Verses 22-27 return to the topic of verses 9-14 and conclude the chapter by showing how Abraham proceeded to circumcise all the males in his camp in obedience to God’s instructions.

Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, and others make verse 22 the conclusion of God’s fifth speech (verses 19-22). Revised Standard Version and a few others include it with verses 23-27 as part of the general conclusion. Translators are advised to handle this transitional statement in whichever way will be most normal in their own language.

When he had finished talking with him: he refers to God and him to Abraham. Revised Standard Version, which follows the form of the Hebrew text, has the pronouns he and him in the first clause and the nouns God and Abraham in the second clause. In some languages it will be clearer to place God and Abraham in the first clause and the pronoun forms in the second clause (see Good News Translation).

God went up from Abraham: went up from is literally “rose from upon,” which seems to carry the sense of a sudden departure more than rising or ascending. This is adequately expressed by Speiser “God was gone from Abraham,” and Good News Translation “he left him.” However, New English Bible has “ascended and left him.” Revised English Bible, on the other hand, has “God left him,” which is recommended here.

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 .