And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised on the selfsame day circumcision was instituted as the outward sign and seal of the covenant made when Abraham was ninety-nine. He was the son born to Abraham through Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, after human scheming to bring about what God had promised, and he represents bondage and reliance on human works rather than freedom through God's promise, for Hagar and Sarah with their two sons are the two covenants explained in Galatians 4:21-30. The covenant so sealed repeats the promise that Abraham and his seed would receive the land forever as heirs of the world, which would be realized through Christ and belongs not to the literal seed only but to the spiritual seed, to all who are of Abraham's faith whether Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised. In that setting circumcision was a sign that Abraham's family was set apart to God and that God's righteousness was upon them, whose value depended on obedience and pointed to the need for clean hearts, so that breaking the law destroys its value while keeping the law secures even an uncircumcised Gentile a covenant interest in Abraham's promises. Its being commanded as perpetual and everlasting does not prove continuing obligation, for like the Aaronic priesthood and the Passover that period has expired, and as a religious rite it became nothing when Christ came.
Circumcision in Covenant History
Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, within the covenant transaction God made with Abraham when Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when circumcision was instituted as the covenant's outward sign and the covenant was formally established and sealed. In that setting circumcision was a sign that Abraham's family was set apart to God and that God's righteousness was upon them, and it should have pointed them to the need for clean hearts. It was a token and assurance of God's faithfulness to His promise of the land, and its purpose remains as an assurance of the inheritance.
The verse belongs to the story of God's call to Abram and his sojourn and trials of faith, in which Abraham did not come at once to fullness of faith but was taught the lesson over and over through constant and remarkable evidences of God's overruling providence, which puts the question whether readers are children of Abraham. It falls within the account of God's providential dealings with Abraham's family as the chosen family through which the Seed would come. Abraham obeyed God's command to circumcise the males of his household on the selfsame day, showing that true faith obeys God's word.
Ishmael was the son born to Abraham through Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, after human scheming to bring about what God had promised, and he represents bondage and reliance on human works rather than freedom through God's promise. Hence the history in Genesis 15, 16, 17, and 21:1-21 is where the subject of the two covenants begins and must be studied, for Hagar the bondwoman and Sarah the freewoman with their two sons are the two covenants, the covenant from Mount Sinai and the other covenant. They are the old covenant and the new covenant explained in Galatians 4:21-30, especially verse 24.
The account shows circumcision was commanded to Abraham and his family long before Moses and was retained among them. That command impressed its importance so as to make later neglect unlikely, as in the neglect of the requirement in Moses' household recorded in Exodus 4:24-26. Neglecting it there was culpable, since circumcision was given in Genesis 17 as a covenant requirement, and the comparison has been used to argue that the Genesis account may have been written after that event.
Promise, Seed, and Obligation
Genesis 17 stands among the covenants gathered into the everlasting covenant in Christ, whose promise is life and salvation and the kingdom. In that chapter the first and larger promise first made in Genesis 13 is repeated, that Abraham and his seed should receive the land forever as heirs of the world. That promise of the whole world as an inheritance was to be realized through Abraham's seed, which is Christ. By this covenant of promise made to Abraham the father of the faithful, his natural descendants became the chosen people, the seed of Abraham and heirs of the kingdom. It must not be confused with the other promise in Genesis 15:13-21, which fixed the boundaries of earthly Canaan and the time of its possession in the fourth generation.
The covenant of which circumcision was the seal carries the promises to Abraham, to Isaac as the child of promise, and to Israel as the prevailer by faith. Its deeper and broader significance refers not to the literal seed but to the spiritual seed. Because God made it with Abraham before he was circumcised, it teaches salvation and equal title to Abraham's promises for all who share Abraham's faith, whether Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised. The promise that he should be heir of the world was not through law but through righteousness of faith, for if those of the law were heirs faith would be void and the promise of none effect. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace, to make the promise sure to all the seed, both to that of the law and to that of the faith of Abraham who is father of all.
The promises to Abraham are the blessings of the gospel, and the moral law is the basis of that covenant. Circumcision given there was a sign that Abraham's family was set apart to God and that God's righteousness was upon them, and it should have pointed them to the need for clean hearts. It was a sign of righteousness whose efficacy depends on obedience. Breaking the law neutralizes circumcision and destroys its value as a sign, while keeping the law secures even an uncircumcised Gentile a covenant interest in Abraham's promises, counting his uncircumcision for circumcision and making him a Jew inwardly.
Circumcision was commanded as perpetual and everlasting, yet that period has expired, just as the Aaronic priesthood, the Passover and its feast, the showbread, and other things called perpetual and everlasting have expired. Everlasting language therefore does not prove continuing obligation, and a command to a thousand generations is no stronger. That Ishmael at thirteen was circumcised as well as Isaac proves circumcision was not exclusively for the Jews and for the Jews alone. As a religious rite held by the Jews it became nothing when Christ came, while the Sabbath is never called Jewish nor said to belong to the Jews alone but is called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God on the seventh day, and is nowhere said to be nothing.
Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised on the selfsame day circumcision was instituted as the outward sign and seal of the covenant made when Abraham was ninety-nine. He was the son born to Abraham through Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, after human scheming to bring about what God had promised, and he represents bondage and reliance on human works rather than freedom through God's promise, for Hagar and Sarah with their two sons are the two covenants explained in Galatians 4:21-30. The covenant so sealed repeats the promise that Abraham and his seed would receive the land forever as heirs of the world, which would be realized through Christ and belongs not to the literal seed only but to the spiritual seed, to all who are of Abraham's faith whether Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised. In that setting circumcision was a sign that Abraham's family was set apart to God and that God's righteousness was upon them, whose value depended on obedience and pointed to the need for clean hearts, so that breaking the law destroys its value while keeping the law secures even an uncircumcised Gentile a covenant interest in Abraham's promises. Its being commanded as perpetual and everlasting does not prove continuing obligation, for like the Aaronic priesthood and the Passover that period has expired, and as a religious rite it became nothing when Christ came.
Circumcision in Covenant History
Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, within the covenant transaction God made with Abraham when Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when circumcision was instituted as the covenant's outward sign and the covenant was formally established and sealed. In that setting circumcision was a sign that Abraham's family was set apart to God and that God's righteousness was upon them, and it should have pointed them to the need for clean hearts. It was a token and assurance of God's faithfulness to His promise of the land, and its purpose remains as an assurance of the inheritance.
The verse belongs to the story of God's call to Abram and his sojourn and trials of faith, in which Abraham did not come at once to fullness of faith but was taught the lesson over and over through constant and remarkable evidences of God's overruling providence, which puts the question whether readers are children of Abraham. It falls within the account of God's providential dealings with Abraham's family as the chosen family through which the Seed would come. Abraham obeyed God's command to circumcise the males of his household on the selfsame day, showing that true faith obeys God's word.
Ishmael was the son born to Abraham through Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, after human scheming to bring about what God had promised, and he represents bondage and reliance on human works rather than freedom through God's promise. Hence the history in Genesis 15, 16, 17, and 21:1-21 is where the subject of the two covenants begins and must be studied, for Hagar the bondwoman and Sarah the freewoman with their two sons are the two covenants, the covenant from Mount Sinai and the other covenant. They are the old covenant and the new covenant explained in Galatians 4:21-30, especially verse 24.
The account shows circumcision was commanded to Abraham and his family long before Moses and was retained among them. That command impressed its importance so as to make later neglect unlikely, as in the neglect of the requirement in Moses' household recorded in Exodus 4:24-26. Neglecting it there was culpable, since circumcision was given in Genesis 17 as a covenant requirement, and the comparison has been used to argue that the Genesis account may have been written after that event.
Promise, Seed, and Obligation
Genesis 17 stands among the covenants gathered into the everlasting covenant in Christ, whose promise is life and salvation and the kingdom. In that chapter the first and larger promise first made in Genesis 13 is repeated, that Abraham and his seed should receive the land forever as heirs of the world. That promise of the whole world as an inheritance was to be realized through Abraham's seed, which is Christ. By this covenant of promise made to Abraham the father of the faithful, his natural descendants became the chosen people, the seed of Abraham and heirs of the kingdom. It must not be confused with the other promise in Genesis 15:13-21, which fixed the boundaries of earthly Canaan and the time of its possession in the fourth generation.
The covenant of which circumcision was the seal carries the promises to Abraham, to Isaac as the child of promise, and to Israel as the prevailer by faith. Its deeper and broader significance refers not to the literal seed but to the spiritual seed. Because God made it with Abraham before he was circumcised, it teaches salvation and equal title to Abraham's promises for all who share Abraham's faith, whether Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised. The promise that he should be heir of the world was not through law but through righteousness of faith, for if those of the law were heirs faith would be void and the promise of none effect. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace, to make the promise sure to all the seed, both to that of the law and to that of the faith of Abraham who is father of all.
The promises to Abraham are the blessings of the gospel, and the moral law is the basis of that covenant. Circumcision given there was a sign that Abraham's family was set apart to God and that God's righteousness was upon them, and it should have pointed them to the need for clean hearts. It was a sign of righteousness whose efficacy depends on obedience. Breaking the law neutralizes circumcision and destroys its value as a sign, while keeping the law secures even an uncircumcised Gentile a covenant interest in Abraham's promises, counting his uncircumcision for circumcision and making him a Jew inwardly.
Circumcision was commanded as perpetual and everlasting, yet that period has expired, just as the Aaronic priesthood, the Passover and its feast, the showbread, and other things called perpetual and everlasting have expired. Everlasting language therefore does not prove continuing obligation, and a command to a thousand generations is no stronger. That Ishmael at thirteen was circumcised as well as Isaac proves circumcision was not exclusively for the Jews and for the Jews alone. As a religious rite held by the Jews it became nothing when Christ came, while the Sabbath is never called Jewish nor said to belong to the Jews alone but is called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God on the seventh day, and is nowhere said to be nothing.