Genesis 22:2-12

2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to ¹the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. ”

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.

5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy^[a] will go over there and worship and come again to you. ”

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and ²laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father! ” And he said, “Here I am, my son. ” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? ”

8 Abraham said, ³“God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. ” So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and ⁴laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham! ” And he said, “Here I am. ”

12 He said, ⁵“Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for ⁶now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. ”

Genesis 22:2-12 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

• 1. 22:2 2 Chr. 3:1
• 2. 22:6 [John 19:17]
• 3. 22:8 [John 1:29, 36; 1 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 5:12]
• 4. 22:9 Heb. 11:17; James 2:21
• 5. 22:12 [Mic. 6:7, 8]
• 6. 22:12 [ch. 26:5]

Footnotes

• [a] 22:5 Or 'young man'; also verse 12