Circumcision
In the heart of a celestial jubilee, Abraham’s world is transformed when he receives a divine mandate that defies all logic: at ninety-nine years old, he is told that his ninety-year-old wife, Sarah, will bear a child who will become the progenitor of nations. Despite his incredulity and heartfelt plea for Ishmael to be the chosen heir, God affirms that Sarah will give birth to Isaac, through whom the everlasting covenant will be established. The cosmic drama intensifies as Abraham, driven by unwavering faith, initiates a solemn ritual of circumcision across his household, sealing the divine promise with an act of profound obedience.
As the story unfolds, the gravity of this divine ordinance becomes clear: the covenant of circumcision is decreed an eternal law, written on heavenly tablets and binding across all generations. Those who defy this sacred rite face not just exclusion from the divine blessing but a fate of utter destruction. Israel is uniquely chosen, set apart by this covenant, while other nations are relegated to lesser spiritual oversight. However, a chilling prophecy looms, foretelling Israel’s rebellion against this divine command. The anticipated disobedience will provoke God’s wrath, leading to their ultimate forsaking and expulsion from the promised land—a dramatic climax to the epic saga of faith and covenant.
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Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
Watch an explainer video for the Circumcision chapter:
Genesis
40%
Jasher
10%
Jubilees
50%
Exposition
Jubilee: 42
Year: 2048
Month: 3
Day: 15
YHWH makes a covenant with Abram
Genesis 17:1-4
Jasher 17:16-17
Jubilees 15:1-6
Abram’s name changed to Abraham and is promised heirs and land
Genesis 17:5-8
Jubilees 15:7-10
Rising Action
Circumcision established
Genesis 17:9-14
Jasher 17:18
Jubilees 15:11-14
Sarai’s name changed to Sarah and is promised heirs
Genesis 17:15-16
Jasher 17:19-20
Jubilees 15:15-16
Climax
Abraham questions YHWH
Genesis 17:17-18
Jubilees 15:17-18
YHWH reassures Abraham
Genesis 17:19-22
Jubilees 15:19-22
Falling Action
Abraham circumcises Ishmael, every male, and he himself is circumcised
Genesis 17:23-27
Jasher 18:1-2
Jubilees 15:23-24
Resolution
Prediction that Abraham’s descendants won’t keep the covenant of circumcision
Jubilees 15:25-34
Jubilee: 42
Year: 2048
Month: 3
Day: 15
YHWH makes a covenant with Abram
Jubilees 15:1-2
1 And in the fifth year of the fourth week of this jubilee, [1979 A.M.] in the third month, in the middle of the month, Abram celebrated the feast of the first-fruits of the grain harvest.
2 And he offered new offerings on the altar, the first-fruits of the produce, unto the Lord, an heifer and a goat and a sheep on the altar as a burnt sacrifice unto the Lord; their fruit offerings and their drink offerings he offered upon the altar with frankincense.
Genesis 17:1-2
1 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.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
Jasher 17:16-17a
16 And Abram the son of Terah was then ninety-nine years old.
17 At that time the Lord appeared to him and he said to him, I will make my covenant between me and thee, and I will greatly multiply thy seed,
Jubilees 15:3-4
3 And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him: ‘I am God Almighty; approve thyself before me and be thou perfect.
4 And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly.’
Genesis 17:3-4
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
Jubilees 15:5-6
5 And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, and said:
6 ‘Behold my ordinance is with thee, And thou shalt be the father of many nations.
Abram’s name changed to Abraham and is promised heirs and land
Genesis 17:5-8
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
8 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.
Jubilees 15:7-10
7 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, But thy name from henceforth, even for ever, shall be Abraham. For the father of many nations have I made thee.
8 And I will make thee very great, And I will make thee into nations, And kings shall come forth from thee.
9 And I shall establish My covenant between Me and thee, and thy seed after thee, throughout their generations, for an eternal covenant, so that I may be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
10 <And I will give to thee and to thy seed after thee> the land where thou hast been a sojourner, the land of Canaan, that thou mayst possess it for ever, and I will be their God.’v
Circumcision established
Genesis 17:9-13
9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Jasher 17:17b-18
17b and this is the covenant which I make between me and thee, that every male child be circumcised, thou and thy seed after thee.
18 At eight days old shall it be circumcised, and this covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Jubilees 15:11-13
11 And the Lord said unto Abraham: ‘And as for thee, do thou keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee: and circumcise ye every male among you, and circumcise your foreskins, and it shall be a token of an eternal covenant between Me and you.
12 And the child on the eighth day ye shall circumcise, every male throughout your generations, him that is born in the house, or whom ye have bought with money from any stranger, whom ye have acquired who is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house shall surely be circumcised, and those whom thou hast bought with money shall be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an eternal ordinance.
Genesis 17:14
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.
Jubilees 15:14
14 And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be cut off from his people, for he has broken My covenant.’
Sarai’s name changed to Sarah and is promised heirs
Genesis 17:15-16
15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
Jasher 17:19-20
19 And now therefore thy name shall no more be called Abram but Abraham, and thy wife shall no more be called Sarai but Sarah.
20 For I will bless you both, and I will multiply your seed after you that you shall become a great nation, and kings shall come forth from you.
Jubilees 15:15-16
15 And God said unto Abraham: ‘As for Sarai thy wife, her name shall no more be called Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son by her, and I will bless him, and he shall become a nation, and kings of nations shall proceed from him.’
Abraham questions YHWH
Genesis 17:17-18
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Jubilees 15:17-18
17 And Abraham fell on his face, and rejoiced, and said in his heart: ‘Shall a son be born to him that is a hundred years old, and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bring forth?’
18 And Abraham said unto God: ‘O that Ishmael might live before thee!’
YHWH reassures Abraham
Genesis 17:19-22
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
Jubilees 15:19-22
19 And God said: ‘Yea, and Sarah also shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will establish My covenant with him, an everlasting covenant, and for his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael also have I heard thee, and behold I will bless him, and make him great, and multiply him exceedingly, and he shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to thee, in these days, in the next year.’
22 And He left off speaking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
Abraham circumcises Ishmael, every male, and he himself is circumcised
Genesis 17:23-27
23 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.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
Jasher 18:1-2
1 And Abraham rose and did all that God had ordered him, and he took the men of his household and those bought with his money, and he circumcised them as the Lord had commanded him.
2 And there was not one left whom he did not circumcise, and Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin; thirteen years old was Ishmael when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Jubilees 15:23-24
23 And Abraham did according as God had said unto him, and he took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and whom he had bought with his money, every male in his house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.
24 And on the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and all the men of his house, <and those born in the house>, and all those, whom he had bought with money from the children of the stranger, were circumcised with him.
Prediction that Abraham’s descendants won’t keep the covenant of circumcision
Jubilees 15:25-34
25 This law is for all the generations for ever, and there is no circumcision of the days, and no omission of one day out of the eight days; for it is an eternal ordinance, ordained and written on the heavenly tablets.
26 And every one that is born, the flesh of whose foreskin is not circumcised on the eighth day, belongs not to the children of the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham, but to the children of destruction; nor is there, moreover, any sign on him that he is the Lord’s, but (he is destined) to be destroyed and slain from the earth, and to be rooted out of the earth, for he has broken the covenant of the Lord our God.
27 For all the angels of the presence and all the angels of sanctification have been so created from the day of their creation, and before the angels of the presence and the angels of sanctification He hath sanctified Israel, that they should be with Him and with His holy angels.
28 And do thou command the children of Israel and let them observe the sign of this covenant for their generations as an eternal ordinance, and they will not be rooted out of the land.
29 For the command is ordained for a covenant, that they should observe it for ever among all the children of Israel.
30 For Ishmael and his sons and his brothers and Esau, the Lord did not cause to approach Him, and he chose them not because they are the children of Abraham, because He knew them, but He chose Israel to be His people.
31 And He sanctified it, and gathered it from amongst all the children of men; for there are many nations and many peoples, and all are His, and over all hath He placed spirits in authority to lead them astray from Him.
32 But over Israel He did not appoint any angel or spirit, for He alone is their ruler, and He will preserve them and require them at the hand of His angels and His spirits, and at the hand of all His powers in order that He may preserve them and bless them, and that they may be His and He may be theirs from henceforth for ever.
33 And now I announce unto thee that the children of Israel will not keep true to this ordinance, and they will not circumcise their sons according to all this law; for in the flesh of their circumcision they will omit this circumcision of their sons, and all of them, sons of Beliar, will leave their sons uncircumcised as they were born.
34 And there will be great wrath from the Lord against the children of Israel. because they have forsaken His covenant and turned aside from His word, and provoked and blasphemed, inasmuch as they do not observe the ordinance of this law; for they have treated their members like the Gentiles, so that they may be removed and rooted out of the land. And there will no more be pardon or forgiveness unto them [so that there should be forgiveness and pardon] for all the sin of this eternal error.
Notes
No notes.
Exposition
Jubilee: 42
Year: 2048
Month: 3
Day: 15
YHWH makes a covenant with Abram
Genesis 17:1-4
Jasher 17:16-17
Jubilees 15:1-6
In the 5th year of the 4th week of this jubilee, during the 3rd month and in the middle of the month, Abram celebrated the feast of the first fruits of the grain harvest. He presented new offerings on the altar—first fruits of the produce—to the LORD: a heifer, a goat, and a sheep as a burnt offering. Along with these, he also offered their grain and drink offerings on the altar, with frankincense.
When Abram, son of Terah, was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be perfect. I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
Abram fell facedown, and God spoke to him, saying, “As for me, here is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.”
Abram’s name changed to Abraham and is promised heirs and land
Genesis 17:5-8
Jubilees 15:7-10
“Your name will no longer be Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful, and nations and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you, throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and your descendants after you the land where you now live as a foreigner—all the land of Canaan—as an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
Rising Action
Circumcision established
Genesis 17:9-14
Jasher 17:18
Jubilees 15:11-14
Then God said to Abraham, “You and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout their generations. This is my covenant that you are to keep between me and you and your descendants: Every male among you must be circumcised. You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be the sign of the covenant between us.
“Every male among you who is 8 days old must be circumcised throughout your generations, including those born in your household or bought with money from any foreigner, even if they are not your offspring. Both those born in your house and those you buy must be circumcised. In this way, my covenant will be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
Sarai’s name changed to Sarah and is promised heirs
Genesis 17:15-16
Jasher 17:19-20
Jubilees 15:15-16
God also said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will also give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will become the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
Climax
Abraham questions YHWH
Genesis 17:17-18
Jubilees 15:17-18
Then Abraham fell facedown and laughed, saying to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? Can Sarah bear a child at 90?”
And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael could live in your presence!”
YHWH reassures Abraham
Genesis 17:19-22
Jubilees 15:19-22
God replied, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
“As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bless him, make him fruitful, and multiply him greatly. He will father 12 princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this same time next year.”
When God finished speaking with Abraham, He went up from him.
Falling Action
Abraham circumcises Ishmael, every male, and he himself is circumcised
Genesis 17:23-27
Jasher 18:1-2
Jubilees 15:23-24
Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, all those born in his household, and everyone he had bought with money—every male in his household—and circumcised them all that same day, just as God had told him.
Ishmael was 13 years old when he was circumcised. Abraham was circumcised on the same day along with his son Ishmael. Every male in his household, both those born there and those bought from foreigners, were circumcised with him.
Resolution
Prediction that Abraham’s descendants won’t keep the covenant of circumcision
Jubilees 15:25-34
This law is to be kept by all generations forever. There is no shifting of days and no allowance to skip the 8th day; it is an eternal rule, written on the heavenly tablets. Anyone born who is not circumcised on the 8th day does not belong to the children of the covenant the LORD made with Abraham. Instead, they are counted among the children of destruction. They bear no sign showing they belong to the LORD and are marked for destruction, to be cut off from the earth, for they have broken the LORD’s covenant.
All the angels of the presence and angels of sanctification were created this way from the beginning, and in front of them, He set Israel apart to be with Him and His holy angels. So now you must command the children of Israel to keep this sign of the covenant through all generations as an eternal rule, so they will not be removed from the land. This command was given as a covenant, to be kept forever by all the children of Israel.
As for Ishmael, his sons, his brothers, and Esau, the LORD did not bring them near to Himself. He did not choose them, even though they are Abraham’s children, because He knew them. Instead, He chose Israel to be His people.
He made them holy and set them apart from all the other people. Though there are many nations and many peoples, and all belong to Him, He has placed spirits in authority over them to lead them away from Him. But over Israel, He appointed no angel or spirit. He alone is their ruler, and He will protect them and hold His angels, spirits, and all His powers accountable to ensure that He preserves and blesses them, so they may belong to Him and He to them, now and forever.
Now I tell you, the children of Israel will not stay faithful to this law. They will not circumcise their sons according to the law. They will neglect the circumcision of their sons, and all of them—sons of Beliar—will leave their sons uncircumcised, just as they were born. The LORD will pour out great anger on the children of Israel because they have broken His covenant, turned away from His word, and provoked and blasphemed Him by ignoring this law. They have made their bodies like the Gentiles, and because of that, they will be removed and cut off from the land. There will no longer be forgiveness or pardon for them for this eternal offense.