Cut for Kingship
What does God commit Himself to when He makes a covenant with Abraham? Genesis 17 gives a number of specifics: Abraham will be a multitude of nations, his name will become Abraham, Yahweh will be God to Abraham and to his seed and will give them the land. Twice in Genesis 17, the covenant includes the promise of kingship: To Abraham, Yahweh says, “kings shall come from you” (v. 6), and again regarding Sarah: “kingship shall come from her” (v. 16).
Between these to promises comes Yahweh’s instruction about circumcision, so that the text forms a simple chiasm:
A. Kings from Abraham, v. 6
B. Instructions regarding circumcision, vv. 9-14
A’. Kings shall come from her, v. 16
As a sign of the covenant, circumcision marked Abraham’s seed as a royal people, as a nation from whom kings would come. As a sign of the covenant, circumcision was a mark of a future Abrahamendom.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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