Genesis 22:8-14

8 Abraham said, ¹"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 ²laid 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 am I."

12 He said, ³"Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for ⁴now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

14 So Abraham called the name of that place, ⁵"The LORD will provide";^[a] as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."^[b]

Genesis 22:8-14 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

• 1. [John 1:29, 36; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 5:12]
• 2. Hebrews 11:17; James 2:21
• 3. [Micah 6:7, 8]
• 4. [Genesis 26:5]
• 5. ver. 8

Footnotes

• [a]. Or will see
• [b]. Or he will be seen