/Godhead unto you, and to your seed/descendents { zera`} after {'achar} {you}." 8^~"I will give { nathan} {unto you}, and to your seed/descendents { zera`} after {'achar} {you} the land wherein you are a stranger {magowr}, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting {`owlam} 'possession by inheritance' {'achuzzah}. I will be their 'Elohiym/Godhead." {Verses 9-27: Abrams Response to the Word} 9^~'Elohiym/Godhead said {'amar} unto Abraham, "Keep on guarding/protecting/observing {shamar} My covenant, {and} your seed/descendents after {you} in their generations. 10^~"My covenant, keep on guarding/protecting/observing {shamar} . . . {and} your seed/descendents after {you}. Male children {zakar} . . . receive cutting/circumcism {muwl}." 11^~"'Cut off'/'circumcise' the 'male sex-organ'/flesh {basar} of the foreskin {`orlah}. A sign/token/dedication {'owth} of the covenant." 12^~"{He who is} eight days old . . . receive cutting/circumcism {muwl}. Male children {zakar} in your generations, born { yaliyd} in the house { bayith}, or bought {miqnah} with money {keceph} of any stranger, who is not of your seed/descendents." {Note: Means that male babies are to be circumcised on the eighth day of life. Scientifically this is a good time. Per RBT, before eighth day, the child could hemorrhage and die - the properties of the blood to coagulate are not ready. And, on the eighth day, the chance of infection is at its lowest. Danger for infection increases on the ninth day and following.} 17:13^~He who is born { yaliyd} in the house { bayith}, or bought {miqnah} with money {keceph} {each male child} must keep on being circumcised. My covenant shall be in your 'male sex-organ'/flesh {basar} for an everlasting covenant. 14^~The uncircumcised {`arel} man child whose 'male sex-organ'/flesh {basar} of his foreskin {'orlah} is not circumcised, that person/soul {nephesh} shall be cut off from his people. He has broken My covenant. 15^~And God said unto Abraham, "As for Sarai {means contentious} your wife/woman {ishshah}, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah {means princess} . . . {shall be her} name {shem}." 16^~"And I will bless her, and give you a son also by the source of her {Sarah}. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations. Kings of people shall be from the source of her." {Note: A similar promise was made to Hagar in Genesis 16:10. But her descendents were going to be 'wild asses of men' - always contending with each other.} 17^~Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed {tsachaq} and said {'amar} in his heart/'right lobe', "Shall a child be born unto him who is an hundred years old {implying sexual death}? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear {also past menopause and sexually dead}? {Note: Tsachaq - is transliterated 'Isaac'. The name Isaac means 'laughter'. Here Abraham laughed/Isaac'ed so hard at the impossible thought that he could not stand up. In the next chapter, Sarah will also 'Isaac' . . . and then 9 months later give birth to 'Isaac'.} {Abraham's Prayer - (will be Rejected by God)} 18^~And Abraham said {'amar} unto 'Elohiym/Godhead, "O that Ishmael might be 'my heir blessed by You'   {idiom: literally is 'might live before You'}." {Note: Ishmael is now 13 years old and the 'apple of his father's eye. Abraham prays that Ishmael be the heir through which all that God promised him would be fulfilled - God rejects this in later verses.} {God's Covenant with Abraham's Descendents through Isaac} 19^~And 'Elohiym/Godhead said {'amar'}, "Sarah your wife/woman {ishshah} shall bear you a son indeed. And you shall call his name Isaac {Yitschaq - name means laughter}. I have caused to establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant . . . and with his seed after him." {Ishmael's Line will Be Blessed by God Also} 20^~"And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he sire, and I will make him a great nation   {Ishmael is the father of the Arabic Nations - but not the 'heir' of   Abraham}." 21^~"But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, who Sarah shall bear unto you at this set time in the next year." 22^~And He left off talking with him, and 'Elohiym/Godhead went up from Abraham. {Note: RBT says this is God the Son Who is always the manifest person of the Godhead.} {Verses 23-27: Rite of Circumcism Fulfilled by Abraham} 23^~And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all {males} who were born in his house, and all {males} who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as 'Elohiym/Godhead had decreed/'communicated categorically' {dabar} unto him. 24^~And Abraham was ninety years old and nine {99 years old}, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25^~And Ishmael his son . . . {was} thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26^~ In the very same day {that God commanded it} was Abraham circumcised and Ishmael his son. 27^~And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money. . the sons of foreigners, were circumcised with him.