Year of the Bible
Genesis 17
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Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Chapter 17:
God makes a fifth visit and second covenant with Abram. He again references Abram’s descendants, which at this point are just one son born to the servant Hagar. This covenant differs from the one in chapter 15 in several ways. Rather than a one-sided promise from God, it includes the condition that Abram walk before God and be blameless. God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s to Sarah, a sign they are on a new path (see Gen 32:28, Num 13:16, Matt 16:17-18). Finally, God requires a physical response from Abram and from his future male descendants: circumcision. Similar to the sacrament of Baptism, circumcision is an outward sign of the covenant and what allows Abraham’s family and servants to join in that covenant.
The Book of Genesis, Chapter 17:
The Sign of the Covenant
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8 And I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house, or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money, shall be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 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.”
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her; I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live in your sight!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year.”
22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all the slaves born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine 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 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised; 27 and all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Lord, as Abraham so graciously had dialogue with you, please show me how to do the same with such trust and faith. What are a few things you want me to open up to you that I'm pondering in my own heart?
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Tenía Abrán noventa y nueve
años cuando el Señor se le manifestó
y le dijo:
–Yo soy El–Saday, camina en mi
presencia y sé perfecto. 2 Estableceré mi
alianza contigo, y te multiplicaré sobremanera.
3 Abrán cayó rostro en tierra, y Dios
continuó diciéndole:
4 –Ésta es mi alianza contigo: Serás
padre de multitud de pueblos. 5 No te
llamarás más Abrán, sino que tu nombre
será Abrahán, porque te he constituido
padre de multitud de pueblos.
6 Te multiplicaré enormemente, haré
que salgan pueblos de ti, y nacerán de
ti reyes. 7 Mantendré mi alianza contigo
y con tu descendencia futura de generación
en generación, como alianza
perpetua, para ser yo tu Dios y el de
tu descendencia futura. 8 Te daré a ti y
a tu descendencia futura la tierra en
que peregrinas, toda la tierra de Canaán,
como propiedad perpetua; y seré
su Dios.
9 Dios dijo a Abrahán:
–Guardarás mi alianza, tú y tu descendencia
futura, de generación en generación.
10 Ésta es mi alianza con vosotros
y con tu descendencia futura
que habéis de guardar: Circuncidaréis
a todos vuestros varones; 11 os circuncidaréis
la carne del prepucio, y será señal
de la alianza entre Yo y vosotros.
12 Al cumplir los ocho días serán circuncidados
todos vuestros varones en
cada generación, tanto el nacido en
casa como el comprado con dinero a
un extranjero que no sea de vuestra estirpe.
13 Circuncidarás a los nacidos en
tu casa y a los comprados con tu dinero;
y mi alianza estará en vuestra carne
como alianza perpetua. 14 El varón incircunciso,
que no haya circuncidado
la carne de su prepucio, será extirpado
de su pueblo por haber quebrantado
mi alianza.
15 También dijo Dios a Abrahán:
–Saray, tu mujer, no se llamará más
Saray, sino que su nombre será Sara.
16 La bendeciré y también de ella te daré
un hijo; la bendeciré, haré de ella pueblos,
y de ella saldrán reyes de naciones.
17 Abrahán cayó rostro en tierra y
se sonrió diciendo para sí: «¿Acaso un
hombre centenario puede tener un hijo,
y Sara, con noventa años, puede dar a
luz?». 18 Y Abrahán respondió a Dios:
–Me bastaría con que Ismael viviera
en tu presencia.
19 Dios replicó:
–Sin embargo, es Sara, tu mujer, la
que va a darte un hijo; le pondrás por
nombre Isaac y estableceré mi alianza
perpetua con él, y con su descendencia
futura. 20 En cuanto a Ismael, te he escuchado.
Mira, le bendeciré, le haré crecer
y le multiplicaré en gran manera;
engendrará doce príncipes y haré de él
un gran pueblo. 21 Pero mi alianza la estableceré con Isaac, el hijo que te dará
Sara el año próximo por este tiempo.
22 Cuando Dios terminó de hablar
con Abrahán, se elevó de su lado.
23 Abrahán tomó a su hijo Ismael,
a todos los nacidos en su casa, y a todos
los comprados con dinero, a todos
los varones de su casa, y aquel mismo
día les circuncidó la carne del prepucio,
tal como Dios le había ordenado.
24 Tenía Abrahán noventa y nueve años
cuando se circuncidó la carne del prepucio.
25 Su hijo Ismael tenía trece años
cuando se circuncidó la carne del prepucio.
26 Aquel mismo día se circuncidaron
Abrahán y su hijo Ismael; 27 todos
los hombres de su casa, los nacidos allí
y los comprados a extranjeros con dinero,
se circuncidaron con él.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
Señor, así como Abraham dialogó tan amablemente contigo, por favor muéstrame cómo hacerlo, con plena confianza y fe. ¿Cuáles son las cosas que quieres que te muestre, que estoy guardando en mi corazón?
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