But if any male is not circumcisedCircumcision was a physical sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, instituted in
Genesis 17:10-11. It was a requirement for all male descendants and those within Abraham's household, including servants. This practice set the Israelites apart from other nations and was a mark of their unique relationship with God. In the ancient Near East, circumcision was not universally practiced, making it a distinctive sign for the Israelites. Theologically, it symbolized the cutting away of sin and a commitment to holiness.
he will be cut off from his people;
The phrase "cut off" indicates a severe consequence, often implying death or excommunication. In the context of the covenant, it meant exclusion from the community and the blessings associated with being part of God's chosen people. This reflects the seriousness of covenantal obligations and the importance of obedience. The concept of being "cut off" is echoed in other parts of Scripture, such asExodus 12:15 andLeviticus 7:20-21, where it denotes separation from the community due to disobedience.
he has broken My covenant.”
Breaking the covenant was a grave offense, as it represented a breach in the relationship with God. The covenant with Abraham was foundational for the identity and mission of Israel. It was not merely a legal agreement but a relational bond that required faithfulness. The breaking of the covenant through failure to perform circumcision was seen as a rejection of God's promises and commands. This idea of covenant faithfulness is central throughout the Bible, with the New Testament emphasizing a new covenant through Jesus Christ, who fulfills and transcends the old covenant (Hebrews 8:6-13).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
GodThe divine being who establishes the covenant with Abraham and his descendants, emphasizing the importance of circumcision as a sign of this covenant.
2.
AbrahamThe patriarch with whom God makes a covenant, promising him numerous descendants and the land of Canaan. Circumcision is given as a physical sign of this covenant.
3.
CovenantA solemn agreement between God and Abraham, signifying a special relationship and commitment. Circumcision is the physical sign of this covenant.
4.
CircumcisionA physical act required by God as a sign of the covenant, symbolizing purity and dedication to God.
5.
The People of IsraelThe descendants of Abraham who are to uphold the covenant through the practice of circumcision.
Teaching Points
The Importance of ObedienceCircumcision was a sign of obedience to God's covenant. Today, believers are called to obey God's commands as a sign of their faith and commitment.
Covenant RelationshipThe covenant with Abraham was a special relationship marked by a physical sign. Christians are in a new covenant through Christ, marked by faith and the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual SignificanceWhile circumcision was a physical act, it pointed to a deeper spiritual truth. Believers are called to have a "circumcised heart," living in purity and dedication to God.
Community and IdentityBeing "cut off" from the people for not being circumcised highlights the importance of community and identity in God's covenant. Believers are part of the body of Christ and should live in unity and faithfulness.
Faith and WorksThe covenant required a physical act as a sign of faith. In the New Testament, faith is demonstrated through works, showing the reality of one's commitment to God.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Genesis 17:14?
2.What does Genesis 17:14 teach about the importance of covenant obedience?
3.How does Genesis 17:14 connect to the broader theme of covenant in Genesis?
4.Why is circumcision emphasized as a sign of the covenant in Genesis 17:14?
5.How can we apply the principle of covenant faithfulness in our daily lives?
6.What are the consequences of breaking God's covenant as seen in Genesis 17:14?
7.Why does Genesis 17:14 emphasize physical circumcision as a covenant sign with God?
8.How does Genesis 17:14 relate to the concept of spiritual versus physical obedience?
9.What historical evidence supports the practice of circumcision in Abraham's time?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 17?
11.What does the Bible say about excommunication?
12.Why did God seek to kill Moses in Exodus?
13.How do 'men,' 'mankind,' and 'brothers' differ?
14.What does "cut off from his people" mean?What Does Genesis 17:14 Mean
But if any male is not circumcised• God had just commanded Abraham, “Every male among you must be circumcised” (Genesis 17:10). The command applied to every generation, whether born into the household or purchased as a servant (Genesis 17:12–13).
• Circumcision served as the outward, physical sign of belonging to the covenant people, marking them off from surrounding nations (Joshua 5:2–9;Exodus 12:44, 48).
• Refusal to obey was not a minor oversight; it was deliberate rejection of God’s clear instruction. As with later covenant signs (e.g., Passover inExodus 12:43–49; baptism inMatthew 28:19), God insists that the sign and the reality go together.
he will be cut off from his people• “Cut off” points to removal from the covenant community—either by death (as inExodus 31:14) or by formal expulsion (Leviticus 7:20–21;Numbers 15:30–31).
• This penalty underscores that the covenant family is defined by obedience to God’s word, not merely by physical descent (Romans 2:25–29).
• Corporate holiness matters: Israel’s identity and mission depended on shared faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:6–11;1 Peter 2:9). Allowing open rebellion would erode the community’s witness and invite judgment (Joshua 7:1, 11–12).
he has broken My covenant• The covenant with Abraham was unilateral in origin—God established it (Genesis 15:18)—yet it carried responsibilities for Abraham’s offspring (Genesis 17:1, 9).
• Refusing circumcision showed contempt for God’s promises and requirements, effectively shattering the relationship. Similar language appears inLeviticus 26:15 andDeuteronomy 31:16 to describe covenant infidelity.
• In Scripture, covenant loyalty is demonstrated through loving obedience (Deuteronomy 6:5–6;John 14:15). An outward sign without inward faith is empty (Jeremiah 9:25–26), but inward faith that refuses God’s commanded sign is equally defective (James 2:17).
summaryGenesis 17:14 stresses that circumcision was the non-negotiable mark of belonging to God’s covenant with Abraham. Any male who rejected that sign was rejecting God Himself, forfeiting membership among the people, and shattering the covenant bond. The verse highlights the seriousness of obeying God’s commands, the communal nature of covenant life, and the inseparable link between outward sign and inward faith.
(14)
Shall be cut off from his people.--Jewish commentators generally consider that this penalty consisted in the offender being left to the direct interposition of God, who would punish him with childlessness and premature death (
Talmud: Tract Yebam,55). Most Christian commentators suppose that the offender was to be put to death by the civil magistrate; but this view is untenable. For a distinction is constantly drawn between the penalty of death, and the being "cut off from among the people," as, for instance, in Leviticus 20. So, too, the killing of a clean beast anywhere, except at the door of the tabernacle (
Leviticus 17:4), and the eating of blood (
Leviticus 17:9;
Leviticus 17:14), are to be thus dealt with, while blasphemy and murder are to be punished with death (
Leviticus 24:16-17). Now it became very common to kill clean beasts in all parts of the land, and the eating of blood, though regarded with horror (
1Samuel 14:32-34), apparently had no penalty attached to it. The Jewish commentators seem to err only in being too special, and in defining the method in which God would punish. The punishment really seems to have been that of excommunication or outlawry, to which other penalties might have been attached by custom: but the main point was that one uncircumcised (as subsequently one who violated the principles of the Mosaic law) forfeited his privileges as a member of the Jewish nation, could claim no protection from the elders for life and property, and could not take his place at the gate of the city.
Verse 14. -
And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people.Ἐξολοθρευθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ γένουςαὐτῆς (LXX.),
i.e. shall be destroyed from amongst his nation, from among his people (
Leviticus 17:4, 10;
Numbers 15:30), from Israel (
Exodus 12:15;
Numbers 19:13), from the congregation of Israel (
Exodus 12:19), by the infliction of death at the hands of the congregation, the civil magistrate, or of God (Abarbanel, Gesenius, Clericus, Michaelis, Rosenmüller, Keil, Wordsworth, Alford); or shall be excommunicated from the Church, and no longer reckoned among the people of God (Augustine, Vatablus, Piscator, Willet, Calvin, Knobel, Murphy, Kalisch, Inglis). That excision from one s people was in certain cases followed by the death penalty (
Exodus 31:14;
Leviticus 18:29;
Numbers 15:30) does not prove that the capital infliction was an invariable accompaniment of such sentence (
videExodus 12:19;
Leviticus 7:20, 21;
Numbers 19:13). Besides, to suppose that such was its meaning here necessitates the restriction of the punishment to adults, whereas with the alternative signification no such restriction requires to be imposed on the statute. The uncircumcised Hebrew, whether child or adult, forfeited his standing in the congregation,
i.e. ceased to be a member of the Hebrew Church.
He hath broken my covenant. CHAPTER 17:15-27
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
But if any maleזָכָ֗ר(zā·ḵār)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2145:Remembered, a maleis notלֹֽא־(lō-)Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, nocircumcised,יִמּוֹל֙(yim·mō·wl)Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4135:To cut short, curtail, to blunt, to destroy[he]הַהִ֖וא(ha·hi·w)Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931:He, self, the same, this, that, as, arewill be cut offוְנִכְרְתָ֛ה(wə·niḵ·rə·ṯāh)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3772:To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenantfrom his people;מֵעַמֶּ֑יהָ(mê·‘am·me·hā)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5971:A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flockhe has brokenהֵפַֽר׃(hê·p̄ar)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6565:To break up, to violate, frustrateMy covenant.”בְּרִיתִ֖י(bə·rî·ṯî)Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1285:A covenant
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OT Law: Genesis 17:14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised (Gen. Ge Gn) 
