Genesis 17:12

17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old¹ must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants.

Genesis 17:14

17:14 Any uncircumcised male² who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off³ from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.”⁴

Genesis 17:23

17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money)⁵ and circumcised them⁶ on that very same day, just as God had told him to do.

Genesis 24:35

24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy.⁷ The Lord⁸ has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

Genesis 31:12

31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe⁹ that all the male goats mating with¹⁰ the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you.

Genesis 34:22

34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand¹¹ that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised.

Genesis 34:25

34:25 In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword¹² and went to the unsuspecting city¹³ and slaughtered every male.

¹tn Heb “the son of eight days.”

²tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.

³tn 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.

⁴tn 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.

⁵tn 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.”

⁶tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.

⁷tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

⁸tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”

¹⁰tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

¹¹tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”

¹²tn Heb “a man his sword.”

¹³tn Heb “and they came upon the city, [which was] secure.” In this case “secure” means the city was caught unprepared and at peace, not expecting an attack.