Study Desk

But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.

Then Pharaoh gave his men orders about him, and they sent him away with his wife and all he had.

Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him.

He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been,

Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities on the plain and set up his tent near Sodom.

So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.

They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom, and they went on.

When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled his 318 trained men, born in his household, and they went in pursuit as far as Dan.

And he and his servants deployed against them by night, defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus.

He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.

This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.”

So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, and Abram named his son (whom Hagar bore) Ishmael.

If any male is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that man will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.

So Abraham took his son Ishmael and those born in his household or purchased—every male among the members of Abraham’s household—and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, just as God had said to him.

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised,

and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised.

On that same day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.

And all the men of his household—whether born in his household or purchased from a foreigner—were circumcised with him.

The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.