And Abraham rose up early in the morning
For it seems it was in a dream or vision of the night that the
above orders were given; and as soon as it was morning he rose
and prepared to execute them with all readiness, and without any
hesitation and delay:
and saddled his ass;
for his journey, not to carry the wood and provision on, which
probably were carried by his servants, but to ride on; and this
Jarchi thinks he did himself, and the words in their precise
sense suggest this; but it does no, necessarily follow, because
he may be said to do what he ordered his servant to do; of the
Jews' fabulous account of this ass, see ( Zechariah
9:9 ) :
and took two of his young men with him;
the Targum of Jonathan says, these were Ishmael his son, and
Eliezer his servant; and so other Jewish writers F18, who
tell us, that just at this time Ishmael came out of the
wilderness to visit his father, and he took him with him; but for
this there is no foundation: they were two of his servants, of
whom he had many:
and Isaac his son:
who was the principal person to be taken, since he was to be the
sacrifice: whether Abraham acquainted Sarah with the affairs and
she consented to it, cannot be said with certainty; it is plain
Isaac knew not what his father's design was; and though Sarah and
the whole family might know, by the preparation made, he was
going to offer a sacrifice, yet they knew not where, nor what it
was to be;
and clave the wood for the burnt offering;
not knowing whether he should find wood sufficient on the
mountain, where he was to go; and that he might not be unprovided
when he came there, takes this method, which shows his full
intention to obey the divine command:
and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told
him;
that is, he mounted his ass, and rode towards the place God had
spoken of to him, and who had directed him which way to steer his
course.