Genesis 17:5
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.
Cross-reference
Genesis 17:15 shows God renaming Sarai to Sarah in the same pattern — both name changes confirm covenant identity and the promise of many descendants together.
Genesis 12:2 promised to make Abram's name great; here in Genesis 17:5 that promise is enacted with an actual name change, expanding 'great name' to 'father of many nations.'
In Genesis 35:11, God repeats to Jacob the language of 'nations' and 'kings' coming from him, directly echoing the 'many nations' promise embedded in Abraham's new name.
Genesis 32:28 records another pivotal divine name change (Jacob to Israel), mirroring the pattern where God transforms identity through renaming to mark a new calling.
In Genesis 35:10, God similarly renames Jacob as Israel, another patriarch receiving a new name from God to mark a covenant identity shift, paralleling Abram's renaming.
Nehemiah 9:7 retells God choosing Abram and giving him the name Abraham — directly recounting the same event as part of Israel's covenant history.
1 Chronicles 1:27 simply records 'Abram; the same is Abraham,' a direct genealogical citation of the name change narrated in Genesis 17:5.
In Romans 4:13, Paul expands the 'many nations' promise — Abraham's seed will inherit the world through faith, not law, directly interpreting the covenant of Genesis 17:5.
In Romans 4:17, Paul cites this renaming to illustrate God calling things into existence, showing faith.
In Isaiah 62:4, God promises to give His people a new name — extending the patriarchal renaming motif to the nation, signaling a restored covenant identity.
In John 1:42, Jesus renames Simon as Cephas ('a stone'), another divinely given name change signaling a new identity and purpose, paralleling Abram becoming Abraham.
In Revelation 2:17, overcomers receive a secret new name from God — another instance of God giving a new name that defines identity, echoing Abraham's renaming.
In Isaiah 65:15, God's servants will be called by another name while the old name becomes a curse — echoing the identity shift that renaming signals.