17 This chapter contains articles of agreement betwixt the great Jehovah, the father of mercies, and pious Abram, the father of the faithful.Mention was made of this covenant, Gen 15:18.
but here it is particularly drawn up.Here are,

1. The circumstances of the making of this covenant, the time and manner, Gen 17:1.
   and the posture Abram was in, Gen 17:3.
   
2. The covenant itself, in the particular instances.
   1. That he should be the father of many nations, Gen 17:4. Gen 17:6.
      and in token of that his name was changed, Gen 17:5.
      
   2. That God would be a God to him and his seed, and would give them the land of Canaan, Gen 17:7-8.
      and the seal of this part of the covenant was circumcision, Gen 17:9-14.
      
   3. That he should have a son by Sarai, and in token of that her name was changed, Gen 17:15-16.
      This promise Abraham received, Gen 17:17.
      And his request for Ishmael, (Gen 17:18.) was answered abundantly
      to his satisfaction, Gen 17:19-22.
      
3. The circumcision of Abraham and his family, according to God's appointment, Gen 17:23-27.
   

17:1 And when Abram was ninety nine years old - Full thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael. So long the promise of Isaac was deferred;

1. Perhaps to correct Abram's over - hasty marrying ofHagar.
2. That Abram and Sarai being so far striken in age, God's power inthis matter might be the more magnified.

The Lord appeared unto Abram - In some visible display of God's immediate glorious presence with him.And said, I am the Almighty God - By this name he chose to make himself known to Abram, rather than by his name Jehovah, Exo 6:3.He used it to Jacob, Gen 35:11. They called him by this name, Gen 28:5 Gen 43:14, Gen 48:3, . It is the name of God that is mostly usedthroughout the book of Job, at least 30 times in the discourses of that book, in which Jehovah is used but once. After Moses, Jehovah is more frequently used, and this very rarely. I am El - Shaddai. It speaks the almighty power of God, either

1. As an avenger, from wrv he destroyed, or laid waste; so some:and they think God took this title from the destruction of the old world: Or,
2. As a benefactor, v for rva who, and yr it sufficeth.

Our old English translation reads it here, very significantly,I am God All - sufficient. The God with whom we have to do, is self - sufficient; he hath every thing, and he needs not any thing. And he is enough to us, if we be in covenant with him; we have all in him, and we have enough in him; enough to satisfy our most enlarged desires; enough to supply the defect of every thing else, and to secure us happiness for our immortal souls.

But the covenant is mutual, walk before me, and be thou perfect - Thatis, upright and sincere. Observe,

1. That to walk before God, is to set God always before us, and to think,and speak, and act, in every thing as those that are always under his eye.It is to have a constant regard to his word, as our rule, and to his glory, as our end, in all our actions. It is to be inward with him in all the duties of religious worship, and to be entire for him in all holy conversation.
2. That upright walking with God is the condition of our interest in hisall - sufficiency. If we neglect him, or dissemble with him, we forfeit the benefit of our relation to him.
3. A continual regard to God's all - sufficiency will have a great influenceupon our upright walking with him.

8 

8:2 A leper came - Leprosies in those countries were seldom curable by natural means, any more than palsies or lunacy.Probably this leper, though he might not mix with the people, had heard our Lord at a distance. Mar 1:40; Luk 5:12.

8:4 See thou tell no man - Perhaps our Lord only meant here, Not till thou hast showed thyself to the priest - who was appointed to inquire into the case of leprosy. But many others he commanded, absolutely, to tell none of tho miracles he had wrought upon them. And this he seems to have done, chiefly for one or more of these reasons:

1. To prevent the multitude from thronging him, in the manner related Mar 1:45.
2. To fulfil the prophecy, Isa 42:1, that he would not be vain or ostentatious. This reason St. Matthew assigns, Mat 12:17, etc
3. To avoid the being taken by force and made a king, Joh 6:15. And,
4. That he might not enrage the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, who were the most bitter against him, any more than was unavoidable, Mat 16:20-21.

For a testimony - That I am the Messiah; to them - The priests, who otherwise might have pleaded want of evidence. Lev 14:2.