The Meaning of Genesis 17:23 Explained

Genesis 17:23

KJV: And Abraham 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 Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

YLT: And Abraham taketh Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house, and all those bought with his money -- every male among the men of Abraham's house -- and circumciseth the flesh of their foreskin, in this self-same day, as God hath spoken with him.

Darby: And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money every male among the people of Abraham's house and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that same day, as God had said to him.

ASV: And Abraham 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 Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Abraham  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 Abraham's  house;  and circumcised  the flesh  of their foreskin  in the selfsame  day,  as God  had said  unto him. 

What does Genesis 17:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 17:15-27 - Isaac Is Promised
There are two allusions to laughter in these chapters. Sarah's was the laugh of incredulity, see Genesis 18:12; but Abraham's was the laugh of happy confidence, which reckoned on God. As r.v. puts it, he looked his difficulties in the face, and then turned away to the promise of God, and wavered not, but waxed strong, giving glory to God. Ponder Romans 4:20-21. Therefore, he obtained promises for his wife, for Ishmael, and for the coming child, which was to bear the name of Laughter, partly because of that hour, and also because he would bring sunshine into the old man's life. His heart had entwined about Ishmael. As he had watched the masterful and clever youth, he had said to himself, "He will hold the camp together when I am gone." But the divine covenant could not be with one that had slave-blood in his veins and was not to abide in the house forever. See John 8:35; Galatians 4:22. The covenant is always with Isaac. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 17

1  God renews the covenant with Abram,
5  and changes his name to Abraham, in token of a greater blessing
9  Circumcision is instituted
15  Sarai's name is changed to Sarah, and she is blessed
17  Isaac is promised, and the time of his birth fixed
23  Abraham and Ishmael are circumcised

What do the individual words in Genesis 17:23 mean?

So took Abraham - Ishmael his son and all who were born in his house and who were bought with his money every male among the men in the house of Abraham and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins in the very day this as had said to him God
וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֵ֨ת כָּל־ יְלִידֵ֤י בֵיתוֹ֙ וְאֵת֙ מִקְנַ֣ת כַּסְפּ֔וֹ כָּל־ זָכָ֕ר בְּאַנְשֵׁ֖י בֵּ֣ית אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיָּ֜מָל בְּשַׂ֣ר עָרְלָתָ֗ם בְּעֶ֙צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים

וַיִּקַּ֨ח  So  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אַבְרָהָ֜ם  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל  Ishmael 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׁמָעֵאל  
Sense: son of Abraham and Sarah’s handmaid Hagar and the progenitor of the Arabian peoples.
בְּנ֗וֹ  his  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְלִידֵ֤י  who  were  born  in 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יָלִיד  
Sense: born.
בֵיתוֹ֙  his  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
מִקְנַ֣ת  who  were  bought  with 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִקְנָה  
Sense: purchase.
כַּסְפּ֔וֹ  his  money 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
זָכָ֕ר  male 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָכָר  
Sense: male (of humans and animals) adj.
בְּאַנְשֵׁ֖י  among  the  men 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בֵּ֣ית  in  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אַבְרָהָ֑ם  of  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
וַיָּ֜מָל  and  he  circumcised 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּל 
Sense: to circumcise, let oneself be circumcised, cut, be cut off.
בְּשַׂ֣ר  the  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
עָרְלָתָ֗ם  of  their  foreskins 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: הָעֲרָלֹות 
Sense: foreskin, uncircumcised.
בְּעֶ֙צֶם֙  in  the  very 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
הַיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
דִּבֶּ֥ר  had  said 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אִתּ֖וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
אֱלֹהִֽים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).