But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”
Parallel translations
- WEB But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”
- KJV But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
- ESV But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”
- NKJV But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”
- NASB But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.”
- NLT But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God declared He would establish His covenant with Isaac, to be born to Sarah within a year. The promise is given a definite, near timetable.
Overview
God reaffirms that the covenant belongs to Isaac and fixes the time of his birth, removing all doubt about the promise's fulfillment. The appointed time underscores God's sovereign control over events. This precise promise heightens anticipation and demonstrates that the covenant rests wholly on God's faithful word, soon to be proven true.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Gen 21:2–3So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.
- Gen 26:2–5The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you.
- Rom 9:9For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
- Gen 18:10Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
- Rom 9:5–6Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen.
- Gal 3:29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
- Gen 21:10–12and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”
- Luke 1:55as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
- Heb 11:9By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
- Acts 1:7Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.
- Gen 46:1So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
- Luke 1:72to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,
- Exod 2:24So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Job 14:13If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me!
- Exod 3:6Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
- Gen 48:15Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 17:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.