Genesis 9:9

9:9 “Look! I now confirm ¹  my covenant with you and your descendants after you ² 

Genesis 17:9

17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep ³  the covenantal requirement ⁴  I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

Genesis 17:13

17:13 They must indeed be circumcised, ⁵  whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant ⁶  will be visible in your flesh as a permanent ⁷  reminder.

[9:9]  ¹ tn Heb “I, look, I confirm.” The particle הִנְנִי (hinni) used with the participle מֵקִים (meqim) gives the sense of immediacy or imminence, as if to say, “Look! I am now confirming.”

[9:9]  ² tn The three pronominal suffixes (translated “you,” “your,” and “you”) are masculine plural. As v. 8 indicates, Noah and his sons are addressed.

[17:9]  ³ tn The imperfect tense could be translated “you shall keep” as a binding command; but the obligatory nuance (“must”) captures the binding sense better.

[17:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “my covenant.” The Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) can refer to (1) the agreement itself between two parties (see v. 7), (2) the promise made by one party to another (see vv. 2-3, 7), (3) an obligation placed by one party on another, or (4) a reminder of the agreement. In vv. 9-10 the word refers to a covenantal obligation which God gives to Abraham and his descendants.

[17:13]  ⁵ tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.

[17:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “my covenant.” Here in v. 13 the Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) refers to the outward, visible sign, or reminder, of the covenant. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.

[17:13]  ⁷ tn Or “an eternal.”