The Meaning of Genesis 17:8 Explained

Genesis 17:8

KJV: And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

YLT: and I have given to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, the whole land of Canaan, for a possession age-during, and I have become their God.'

Darby: And I give to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be a God to them.

ASV: And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will give  unto thee, and to thy seed  after thee,  the land  wherein thou art a stranger,  all the land  of Canaan,  for an everlasting  possession;  and I will be their God. 

What does Genesis 17:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 17:1-14 - God's Covenant With Abraham
At least thirteen years had passed since the promise of Isaac was first made. Years of sorrow and discipline, but God had not forgotten. Always under such circumstances the Eternal voice bids us to walk before him and be perfect. Our surrender must be complete, our obedience absolute, our faith fixed steadfastly on the Promiser. So only can God fulfill His covenant, which includes fruitfulness, the salvation of our households, the inheritance and abundance of spiritual reproductiveness. These promises were made to Abram, being yet uncircumcised, when he was yet a Gentile, proving that they were irrespective of any mere Hebrew interpretation. See Romans 4:11. But the rite was the sign and seal of the national covenant with the Hebrew race. Spiritually it stands for the separation of the believer; and though the rite passed away with Judaism, its spiritual significance is permanent, see Colossians 2:11. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 17

1  God renews the covenant with Abram,
5  and changes his name to Abraham, in token of a greater blessing
9  Circumcision is instituted
15  Sarai's name is changed to Sarah, and she is blessed
17  Isaac is promised, and the time of his birth fixed
23  Abraham and Ishmael are circumcised

What do the individual words in Genesis 17:8 mean?

And I give to you and your descendants after you - the land in which you are a stranger - all of Canaan as a possession everlasting and I will be their God
וְנָתַתִּ֣י לְ֠ךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֨ אַחֲרֶ֜יךָ אֵ֣ת ׀ אֶ֣רֶץ מְגֻרֶ֗יךָ אֵ֚ת כָּל־ כְּנַ֔עַן לַאֲחֻזַּ֖ת עוֹלָ֑ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים

וְנָתַתִּ֣י  And  I  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְ֠ךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֨  and  your  descendants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
אַחֲרֶ֜יךָ  after  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
אֵ֣ת ׀    - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מְגֻרֶ֗יךָ  in  which  you  are  a  stranger 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מָגֹור 
Sense: sojourning place, dwelling-place, sojourning.
אֵ֚ת    - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כְּנַ֔עַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
לַאֲחֻזַּ֖ת  as  a  possession 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֲחֻזָּה  
Sense: possession, property.
עוֹלָ֑ם  everlasting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
וְהָיִ֥יתִי  and  I  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לֵאלֹהִֽים  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).