The story of Abram becoming Abraham — when God gives a ninety-nine-year-old man a new name and a promise so large it will outlast his whole lifetime.
This account is found in Genesis 17, where God appears to Abram, changes his name to Abraham and Sarai’s to Sarah, gives circumcision as the sign of the covenant, and promises that Sarah will bear a son named Isaac within the year.
The Story of Abram Becomes Abraham
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” God promised to make His covenant with Abram and to multiply him greatly.
Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him. God told him that His covenant was with him, and that Abram would become the father of many nations.
Then God changed his name. He would no longer be called Abram, which means ‘exalted father,’ but Abraham, ‘father of many nations.’ God promised to make him exceedingly fruitful, to bring nations and kings from him, and to give the land of Canaan to his descendants as an everlasting possession.
God gave a sign for the covenant. Every male in Abraham’s household was to be circumcised, and a baby boy was to be circumcised when he was eight days old. This mark in the flesh was a token of the promise between God and Abraham’s family for generations to come.
Then God spoke about Abraham’s wife. Sarai would no longer be called Sarai, but Sarah. God said He would bless her and give Abraham a son by her, and that she would become a mother of nations, with kings among her descendants.
Abraham fell on his face and laughed, wondering how a hundred-year-old man and a ninety-year-old woman could have a child. He asked God to bless Ishmael, the son he already had. But God answered that Sarah herself would bear a son, and that Abraham was to name him Isaac.
God promised that His covenant would continue through Isaac, whom Sarah would bear at that same time the next year. Then God finished speaking and went up from Abraham.
Key Verses
“I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect” Genesis 17:1
“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” Genesis 17:5
“As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be” Genesis 17:15
“Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac” Genesis 17:19
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), a public-domain translation.
What the Story of Abram Becomes Abraham Teaches Us
The story shows that God’s promises rest on His faithfulness, not on human ability. Abraham and Sarah were long past the age of having children, yet God tied His entire covenant to a son they could not produce on their own. What looked impossible was exactly where God chose to act.
A new name marks a new identity and calling. Abram, ‘exalted father,’ becomes Abraham, ‘father of many nations,’ before he has a single child by Sarah. God names him for what He will make him, teaching that God’s word about the future is as sure as the present.
The covenant comes with a lasting sign. Circumcision marked Abraham’s family as belonging to God, a physical reminder that they were set apart by a promise. It shows that God’s relationship with His people is meant to shape real life, not stay abstract.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in the story?
God appears to Abram when he is ninety-nine, establishes a covenant with him, and changes his name from Abram to Abraham, meaning ‘father of many nations.’ God also renames Sarai to Sarah, gives circumcision as the sign of the covenant, and promises that Sarah will bear a son named Isaac within a year.
Why did God change Abram’s name to Abraham?
Abram means ‘exalted father,’ and Abraham means ‘father of many nations.’ God changed the name to match the promise He was making, declaring what Abraham would become before he had a son by Sarah.
What was the sign of the covenant?
God gave circumcision as the sign. Every male in Abraham’s household was to be circumcised, and baby boys at eight days old, as a lasting token that the family belonged to God.
How old were Abraham and Sarah?
Abraham was ninety-nine when God appeared to him, and the text notes Sarah was ninety. Abraham laughed at the idea that a couple their age could have a child, yet God promised Isaac would be born the next year.
Where is this in the Bible?
The account is found in Genesis 17, in the first book of the Bible.