And I will make my covenant between me and you: And represents the Hebrew connective, which may suggest a logical relation between verses 1b and 2. In some languages the order of clauses will mean that the carrying out of the instructions in verse 1b is a condition for the promise in Gen 17.2. However, many languages require a marker for this relationship, such as in New English Bible, Revised English Bible “so that I may set my covenant….”

Make my covenant is literally “give or set my covenant.” Covenant means an agreement, alliance, pact that binds two or more parties together with mutual commitments and responsibilities. For a detailed treatment of covenant, see the discussion in 6.18 and especially in 9.9. The substance of the covenant in verse 2 is the promise that Abram will have many descendants.

And will multiply you exceedingly is much better expressed in Good News Translation “and give you many descendants”; or we may say “and cause you to have a great number of descendants.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .