參考版本 AFV  A  Faithful Version 的希臘文 2009版本              

耶和華的事，不謀利沒有版權

1. And when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am the Almighty God! Walk before Me and be perfect.

2. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

3. And Abram fell on his face. And God talked with him, saying,

4. “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

5. Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

6. And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

7. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your seed after you.

8. And I will give the land to you in which you are a sojourner, and to your seed after you, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. And I will be their God.”

9. And God said to Abraham, “And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you in their generations.

10. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you. Every male child among you shall be circumcised.

11. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. And it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

12. And a son of eight days shall be circumcised among you, every male child in your generations; he that is born in the house, or bought with silver of any foreigner who is not of your seed.

13. He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your silver, must be circumcised. And My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14. And the uncircumcised male child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people—for he has broken My covenant.”

 (A Faithful Version)

1. 亞伯蘭到了九十九歲，耶和華向亞伯蘭顯現，說：我是那大能者！到我面前者，他是整全的一個人。

2. 我與你立約，是要讓你大大的加增。

3. 亞伯蘭為此，就俯伏在耶和華面前。耶和華續對他說：

4. 你要曉得，與你立的約，是指你將會是眾人的父。

5. 為此，你的名字不叫亞伯蘭，而是亞伯拉罕。因為你會是多國之父。

6. 你後裔極其繁多，他們會因你的緣故立國，列王從你而出。

7. 與你所立的約，也關乎你的後代，它是世代延續的，是你和子孫和與大能的守護者一起立的。

8. 這塊迦南地，就是你現在寄居的，在你之後留給他們，永久地擁有，有神聖者守望。

9. 這位神聖者對亞伯拉罕說：你要守約，在你離去後，在他們的世代也要持守住。

10. 這約，你要守住。不單是我與你的事，也包括那些男性的後代也要切割。

11. 亞伯蘭你要把皮包割去，它就成了你我之間一個立約的標記。

12. 出生八天後的男孩要為他施行割禮。不管是在家出生的，或用金錢買來，屬異族的後人。

13. 這些在家裡生的，或銀子買的，都必須受割禮。這樣，我的約，要在人的肉身中呈現出那是永恆約定的明證。

14. 男孩若未受割除皮包之禮的，那麼他的心靈有別於這民，只因違背了與我所立的約。

From AI   :

Abraham needed to be circumcised as a visible, physical sign of the covenant God made with him, sealing God’s promises of numerous descendants, a great nation, and blessing for all nations through his lineage (Genesis 17:1–14).  This act was not about personal purity or moral perfection, but about   faithful obedience to God’s   command, demonstrating Abraham’s commitment to the covenant relationship. 

• Circumcision symbolized the removal of sin and the need for spiritual cleansing, as seen in later prophetic calls to “circumcise your hearts” (Jeremiah 4:4; Deuteronomy 10:16). 
• It marked   a break from self-reliance and human effort, especially after Abraham’s earlier attempt to fulfill God’s promise through Ishmael (born of Hagar), which was not God’s plan. The act of cutting the foreskin represented cutting off human works and trusting God’s power alone. 
• It was a   permanent, visible sign of belonging to God’s people, distinguishing Abraham and his descendants from other nations and affirming that their future and inheritance came not by strength or merit, but by divine grace.
• Though Abraham was already counted righteous by faith (Genesis 17: 6), circumcision was   a sign of that faith in action—a public declaration of his trust in God’s promises, even when the fulfillment seemed impossible at age 99. 

In short, Abraham was circumcised not because he needed to be cleansed of sin in a legalistic sense, but because   he was called to live in covenant relationship with God, and circumcision was the tangible sign of that sacred bond.

對上述AI的解釋，當中列出的理由是認同。有一更大的支持是亞伯蘭有過一次的不信。那麼這重新立的約 ，就有別於以前的設壇，如今是以肉身立約，就更能起作用，讓他更清楚明白，他有約在身，這約也一定會實現，不要疑惑，它同時成了族例可以永久的傳遞這立約的信息。

在人，在身處千變萬化的世界，即使有約在身，也會忘記。在新約，保羅就是因為他們死守這條例，不是因為相信是立約的本意，是沒有正確去解釋，以此為聚眾團結的手段，成為當權者的資產，失去了當有的意義：與耶和華立約，不是與人。

這個觀念竊改，那是人的私意作怪。在信仰事上如此，在人管人的事上，也是如此。就如立法的功用，人用立法而不守，去約束別人的自由，放縱自己的權力，任意罔為，這情況，不論在任何地方，都是司空見慣，而且愈演愈烈，是世界大亂的根本緣因。

堅持守約，真的這麼難？ 不難，只在有心或無意。只是，這事到了新約，保羅有了新的詮釋，這約不在肉身，在心靈，讓人看到耶和華是守約施慈愛的大能者，值得信賴，人人適用。

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