Genesis 17:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And I will bestow upon you and your descendants the land where you will reside, the entirety of Canaan, as a perpetual inheritance, and I will be their God. Your righteousness will result in your offspring partaking in My abundance, for I will grant them the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. What does it signify to say, 'I will be their God'? It signifies that I will nurture and diligently care for them, providing assistance in every circumstance; it is essential that you and your descendants uphold this covenant throughout their generations.

God is the deity of Abraham and his lineage, specifically identified as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 29:45, 46). This is evident through the preservation of genuine divine wisdom and reverence in their descendants, particularly highlighted by the incarnation. Hence, within the sequence of divine pledges, the eternal covenant and the everlasting inheritance of the land of Canaan are initially established, a fulfillment that occurred prior to the birth of Christ. Ultimately, the promise of "I will be their God" encapsulates the entirety of these commitments.

The final aspect of the covenant that God established involves the promise of the entire land of Canaan to Abraham's offspring as a perpetual inheritance. This 'perpetual' designation should not be understood in an absolute manner, but rather as enduring until the era of the New Testament (see Genesis 13:15).