Genesis-Chapter-17
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Tanakh
versions:
Throughout this site I will
use the following three versions of the TaNaKh: 1.
“Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Sefaria.org”
(SEF),
and 3. “Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC).
Colour coded details of the - TaNaKh:
1. Torah =
History & Law, 2. Nevi’im =
The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.
*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical
books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or
Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of
Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and
history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.
Please Note: Some alterations have
been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ having been corrected as it once
was, pre the “Masoretic
Text”.
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בְּרֵאשִׁית
Bereshit - Genesis Chapter 17
Final reading of
Parashat ‘Lech Lecha’.
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuben Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Please
Note: This
chapter of Bereshit - Genesis 17 study is entirely based on the “Jewish
Publication Society” (JPS-1917) version.
Introduction:
שָׁלוֹם - Shalom, it’s an honour for us to reflect on this chapter which defines
the “Covenant”, the “Name”, and the sign of “Brit Milah” being - Circumcision.
Thus the
chapter presents a union of Divine promises, identity-renaming, and a bodily
ritual that produces communal and intergenerational identity.
When Avram
was 99 years old אֱלֹהִים
- Elohim appeared to him announcing the mitzvah of “Brit milah” (circumcision). But before we get to that, let us read the first two verses of this
chapter!
Bereshit - Genesis chapter 17. In JPS-1917:
I will
commence with verses 1 & 2 in Ivrit (Hebrew) followed by an English
translation, Thereafter I will continue with the rest of this fascinating
chapter in English!
וַיְהִ֣י
אַבְרָ֔ם
בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים
שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע
שָׁנִ֑ים
וַיֵּרָ֨א
יְהֹוָ֜ה
אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר
אֵלָיו֙
אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל
שַׁדַּ֔י
הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י
וֶהְיֵ֥ה
תָמִֽים
1. “And
when Abram was ninety years old and nine, יָהוָה -
the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him: ‘I am אֵל
שַדַּי - Ēl Šaddai; walk before Me, and be thou wholehearted’”.
וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה
בְרִיתִ֖י
בֵּינִ֣י
וּבֵינֶ֑ךָ
וְאַרְבֶּ֥ה
אוֹתְךָ֖
בִּמְאֹ֥ד
מְאֹֽד
2. “And
I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee
exceedingly”.
From here
chapter 17 will be in English commencing first with verse 3 to 14. Thereafter
we will look more deeply in what has been told, and how it applies to us.
We will now read Bereshit - Genesis chapter 17: 3-14:
“And
Avram fell on his face; and אֱלֹהִים -
Elohim talked with him, saying: ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt
be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name
any more be called Avram, but thy name shall be Avraham; for the father of a
multitude of nations have I made thee. And I will make thee
exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out
of thee. And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed
after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be
a אֱלֹהִים unto thee and to thy seed after thee.
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of
thy sojourning, all the land of
Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their אֱלֹהִים. And אֱלֹהִים said
unto Avraham: ‘And as for thee, thou shalt keep My covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee
throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and
you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised”. And ye shall be circumcised נִמּוֹל - Nimol in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a
token of a covenant betwixt Me and you. And he that is
eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your
generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner,
that is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he
that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an
everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male who is not
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his
people; he hath broken My covenant.’
Covenant as historical and
future act:
Covenant
is presented as a Divine, binding action linking אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) with Avram - Abram and his seed; it is not only a promise of
offspring and increase but a *diachronic bond that carries theological
consequences for generations.
*The term combines “diachronic”, which means through
time, with “bond”, which can refer to a relationship, link, or connection.
Thus the
chapter presents a union of Divine promises, identity-renaming, and a bodily
ritual that produces communal and intergenerational identity.
Name and identity:
At age
ninety-nine, Avram - Abram receives a transformative revelation, although it is
thirteen years after the events of chapter 16, and no other divine
communications were recorded in that interval, underscoring the urgency and
novelty of what follows in chapter 17.
Promise
versus human embarrassment or doubt:
The advanced age of Avraham, his physical
reactions, and the interplay of human doubt and Divine promise dramatize the
tension between miraculous promise and ordinary human reality.
Let us continue with this chapter, we will now read verses 15 to 27:
And אֱלֹהִים said
unto Avraham: ‘As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but
Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and moreover I
will give thee a son of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother
of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her’. Then Avraham fell
upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart: ‘Shall a child be born unto
him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?’ And Avraham said unto אֱלֹהִים:
‘Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!’ And אֱלֹהִים said:
Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name
Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant
for his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee;
behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him
exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant will I establish with
Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year'. And He left off talking with him, and אֱלֹהִים went
up from Avraham. And Avraham took Ishmael his son, and all that
were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male
among the men of Avraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin
in the selfsame day, as אֱלֹהִים had
said unto him. And Avraham was ninety years old and nine, when
he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his
son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the selfsame day was Avraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all the men of his house, those born in the house, and those
bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him”.
What an amazing
story related to our past; but let us now look at the events and how it all
took place, and, yes, right to this very day the command of ‘Brit Milah’ continues, whilst sadly many other
commandments are at times being sadly left behind.
When Avraham
heard אֱלֹהִים -
Elohim’s command from Him in verse 3, what was his immediate reaction? Well as
we have read he literally fell on his face as he heard the words, “walk
before Me and be complete,” his entire body began to shake. Avraham was without a
doubt confused, and yes he might have even been mortified. But soon he calmed
down when אֱלֹהִים,
blessed be He, began to command him to circumcise himself and his household.
But why was
Avraham so comforted to hear that אֱלֹהִים was
referring to ‘brit milah’ (circumcision)?
A Higher Prophetic Level:
We perceive the
outside world through various gateways, and these include the five physical
senses, and our powers of intellect and reason. Thus, when אֱלֹהִים charged
Avraham, “Be complete,” Avraham feared that he was lacking in his
intellectual dedication in serving the Heavenly Father. This would be a fault
for which a righteous individual like Avraham would certainly have been held
accountable for. However, when Avraham heard that אֱלֹהִים was
referring to the mitzvah of circumcision, his concerns were put to rest.
‘Brit milah’ serves to refine the special connection between body
and soul. It deals with a sphere that is beyond human comprehension - and
accountability. אֱלֹהִים’s
command was not that Avraham needed to rectify some error or a character flaw,
but rather to bestow upon him a unique covenant, one which would enable him to
attain a purer, higher level of prophecy.
With this
gift, Avraham would be able to “walk before אֱלֹהִים.”
The word Hit’ha’lech (‘walk with oneself’) is in the reflexive tense;
Avraham would be able to “walk himself” as it were, and progress on his own,
before אֱלֹהִים - Elohim.
Note: What did this chapter really teach us? Back
in Bereshit - Genesis chapter 16, Avraham contrasts this
with “seven warnings” about living a life according to the flesh. Then in this chapter
Bereshit - Genesis 17, he reveals seven lessons for living in a “Covenant
relationship” with אֱלֹהִים-יָהוָה - the LORD
Elohim. These
includes: (1) ‘holiness’, (2) ‘faith’, (3) ‘hope’,
(4) ‘purity’, (5) ‘gratitude’, (6) ‘joy’, and (7) ‘obedience’!
In order to
fully appreciate the journey that Avraham made, let us examine the interactions
between אֱלֹהִים
and Avraham that lead to the sealing of their covenant.
There are
three phases to this process:
1.
“Lech Lecha” - “Go forth from your home.” This is when אֱלֹהִים, blessed
be He, first chooses Avraham. Bereshit - Genesis 12:1.
2.
“Brit Bein HeBetarim” – the vision that אֱלֹהִים shows
Avraham of the eternal history of the Jewish People; exile and ultimate
redemption Bereshit - Genesis Chapter 15.
3. “Brit Milah” - the Covenant of
circumcision that takes place when Avraham is 99 years old, Bereshit
- Genesis
Chapter 17.
Each of these
is a unique and seminal (influencing) experience that contributes to the
complete foundation of the Jewish people.
Let us
summarize this chapter by breaking it up somewhat:
אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) appears to Avram, now being a good 99
years of age, and emphasizes the covenant between them, with אֱלֹהִים promising to make, that his family will succeed
exceedingly.
Name Changes:
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim
renames Abram “Avraham” (father of multitudes) and Sarai “Sarah” (princess). In Judaism, a name change
marks a shift in destiny and relationship with our Heavenly Father. By granting them new
names, אֱלֹהִים publicly
seals Avram and Sarah’s
roles as progenitors of a covenantal people.
“For thou art
a holy people unto יָהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Elohim): יָהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ hath chosen thee to be His own treasure, out of all
peoples that are upon the face of the earth”. Davarim – Deuteronomy 7:6. (JPS).
Promise of Isaac:
אֱלֹהִים reveals
that שָׂרָה Sarah will bear a son, Yitzchak - Isaac,
who will be the heir of the covenant, despite their advanced age.
אֱלֹהִים’s Promise to Ishmael:
While Yitzchak
- Isaac is designated as the primary heir, אֱלֹהִים also
promises blessings to Ishmael, acknowledging him as Avraham’s son.
Obedience and Circumcision:
Avraham,
immediately and without hesitation, circumcises himself, as well as his son
Ishmael, and all the males in his household, demonstrating his faith and
obedience to אֱלֹהִים’s
command.
Ishmael, Isaac, and the Line of Promise:
Despite
Ishmael’s birth to Hagar, Genesis 17 emphasizes that the covenantal line will
run through Sarah’s yet to be born son, Yitzchak - Isaac. Ishmael does receives
a blessing and given protection, but the Halachic covenant of ‘brit milah’ marks Yitzchak’s descendants as they are the
inheritors of the specific promises made to Avraham.
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In Conclusion, a Question to Deepen the Conversation:
Which
part of the Tanakh study, or possibly a particular
line or statement within it has touched you the most? And how do you
feel about spending more time studying our beloved Tanakh?
I pray that you are doing well as a faithful Hebrew, and אֱלֹהִים - Elohim willing you are upholding as many of our
blessed Mitzvoth’s?
Dear
reader, please
remember this, pray for peace and solitude in your life, and then work on
keeping as calm as possible and learn to improve your life, for אֱלֹהִים - בָּרוּךְ
אֱלֹהִים - Bless Elohim, He is always there
and ready to help and guide you!
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This site was originally for those who needed to return to our
blessed and wonderful faith, thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at
least two or of possible three times a day and always seek אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s
guidance! But as you may have discovered it has become very much a teaching
site!
Remember
what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following, via a
number of our prophets...
“Return unto Me, and I will
return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. MEC).
And Remember ...
Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!
אֲנִי
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה
(the LORD your Elo’hei’chem); walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and
hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may
know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - YaHVaH
your Elo’hei’chem”. Yechezkel
- Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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For our Elohim is the One who gave us our ... Life!
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben
Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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