וַיֵּרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וַיִּ֤בֶן שָׁם֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ לַיהוָ֖ה הַנִּרְאֶ֥ה אֵלָֽיו׃
Y apareció SEÑOR á Abram, y le dijo: A tu simiente daré esta tierra. Y edificó allí un altar á SEÑOR, que le había aparecido.
Zohar
Already, before Abraham was circumcised, we are told that “the Lord appeared unto Abram” (Gen. 17, 1), and if the word “him” in this sentence refers to Abraham, we may well ask, what advance had he made (in prophecy) by being circumcised?