The Covenant of Circumcision

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him and identified Himself as Almighty God, instructing Abram to walk before Him and be perfect (Genesis 17:1). God declared that He would make His covenant with Abram and multiply him exceedingly. During this encounter, Abram fell on his face while God spoke with him, changing his name to Abraham to reflect his status as a father of many nations (Genesis 17:4-5). God promised that Abraham would be fruitful, that kings would come from him, and that the land of Canaan would be given to his seed as an everlasting possession (Genesis 17:8).

As part of this covenant, God commanded that every male among Abraham and his descendants must be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin as a sign (Genesis 17:11). The text states that this act was to be performed on infants eight days old, including those born in the house or bought with money from any stranger. Any uncircumcised male was to be cut off from his people for having broken the covenant (Genesis 17:14). During the discourse, God also changed the name of Sarai to Sarah and stated that she would bear a son, though Abraham laughed and questioned how a child could be born to a man of a hundred years and a woman of ninety (Genesis 17:17).

Abraham requested that Ishmael might live before God, but God specified that the covenant would be established with Sarah's future son, Isaac, who was to be born at the set time in the following year (Genesis 17:21). However, God stated He had heard Abraham concerning Ishmael and would make him fruitful and the father of twelve princes. On the very day God finished speaking with him, Abraham took Ishmael and all the men of his household and circumcised them as commanded (Genesis 17:23). The text does not say what physical sensations were experienced during the process.