Genesis 22:1-14

1 Some time later God tested Abraham; he called to him, "Abraham!" And Abraham answered, "Yes, here I am!" 1
2 "Take your son," God said, "your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me." 2
3 Early the next morning Abraham cut some wood for the sacrifice, loaded his donkey, and took Isaac and two servants with him. They started out for the place that God had told him about.
4 On the third day Abraham saw the place in the distance.
5 Then he said to the servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there and worship, and then we will come back to you."
6 Abraham made Isaac carry the wood for the sacrifice, and he himself carried a knife and live coals for starting the fire. As they walked along together,
7 Isaac spoke up, "Father!" He answered, "Yes, my son?" Isaac asked, "I see that you have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"
8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide one." And the two of them walked on together.
9 When they came to the place which God had told him about, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son and placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. 3
10 Then he picked up the knife to kill him.
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, "Abraham, Abraham!" He answered, "Yes, here I am."
12 "Don't hurt the boy or do anything to him," he said. "Now I know that you honor and obey God, because you have not kept back your only son from him."
13 Abraham looked around and saw a ram caught in a bush by its horns. He went and got it and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 Abraham named that place "The Lord Provides." And even today people say, "On the Lord's mountain he provides."

Genesis 22:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 22

In this chapter we have an account of an order given by God to Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ge 22:1,2; of his readiness to obey the will of God, he immediately preparing everything for that purpose, Ge 22:3-10, of the order being reversed, and another sacrifice substituted in its room, which occasioned the giving a new name to the place where it was done, Ge 22:11-14; upon which the promise of special blessings, of a numerous offspring, and of the seed in whom all nations should be blessed, is renewed, Ge 22:15-18; after this Abraham returns to Beersheba, where he is informed of the increase of his brother Nahor's family, Ge 22:19-24.

Cross References 3

  • 1. 22.1-13 +2Ws 10.5;Ben Sira 44.20; +1He 11.17-19.
  • 2. 22.22 Chronicles 3.1.
  • 3. 22.9James 2.21.

Footnotes 2

Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.