Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The term "cut off" implies more than just exclusion; it signifies being severed from the entire fabric of the community, losing all rights and protections within it. This wasn't merely a disciplinary measure, but a fundamental removal from the people of God.
Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse comes at a pivotal moment where God is establishing a formal, lasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Following God's appearance and reassurance to Abraham, this passage lays out a specific requirement – circumcision – as the outward sign and seal of this covenant. Failure to adhere to this sign by any uncircumcised male is explicitly stated as a breach of the covenant itself, marking them as separated from God's chosen people.
What does it truly mean to be 'cut off' from God's people? This verse carries a stark warning about the consequences of breaking covenant.
The phrase "cut off from his people" in Genesis 17:14 carries significant weight. It signifies more than just a physical separation; it implies a forfeiture of covenant blessings and privileges, both temporal and spiritual.
Consequences of Disconnection
Circumcision was a physical act, but its meaning ran far deeper than the flesh. What did this sign represent to Abraham and his descendants?
Circumcision in Genesis 17 was not merely a ritualistic observance; it was the divinely appointed seal of the covenant between God and Abraham. It served as a visible, tangible reminder of an invisible, spiritual reality.
Ask a follow-up
The Covenant Seal
Understand the original words
karat · Hebrew Verb
To be removed, destroyed, or separated, often carrying the connotation of being expelled from the covenant community or excluded from the life of the people of God. In a legal sense, it implies a judicial penalty for disobedience or covenant-breaking.
hefer · Hebrew Verb
The act of failing to fulfill the obligations of a covenant, thereby nullifying or violating the established divine relationship. It signifies an act of rebellion or unfaithfulness against the stipulations of God.
This verse directly addresses the consequence of neglecting the covenant sign of circumcision, a physical mark instituted at the very beginning of God's covenant relationship with Abraham. The historical context shows it was a command to be obeyed, with significant implications for belonging to God's people.
~2091 BC
Covenant Established with Abraham
God establishes a covenant with Abram (renamed Abraham) and his descendants, promising numerous offspring and the land of Canaan. This foundational covenant sets the stage for the sign of circumcision.
~2091 BC— this verse
Circumcision Instituted as Covenant Sign
As a physical sign of the covenant, God commands Abraham and all males in his household to be circumcised. This ritual marks the males as belonging to God's chosen people.
~2091 BC
Abraham Circumcises Household
Abraham obeys God's command, circumcising himself (at 99 years old), his son Ishmael (at 13), and all the males in his household on the same day.
Over 40 years
Israelites in the Wilderness
During the 40 years in the wilderness, the practice of circumcision was largely neglected by the Israelites. This period highlights that God's covenantal relationship is not solely dependent on the physical sign.
~1406 BC
Circumcision Resumed After Entering Canaan
Upon entering the Promised Land, Joshua re-establishes the practice of circumcision among the Israelites, signifying their renewed commitment to the covenant.
This passage parallels the penalty of being 'cut off' by stating that anyone eating leavened bread during the Passover will be 'cut off from the congregation of Israel,' highlighting the severe consequence of violating a covenant ordinance.
Leviticus 17:10Here, the Lord declares, 'I will set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people,' illustrating that breaking covenant commands, even in matters of diet, results in divine exclusion.
Numbers 15:30-31This verse states, 'But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be native, or a sojourner that sojourneth among you, let him be put to shame. Yet the Lord hath indignation against that soul. He hath blasphemed the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.' It shows that deliberate defiance of God's commands, akin to breaking the covenant, leads to being cut off.
Joshua 5:4-7This passage explains why the Israelites had not circumcised their children in the wilderness: 'For all the people that came out were circumcised; but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.' It shows a historical instance where the covenant sign was neglected, leading to a generation being cut off from the covenant blessings until it was restored.
calvinGenesis 17:1-27: "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect."
And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
Tunc Abraham tulit Ismael filium suum, et omnes vernas domus suae, et…
gillGenesis 17:14: "And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant."
And the uncircumcised man child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised,.... Whose circumcision was neglected by his father, or by his mother, or by the civil magistrate, or by himself; for each of these, according to the Jewish canons, were obliged to see this performed;"the commandment lies upon a father to circumcise…
The term "cut off" implies more than just exclusion; it signifies being severed from the entire fabric of the community, losing all rights and protections within it. This wasn't merely a disciplinary measure, but a fundamental removal from the people of God.
This verse comes at a pivotal moment where God is establishing a formal, lasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Following God's appearance and reassurance to Abraham, this passage lays out a specific requirement – circumcision – as the outward sign and seal of this covenant. Failure to adhere to this sign by any uncircumcised male is explicitly stated as a breach of the covenant itself, marking them as separated from God's chosen people.
This verse comes at a pivotal moment where God is establishing a formal, lasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Following God's appearance and reassurance to Abraham, this passage lays out a specific requirement – circumcision – as the outward sign and seal of this covenant. Failure to adhere to this sign by any uncircumcised male is explicitly stated as a breach of the covenant itself, marking them as separated from God's chosen people.
"Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”" — The term "cut off" implies more than just exclusion; it signifies being severed from the entire fabric of the community, losing all rights and protections within it. This wasn't merely a disciplinary…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026