17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) 8 and circumcised them 9 on that very same day, just as God had told him to do.
1 tn Heb “the son of eight days.”
2 tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.
3 tn Heb “my covenant.” Here in v. 13 the Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) refers to the outward, visible sign, or reminder, of the covenant. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.
4 tn Or “an eternal.”
5 tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.
6 tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
sn The meaning of “cut off” has been discussed at great length. An entire tractate in the Mishnah is devoted to this subject (tractate Keritot). Being ostracized from the community is involved at the least, but it is not certain whether this refers to the death penalty.
7 tn Heb “he has broken my covenant.” The noun בְּרִית (bÿrit) here refers to the obligation required by God in conjunction with the covenantal agreement. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.
8 tn Heb “Ishmael his son and all born in his house and all bought with money, every male among the men of the house of Abraham.”
9 tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.