The Pulpit Commentary
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine—consequently an interval of thirteen years had elapsed since the birth of Ishmael; the long delay on the part of God being probably designed as chastisement for Abram's second nuptials (Calvin), and at least corresponding with Abram's undue haste (Lange)—the Lord appeared to Abram—lest he should regard Ishmael's birth as a complete fulfillment of the promise (Menochius), and be satisfied with Hagar's child as the expected seed (Calvin)—and said to him, I am the Almighty God—El Shaddai, found six times in Genesis and thirty-one times in Job, composed of El, God, and Shaddai; not a nomen compositum (from שֶׁ = אֲשֶׁר and דַּי) signifying qui sufficiens est (Aquinas, Symmachus, Theodoret, Saadias, Maimonides, Calvin), but either a pluralis excellentiae; from the singular שַׁר, powerful—root שֱׁדַד, to be strong (Gesenius, Rosenmüller, Wordsworth), or a singular from the same root with the substantive termination יַ, as in הַגַּי, the festal, יְשִׁישַׁי, the old man, סִינַי, the thorn-grown (Keil, Oehler, Lange); descriptive of God as revealing himself violently in his might, hence correctly rendered παντοκράτωρ by the LXX. in Job (Oehler); distinguishing Jehovah, the God of salvation, from Elohim, the God who creates nature so that it is and supports it that it may stand, as "the God who compels nature to do what is contrary to itself, and subdues it to bow and minister to grace" (Delitzsch); characterizing Jehovah the covenant God, "as possessing the power to realize his promises, even when the order of nature presented no prospect of their fulfillment, and the powers of nature were insufficient to secure it" (Keil); perhaps, like Elohim and Adonai, one of the world-wide titles of the Most High since it was known to Balaam (Num_24:4, Num_24:16), and is constantly used in Job ('Speaker's Commentary'). Said in Exo_6:2, Exo_6:3 to have been the name by which God was known to the patriarchs, it is regarded by the partitionists as characteristic of the Elohist (Tuch, Blcek, Colenso, Davidson, Ewald), and accordingly to that writer the present chapter is assigned, and the Jehovah of this verse expiated as an alteration of the original Elohist's narrative; but the πρῶτον ψεῦδος of this criticism lurks in the identification of El-Shaddai with Elohim, whereas it is not Elohim, but Jehovah, who reveals himself as E1 Shaddai not alone in the Pentateuch, but in the historical and prophetical books as well (cf. Rth_1:20, Rth_1:21; vide Keil's Introduction, pt. § 2; div. 1. § 25). Walk before me. Literally, set thyself to walk, as inch. Exo_13:17, in my presence, as if conscious of my inspection and solicitous of my approval; not behind me, as if sensible of shortcomings, and desirous to elude observation. The phrase intimates a less exalted piety than the corresponding phrase used of Enoch (Gen_5:24) and Noah (Gen_6:9). And be thou perfect. Tamim, ἄμεμπτοις (LXX.), used of Noah in Gen_6:9, and rendered τέλειος (LXX.), while perhaps retrospectively glancing at Abram's sin in marrying Hagar, indicates that absolute standard of moral attainment, viz; completeness of being in respect of purity, which the supreme Lawgiver sets before his intelligent creatures (cf. Mat_5:8).

The Pulpit Commentary
And I will make my covenant between me and thee. Literally, I will give (cf. Gen_9:9, Gen_9:11, Gen_9:12). Neither an additional covenant to that described in Gen_15:1-21. (Rosenmüller), nor a different traditional account of the transaction contained in Gen_15:1-21. (Tuch, Bleek), nor the original Elohistic narrative of which that in Gen_15:1-21. was a later imitation (Knobel); but an intimation that the covenant already concluded was about to be carried into execution, and the promise of a son to be more specifically determined as the offspring of Sarai (Keil). And will multiply thee exceedingly (vide Gen_12:2; Gen_13:16; Gen_15:5).

The Pulpit Commentary
And Abram fell on his face—in reverential awe and worship. Other attitudes of devotion are mentioned. And God—Elohim, the third name for the Deity within the compass of as many verses, thus indicating identity of being—talked with him, saying—

The Pulpit Commentary
As for me. Literally, I, standing alone at the beginning of the sentence by way of emphasis. Equivalent to "So far as I am concerned," or, "I for my part," or, "So far as relates to me." Behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be—literally, shalt become (cf. Gen_2:7), or grow to (cf. Gen_9:15)—a father of many (or of a multitude of) nations.

The Pulpit Commentary
Neither shall thy name any mere be called Abram,—Abram, i.e. high father (vide Gen_11:26); but Abraham—Abraham (in Arabic signifying a multitude); hence "the father of a multitude," as the next clause explains—for a father of many (or a multitude of) nations have I made thee.

The Pulpit Commentary
And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee,—a promise fulfilled in the Ishmaelites, the descendants of Keturah, the Edomites, and the Israelites—and kings (e.g. David and Solomon) shall come out of thee.

The Pulpit Commentary
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant,—literally, for a covenant of eternity (vide Gen_9:16)—to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Literally, to be for Elohim; a formula comprehending all saving benefits; a clear indication of the spiritual character of the Abrahamic covenant (cf. Gen_26:24; Gen_28:13; Heb_11:16).

The Pulpit Commentary
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger,—literally, of thy sojournings (Gen_12:9; Act_7:5; Heb_11:9)—all the land of Canaan (vide Gen_10:19),—for an everlasting possession. Literally, for a possession of eternity; i.e. the earthly Canaan should be retained by them so long as the arrangement then instituted should continue, provided always they complied with the conditions of the covenant; and the heavenly Canaan should be the inheritance of Abraham's spiritual children forever (vide Gen_9:16; Gen_13:15). And I will be their God. Literally, to them for Elohim (vide supra).

The Pulpit Commentary
And God said unto Abraham, Thou—literally, and thou, the other party to the covenant, the antithesis to I (Gen_17:4)—shalt keep my covenant—literally, my covenant thou shalt keep—therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

The Pulpit Commentary
This is my covenant (i.e. the sign of it, as in Gen_9:12), which ye shall keep (i.e. observe to. do), between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. Literally, circumcise among. (or of) you every male, the inf. abs. הִמּוֹל, when it stands abruptly at the commencement of a sentence, having the force of a command.

The Pulpit Commentary
And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. עָרְלָה, ἀκροβυστία, membrum prveputiatum, from עָרַל, to be naked, bare, hence to be odious, unclean, impure, was regarded afterwards as unclean (Deu_10:16; Isa_52:3; Jer_4:4), and is here directed to be deprived of the skin covering its extremity, not because through it sin first discovered its effects (Poole), and original corruption is still transmitted, or to promote cleanliness (Philo), or to express detestation of certain idolatrous rites which were paid to it by the Egyptians and other heathen nations (Lyra, Kalisch), but

(1) as a sign of the faith that Christ should be descended from him (Lapide);

(2) as a symbolic representation of the putting away of the filth of the flesh and of sin in general (Calvin).

Hence it served a variety of uses:

(1) to distinguish the seed of Abraham from the Gentiles,

(2) to perpetuate the memory of Jehovah's covenant,

(3) to foster in the nation the hope of the Messiah,

(4) to remind them of the duty of cultivating moral purity (Deu_10:16),

(5) to preach to them the gospel of a righteousness by faith (Rom_4:11),

(6) to suggest the idea of a holy or a spiritual seed of Abram (Rom_2:29), and

(7) to foreshadow the Christian rite of baptism (Col_2:11, Col_2:12).

And it shall be a token of the covenant—literally, for a token of covenant (cf. Gen_9:12; Act_7:8; Rom_4:11)—betwixt me and you.

The Pulpit Commentary
And he that is eight days old—literally, and the son of eight days (cf. Gen_17:1)—shall be circumcised among you (Le Gen_12:3; Luk_2:21; Php_3:5), every man child—"The fact that several times the circumcision of the males only is enjoined may point to the legislator's intention to exclude that rite in the other sex, though it was customary among many ancient nations, but not universal among the Egyptians" (Kalisch). Though not administered to both, the symbol was ordained for the sake of both sexes (Calvin)—in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. Not only a proof of the Divine benignity to Abraham in embracing all the members of his household within the pale of the visible Church now constituted, but likewise a hint of the world-wide aspect of the Abrahamic covenant, a first-fruits as it were of the "all the families of the earth" that should be blessed in Abram.

The Pulpit Commentary
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised. Literally, circumcised, must be circumcised, he that is born, &c; the niph. inf. abe. with the finite verb occupying the place of emphasis at the beginning of the sentence. And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

The Pulpit Commentary
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 γένους αὐτῆς (LXX.), i.e. shall be destroyed from amongst his nation, from among his people (Le Gen_17:4, Gen_17:10; Num_15:30), from Israel (Exo_12:15; Num_19:13), from the congregation of Israel (Exo_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. That excision from one's people was in certain cases followed by the death penalty (Exo_31:14; Le 18:29; Num_15:30) does not prove that the capital infliction was an invariable accompaniment of such sentence (vide Exo_12:19; Le Exo_7:20, Exo_7:21; Num_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.