Whether they are born in your household or purchased, they must be circumcised.This phrase emphasizes the inclusivity of the covenant God established with Abraham. It highlights that the covenant sign of circumcision was not limited to Abraham's direct descendants but extended to all males within his household, including servants and those acquired through purchase. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice where household members, regardless of their origin, were considered part of the family unit. The requirement for circumcision for all males signifies the comprehensive nature of God's covenant, symbolizing purity and dedication to God. This act of circumcision is a physical manifestation of the spiritual covenant, marking those who belong to God's chosen people. It prefigures the New Testament concept of spiritual circumcision of the heart, as seen in
Romans 2:29 and
Colossians 2:11, where true belonging to God is marked by inward transformation rather than external rites.
My covenant in your flesh will be an everlasting covenant.
The phrase "My covenant in your flesh" underscores the tangible and physical nature of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants. Circumcision serves as a perpetual sign of this covenant, a physical reminder of the promises God made to Abraham, including the promise of land, descendants, and blessing. The term "everlasting covenant" indicates the enduring nature of God's promises, which are not limited by time. This covenant is foundational to the identity of the Israelite people and their relationship with God. It also points forward to the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ, which fulfills and transcends the Old Covenant. In the New Testament, the concept of an everlasting covenant is expanded to include all believers, Jew and Gentile alike, through faith in Christ, as seen inHebrews 13:20. This continuity and fulfillment highlight the unchanging nature of God's promises and His faithfulness throughout history.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
AbrahamThe patriarch with whom God establishes His covenant, marking a significant moment in biblical history.
2.
GodThe divine initiator of the covenant, emphasizing His sovereignty and faithfulness.
3.
IshmaelAbraham's son, who is also included in the covenant through circumcision.
4.
CanaanThe land promised to Abraham and his descendants, symbolizing God's promise and faithfulness.
5.
CircumcisionThe physical sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants, representing obedience and commitment.
Teaching Points
Covenant FaithfulnessGod's covenant with Abraham is everlasting, demonstrating His unchanging nature and faithfulness to His promises.
Obedience and IdentityCircumcision was a mark of identity and obedience for Abraham's descendants, reminding believers today of the importance of living out their faith visibly.
Inclusivity of God's PromiseThe inclusion of those "born in your household or purchased with your money" shows that God's covenant extends beyond biological lineage, prefiguring the inclusion of Gentiles in the New Covenant.
Spiritual SignificanceWhile circumcision was a physical act, its spiritual significance points to the need for a heart transformation, as emphasized in the New Testament.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Genesis 17:13?
2.How does Genesis 17:13 emphasize the importance of covenant in Christian life?
3.What does "My covenant in your flesh" signify for believers today?
4.How does circumcision in Genesis 17:13 connect to New Testament teachings on faith?
5.In what ways can Christians today uphold God's covenant in their daily lives?
6.How does Genesis 17:13 inspire commitment to God's promises and commands?
7.Why is circumcision a significant covenant in Genesis 17:13?
8.How does Genesis 17:13 relate to the concept of eternal covenants?
9.What is the theological importance of circumcision in Genesis 17:13?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 17?
11.Why did God seek to kill Moses in Exodus?
12.Colossians 2:11-12 teaches a spiritual circumcision; does this contradict the everlasting covenant of physical circumcision in Genesis 17?
13.Why would an all-powerful God require the physical sign of circumcision, and does this practice have non-biblical parallels (Genesis 17:10)?
14.Is circumcision necessary? (Genesis 17:10 vs. Galatians 5:6)What Does Genesis 17:13 Mean
Whether they are born in your householdGod tells Abraham that every male “born in your household” must receive the sign of circumcision (Genesis 17:13). This includes Isaac and every biological descendant born under Abraham’s roof. By making birth alone insufficient, the Lord stresses that no one is automatically in covenant simply by sharing Abraham’s DNA; an obedient response of faith is still required.
• Cross references:Genesis 18:19 shows Abraham is to “command his children and his household after him” to keep God’s way;Exodus 12:48 extends the practice to future generations when a foreigner desires to eat the Passover—he and every male “born in the household” must be circumcised first.
or purchasedThe Lord adds “or purchased,” covering bond-servants whom Abraham buys. In the ancient world, purchased servants often lived permanently in a patriarch’s home. God insists that even these servants share in the covenant sign.
• Cross references:Exodus 12:44 says, “If a slave you own is circumcised, then he may eat it.”Leviticus 25:44–46 speaks of servants “acquired” from the nations, hinting that God’s covenant sign could embrace those who willingly submit to Israel’s God (compareRuth 1:16).
they must be circumcisedCircumcision is not optional for anyone under Abraham’s authority. The rite physically marks them as belonging to the LORD.
• Cross references:Acts 7:8 notes God “gave him the covenant of circumcision,” underscoring its divine origin;Joshua 5:2–9 records Israel renewing the rite before entering Canaan, showing continuity;Romans 4:11 calls circumcision “a seal of the righteousness of the faith” Abraham already had, clarifying its purpose.
My covenant in your fleshThe covenant is literally cut into the flesh, uniting promise and person. The mark reminds each generation that God’s word is woven into daily life, not kept at arm’s length.
• Cross references:Genesis 17:11 explains, “You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.”Galatians 3:29 affirms that those who belong to Christ are Abraham’s seed, pointing to a spiritual fulfillment of what began as a physical sign.
will be an everlasting covenant“Everlasting” signals that God’s promises to Abraham—land, nationhood, blessing to all peoples—are permanent. While the outward sign finds its ultimate meaning in Christ (Colossians 2:11: “In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature”), the covenant itself endures forever.
• Cross references:Genesis 17:7 repeats “an everlasting covenant”;Psalm 105:8–10 celebrates that God “remembers His covenant forever… the covenant He made with Abraham”;Jeremiah 31:31–34 reveals a new covenant that writes God’s law on hearts, not abolishing but fulfilling His everlasting promise.
summaryGenesis 17:13 shows God’s covenant as inclusive, tangible, and permanent. Every male—whether born to Abraham or brought into his household—had to bear the physical sign of belonging to the LORD. The mark in their flesh testified that God’s promises would not fail and pointed forward to a deeper, spiritual circumcision fulfilled in Christ, ensuring that all who trust Him share in the “everlasting covenant” first spoken to Abraham.
(13)
He that is born in thy house . . . --Two things follow from this wide extension of the rite of circumcision: the first, that all members of Abram's household, being thus sharers in the covenant, were also numbered as belonging to the nations that sprang from him. We have seen that even in early days his followers must have numbered six or seven hundred men (
Genesis 14:14), and they were growing in multitude all the rest of his life, and during the lifetime of Isaac. They were then divided between Esau and Jacob at Isaac's death (
Genesis 35:27;
Genesis 36:6-7), but the diminution in the number of Jacob's family thus caused must have been compensated by those whom he gathered for himself in Mesopotamia (
Genesis 30:43). All his household went down with him into Egypt, as part of his
taf,translated "little ones" in
Genesis 46:5, but really signifying the whole body of dependents, men, women, and children. Placed there in the fruitful Delta, they would be counted as members of that tribe to the chief of which they belonged, and would swell the numbers of the vast host which left Egypt (
Exodus 12:37). The second point is, that as all who were circumcised were regarded as Israelites, so also circumcision was confined to the Israelites. It was not 'a catholic ordinance, intended, like baptism, for all people and all times. Nor was it primarily a religious institution. The bought slave was circumcised first, and instructed afterwards. No profession of faith was required, but he was admitted to the privilege in right of his master. The reason of this was that it was an admission into the Jewish nation first, and by consequence only into the church. It is one of the many points which distinguish slavery, as practised among the Jews, from the degrading form of it which existed in modem times, that from the days of Abram onwards the slave by being circumcised was proclaimed to be one of the same race and nation as his master, and thereby entitled to share in his national and religious privileges. . . .
Verse 13. -
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised. Literally,
circumcised, must be circumcised, he that is born, etc., the niph. inf. abe. with the finite verb occupying the place of emphasis at the beginning of the sentence (
vide Gesenius, 'Grammar,' § 131).
And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Whether they are bornיְלִ֥יד(yə·lîḏ)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3211:Bornin your householdבֵּֽיתְךָ֖(bê·ṯə·ḵā)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1004:A houseor purchased,וּמִקְנַ֣ת(ū·miq·naṯ)Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4736:A buying, acquisition, a piece of property, the sum paidthey must be circumcised.הִמּ֧וֹל ׀(him·mō·wl)Verb - Nifal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4135:To cut short, curtail, to blunt, to destroyMy covenantבְרִיתִ֛י(ḇə·rî·ṯî)Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1285:A covenantin your fleshבִּבְשַׂרְכֶ֖ם(biḇ·śar·ḵem)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1320:Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, manwill beוְהָיְתָ֧ה(wə·hā·yə·ṯāh)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, bean everlastingעוֹלָֽם׃(‘ō·w·lām)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769:Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, alwayscovenant.לִבְרִ֥ית(liḇ·rîṯ)Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1285:A covenant
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OT Law: Genesis 17:13 He who is born in your house (Gen. Ge Gn) 
