“And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.”
My Notes
What Does Genesis 17:23 Mean?
"And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him." Abraham obeys IMMEDIATELY and COMPREHENSIVELY: the SAME DAY God spoke, Abraham circumcised EVERY male — Ishmael, the house-born, the purchased. The obedience is TOTAL (every male), IMMEDIATE (the selfsame day), and EXACT (as God had said). The gap between the command and the compliance is ZERO days. The scope of the obedience matches the scope of the command.
The phrase "in the selfsame day" (be'etzem hayyom hazzeh — in the bone/substance of this day, on this very day) emphasizes IMMEDIATE obedience: Abraham didn't wait until tomorrow. He didn't delay for preparation. He didn't discuss with his household. THE SAME DAY — the day God spoke is the day Abraham cut. The obedience is as fast as the command. The compliance is same-day delivery.
The "as God had said unto him" (ka'asher dibber itto Elohim — as God had spoken with him) confirms EXACT compliance: Abraham did WHAT God said, WHEN God said, to WHOM God said. The obedience isn't approximate. It's EXACT — 'as God had said.' The match between the command and the execution is PRECISE. No modifications. No adjustments. No personalized interpretation. As God said. So Abraham did.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What command requires your same-day, comprehensive, exact obedience?
- 2.What does zero-gap obedience (selfsame day) teach about the speed of genuine compliance?
- 3.How does 'every male' (no exceptions) describe the scope of whole-community obedience?
- 4.What does 'as God had said' — exact replication, no modification — look like in your response to God?
Devotional
The SAME DAY. EVERY male. AS God said. Abraham's obedience is immediate (same day), comprehensive (every male), and exact (as God commanded). The gap between the command and the compliance is zero. The scope matches the instruction. The execution mirrors the word. No delay. No exceptions. No modifications.
The 'selfsame day' is the SPEED of obedience: Abraham heard God's command AND circumcised his entire household ON THE SAME DAY. The obedience doesn't wait for a convenient time. It doesn't schedule for next week. It happens NOW — today, this day, the very day the word was spoken. The same-day obedience demonstrates that the hearing and the doing have no gap between them.
The 'every male' is the SCOPE of obedience: Abraham circumcised Ishmael (his son — the family). All born in his house (the servants — the household). All bought with his money (the purchased — the acquired). EVERY male without exception. The obedience covers every category of male in Abraham's community. The comprehensiveness of the compliance matches the comprehensiveness of the command.
The 'as God had said' is the PRECISION of obedience: the obedience isn't creative interpretation. It's EXACT replication. God said THIS. Abraham did THIS. The 'as' (ka'asher) means 'in the manner that' — the doing MIRRORS the saying. The compliance is a COPY of the command. No additions. No subtractions. No personalized modifications. As spoken. So done.
What command of God requires YOUR same-day, every-person, as-God-said obedience?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And Abraham took Ishmael his son,.... To circumcise him; he took his son first, to set an example to his servants, and…
- The Sealing of the Covenant 1. שׁדי shaday, Shaddai, “Irresistible, able to destroy, and by inference to make,…
And Abraham took Ishmael, etc. - Had not Abraham, his son, (who was of age to judge for himself), and all the family,…
We have here Abraham's obedience to the law of circumcision. He himself and all his family were circumcised, so…
Abraham circumcises his Household
23. And Abraham took, &c. This verse repeats the directions contained in Gen…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture