Genesis 17:8

8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

Genesis 17:8 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God."
New Living Translation (NLT)
8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”
The Message Bible (MSG)
8 And I'm giving you and your descendants this land where you're now just camping, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I'll be their God."
American Standard Version (ASV)
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
8 I am also giving this land where you are living--all of Canaan--to you and your descendants as your permanent possession. And I will be your God."
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
8 And to you and your offspring after you I will give the land where you are residing-all the land of Canaan-as an eternal possession, and I will be their God."
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
8 "You are now living in Canaan as an outsider. But I will give you the whole land of Canaan. You will own it forever. So will your children after you. And I will be their God."

Genesis 17:8 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 17:8

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee
To him in right, and to them in possession, and for an inheritance:

the land wherein thou art a stranger;
or "the land of sojournings" or "pilgrimages" F12, which were many; for he often removed from place to place, and sometimes sojourned in one place, and sometimes in another:

all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession;
this respects only the natural seed of Abraham, and those in the line of Isaac and Jacob, to whom this land was given to hold for ever, in case they were obedient to the will of God; and therefore whenever they were disobedient, they were carried captive from it, as they are at this day; but when they shall be converted, they will return to this land and possess it to the end of the world; and which was a figure of the heavenly inheritance, which is an eternal one, and will be enjoyed by all his spiritual seed to all eternity:

and I will be their God;
as he was to all the natural seed of Abraham in a spiritual sense, to whom the adoption belonged, and whom he chose and separated as a peculiar people to himself, and bestowed in providence many peculiar favours upon them, both in a civil and religious way; and as he is to all his spiritual seed in an evangelic sense, to whom he stands in the relation of their covenant God and Father in Christ, in whom he blesses them with all spiritual blessings, and will continue to be so unto death, and to all eternity.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 (Kyrgm Ura) "terram peregrinationum tuarum", Pagninus, Montanus

Genesis 17:8 In-Context

6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.
10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

Cross References 4

  • 1. S Genesis 10:19; Psalms 105:9,11
  • 2. Genesis 23:4; Genesis 28:4; Genesis 35:27; Genesis 37:1; Exodus 6:4; 1 Chronicles 29:15
  • 3. S Genesis 12:7; S Genesis 15:7
  • 4. S ver 7; Jeremiah 31:1
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