King James Version

What Does Genesis 17:19 Mean?

Genesis 17:19 in the King James Version says “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my c...” — study this verse from Genesis chapter 17 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.”

Genesis 17:19 · KJV

Eternal Life

Context

17

Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18

And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

19

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20

And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly ; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21

But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Read Genesis 17 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I... This passage is part of the Abrahamic narratives which shift from universal human history to God's particular covenant people. The Abraham cycle (Genesis 12-25) demonstrates God's sovereign election, covenant faithfulness, and the development of faith through testing and promise fulfillment.

Central themes include God's unconditional covenant promises (land, descendants, blessing to nations), the call to faith and obedience, the testing of faith through delays and impossibilities, the contrast between divine promises and human schemes, and God's gracious persistence despite human failures. Abraham emerges as the father of faith whose trust in God's promises becomes the model for all believers (Romans 4, Galatians 3, Hebrews 11).

Theologically, these narratives establish: (1) salvation by grace through faith rather than works; (2) covenant as God's gracious initiative binding Himself to His people; (3) the necessity of patient trust when promises seem impossible; (4) the consequences of attempting to fulfill God's promises through human effort; (5) the pattern of divine testing producing mature faith. The Abraham cycle foreshadows Christ as the ultimate seed through whom blessing extends to all nations (Galatians 3:16).

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Historical & Cultural Context

The patriarchal narratives (Genesis 12-50) reflect the cultural, social, and legal customs of the ancient Near East during the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1500 BCE). Archaeological discoveries including the Mari tablets, Nuzi tablets, and Egyptian records confirm many details: nomadic pastoralism, covenant-making ceremonies, marriage customs, property laws, and international travel patterns described in Genesis.

The cultural practices reflected include: treaty/covenant forms (Genesis 15), bride-price customs (Genesis 24, 29), inheritance laws favoring firstborn sons (Genesis 25, 27), adoption practices (Genesis 15, 30), levirate-type arrangements (Genesis 38), and Egyptian administrative systems (Genesis 41, 47). These parallels confirm Genesis's historical reliability while showing how God worked within ancient cultural frameworks to accomplish His purposes.

For later Israelites, these narratives established their identity as Abraham's descendants, explained their claim to Canaan, justified their possession of Joseph's bones (Exodus 13:19), and provided models of faith despite imperfection. The patriarchs' failures and God's faithfulness encouraged Israel that covenant relationship depended on God's grace rather than human merit. The movement from Mesopotamia to Canaan to Egypt set the stage for the Exodus and conquest narratives.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does understanding this verse shape our doctrine of humanity, sin, or salvation?
  2. What obstacles prevent us from living out the truths presented in this verse?
  3. How does this passage point forward to Christ and the gospel of redemption?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 20 words
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר1 of 20

“said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אֱלֹהִ֗ים2 of 20

“And God”

H430

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of

אֲבָל֙3 of 20

“indeed”

H61

nay, i.e., truly or yet

שָׂרָ֣ה4 of 20

“Sarah”

H8283

sarah, abraham's wife

אִשְׁתְּךָ֗5 of 20

“thy wife”

H802

a woman

יֹלֶ֤דֶת6 of 20

“shall bear”

H3205

to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage

לְךָ֙7 of 20
H0
בֵּ֔ן8 of 20

“thee a son”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

וְקָרָ֥אתָ9 of 20

“and thou shalt call”

H7121

to call out to (i.e., properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)

אֶת10 of 20
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

שְׁמ֖וֹ11 of 20

“his name”

H8034

an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character

יִצְחָ֑ק12 of 20

“Isaac”

H3327

jitschak (or isaac), son of abraham

וַהֲקִֽמֹתִ֨י13 of 20

“and I will establish”

H6965

to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)

אֶת14 of 20
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

לִבְרִ֥ית15 of 20

“covenant”

H1285

a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)

אִתּ֛וֹ16 of 20
H854

properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc

לִבְרִ֥ית17 of 20

“covenant”

H1285

a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)

עוֹלָ֖ם18 of 20

“with him for an everlasting”

H5769

properly, concealed, i.e., the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e., (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial

לְזַרְע֥וֹ19 of 20

“and with his seed”

H2233

seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

אַֽחֲרָֽיו׃20 of 20

“after him”

H310

properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Genesis. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Genesis 17:19 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Genesis 17:19 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Luke 1:13-20Genesis 21:2-3Genesis 21:6Genesis 18:10-142 Kings 4:16-17Galatians 4:28-31

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