Bible Strands
Genesis 17:9
God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant—you and your descendants in the generations after you.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God speaks to Abraham in Genesis 17, immediately after promising the land of Canaan as an eternal possession for his lineage. The command targets Abraham personally and explicitly extends to his descendants across all future generations.
The words — The verb תִשְׁמֹר (tish.Mor) literally means "you will keep" or "you shall guard," while בְּרִיתִי (beriti) translates to "my covenant." These terms establish the relationship as a binding obligation rather than a passive blessing.
The thread — The mandate to maintain this covenant appears in Psalms 25:10 and 103:18, where keeping God’s covenant and precepts is tied to experiencing His faithful ways. Isaiah 56:4 later applies the same expectation of holding fast to the covenant to those outside the traditional lineage.
Why it lands — The text states a direct requirement for Abraham and his descendants to actively preserve the covenant before detailing its physical sign. It asks readers to recognize that divine promises require deliberate, multi-generational adherence to established boundaries.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
Cross-references
- Psalms 25:10 All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees.
- Psalms 103:18 to those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.
- Isaiah 56:4 For this is what the LORD says: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, who choose what pleases Me and hold fast to My covenant—