And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
5. I and the lad ] Abraham’s words are either intended to conceal his intention; or they imply hope, against all hope. “Come again,” i.e. come back to the young men. He will not let the servants know the nature of the expedition.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 22:5
Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship
Helps and hindrances of a Christian life
I.
In the path of faith, HUMAN HELP IS PROFITABLE.
II. In the path of faith, HUMAN HELP IS LIMITED.
III. In the path of faith, HUMAN HELP MUST RECEIVE A TIMELY DISMISSAL.
IV. In the path of faith, THE GRANDEST TRIUMPHS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED ALONE. (H. T. Miller.)
Lessons
1. Saints bent to the work of God will turn anything back that may trouble them in it.
2. Inferior things may and must be inhibited by souls above them in case of hindering from God.
3. Saints freed from incumbrances do speed to duties.
4. Humble submission to the hardest part of worship will Gods servants readily yield. Both Abraham and Isaac.
5. Return to relations, and relation duties is just after the worship of God.
6. Better events come after believing worship sometimes than saints are aware of. (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 5. I and the lad will go and come again] How could Abraham consistently with truth say this, when he knew he was going to make his son a burnt-offering? The apostle answers for him: By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac – accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure, Heb 11:17; Heb 11:19. He knew that previously to the birth of Isaac both he and his wife were dead to all the purposes of procreation; that his birth was a kind of life from the dead; that the promise of God was most positive, In Isaac shall thy seed be called, Ge 21:12; that this promise could not fail; that it was his duty to obey the command of his Maker; and that it was as easy for God to restore him to life after he had been a burnt-offering, as it was for him to give him life in the beginning. Therefore he went fully purposed to offer his son, and yet confidently expecting to have him restored to life again. We will go yonder and worship – perform a solemn act of devotion which God requires, and come again to you.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Abraham said this, lest they should hinder him in the execution of his design.
I and the lad will come again to you; for he knew that God both could and would for his promise sake, either preserve Isaac from being sacrificed, or afterward raise him from the dead, as it is intimated, Heb 11:19.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Abraham said unto the young men, abide you here with the ass,…. At the place from whence he had his first sight of Mount Moriah: he chose not to take his two servants with him, lest when they saw him binding his son, and going about to sacrifice him, they should lay hold upon him, and restrain him from doing it; and to prevent this he takes this precaution, which shows how fully intent he was to yield obedience to the divine precept:
and I and the lad will go yonder and worship; pointing to the place where the signal was, but whether they saw it or no is not certain: the Jews say z Isaac did see it, but they did not; however, Abraham made them to understand that he was going to one of the mountains which were in sight, and there worship God by offering sacrifice to him. Isaac is here called a “lad”; of what age he was at this time,
[See comments on Ge 22:2]; and he might be at the largest number of years there mentioned, and yet be so called, since Joshua the son of Nun has this appellation when he was fifty six years of age, Ex 33:11:
and come again to you, both he and Isaac; this he said under a spirit of prophecy, as Jarchi thinks, or in the faith of Isaac’s resurrection from the dead, Heb 11:19.
z Bereshit Rabba (sect. 56. fol. 49. 2, 3.) and Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 31.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When in sight of the distant mountain, Abraham left the servants behind with the ass, that he might perform the last and hardest part of the journey alone with Isaac, and, as he said to the servants, “ worship yonder and then return.” The servants were not to see what would take place there; for they could not understand this “worship,” and the issue even to him, notwithstanding his saying “we will come again to you,” was still involved in the deepest obscurity. This last part of the journey is circumstantially described in Gen 22:6-8, to show how strong a conflict every step produced in the paternal heart of the patriarch. They go both together, he with the fire and the knife in his hand, and his son with the wood for the sacrifice upon his shoulder. Isaac asks his father, where is the lamb for the burnt-offering; and the father replies, not “Thou wilt be it, my son,” but “God ( Elohim without the article – God as the all-pervading supreme power) will provide it;” for he will not and cannot yet communicate the divine command to his son. Non vult filium macerare longa cruce et tentatione ( Luther).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(5) I and the lad will . . . come again to you.In these words Abraham gives utterance to the hope ascribed to him in Heb. 11:19. The belief in the resurrection of the body was no new thing with Abraham, as it was part of the creed both of Chaldea and Egypt (Tomkins, Studies, p. 127).
God will provide himself a lamb.Heb., the lamb. We learn from Heb. 11:17-19, that Abraham expected that he was to consummate the sacrifice, but that Isaac would be restored to him from the dead, and the promise that his seed was to be born of him so fulfilled. The bestowal of Isaac had been so extraordinary, that Abraham would not feel staggered at what otherwise would have seemed incredible. Apparently, therefore, he meant Isaac by the lamb, thus showing that it was not he who chose the victim, but God. The few words that passed between father and son, the notice by the latter that amid such careful preparation no victim had been provided, the fathers answer that that matter was left to God, the resolute faith of the one, and the trusting submission of the other, as they went both of them together, form a picture full not merely of interest, but even of tragical pathos.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. I and the lad will go yonder Abraham doubtless took the ass and his servants to the foot of the mountain, so as to carry the wood and the fire no unnecessary distance . From the junction of the valleys Hinnon and Kedron the heights of Moriah would seem afar off, and be properly spoken of as yonder.
And come again to you These words may have been designed to conceal from his servants the purpose of his heart; but according to Heb 11:17, he had confidence that God would raise up his son from the dead . By faith he spoke, in this verse and Gen 22:8, more wisely than he knew, and his words were a true prophecy.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Abraham said to his young men, “You stay here with the ass and I and the lad will go yonder, and we will worship and come again to you.”
“We will come again to you”. Was this just camouflage to the young men? There is no reason to think so. They would soon find out the truth and would recognise that it was a custom of the land. Or did he want to hide the truth from Isaac until the last moment? But surely he should have prepared Isaac for his part in the sacrifice to make it more meaningful. It does suggest rather that Abraham believes that somehow God will give him his son back again. After all He had enabled Sarah to give birth, and has made His unbreakable promise in the covenant.
But there was nothing unusual about going up into a mountain to pray when on a journey, and at present it would not seem strange to the men, although they must have wondered why he was not taking a lamb.
The next section is given in full detail with every aspect emphasised, and when the actual moment comes, in even greater detail. The writer seeks to build up the suspense right to the end.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 22:5. I and the lad will goand come again These words are expressive of Abraham’s faith, and full assurance, that he should return to them with Isaac restored from the dead, if God should permit him to offer him as a real sacrifice. For that he had such an assurance (says Dr. Chandler in his Vindication) is plain from Heb 11:17; Heb 11:40. Which account of Abraham’s faith is founded on the nature and reason of the thing. For this was the only possible way he had to reconcile God’s promise of giving him a numerous posterity by Isaac, with this command, to offer him for a burnt-offering; for if it implied a total destruction of Isaac’s life, then God would have falsified his promise. Neither does the supposition of his having such an assurance, derogate in the least from the perfection of his obedience; for it was not an assurance founded upon any revelation from Heaven, nor did it amount to absolute certainty; but it was such a faith, or moral persuasion, as sprang from reasoning justly on the Divine perfections, and the full confidence he had in the promises and truth of God. Now this being the case, the horror of the action must have been greatly alleviated in the parent’s eye; for though he understood the order from God to be a command from God to put his son to death, yet he firmly believed it was not to be a lasting death till the general resurrection, but a death which was to be immediately abolished and succeeded by a resurrection to a long and prosperous life upon earth: a resurrection which would have given the father a pleasure equal to the pain of having deprived his son of life, and have filled the breast of his son with a joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
Reader! recollect, how Jesus, in His unequalled agony in the garden, was withdrawn from the more immediate followers which he had taken with him there. Mat 22:41 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
Ver. 5. Abide ye here with the ass. ] This, the Hebrews use for a proverb, against such as are dull and uncapable. Zophar saith, that “man is born as a wild ass’s colt”. Job 11:12 As an “ass’s foal” for rudeness, and “a wild ass’s” for unruliness. It imports that he is untamed and untractable, till a new heart be put into him. Agur had not the understanding of a man, till he spake to Ithiel and Ucal for it. Pro 30:1-2 He wants the whole man, totum hominis , that doth not fear God and keep his commandments. Ecc 12:13 Tu et asinus unum estote , will not do it; which was the counsel given to a young novice entering a monastery a
And come again to you.
a Alex. Cook’s Abatement of Popish Brags.
b Epist.
I and the lad. This is polite Hebrew, while “the lad and I” would be polite English.
yonder. Hebrew. as far as there (as though pointing).
come again. This was proof of Abraham’s faith. 1st pers. plural, “We will come again. “
Abide: Heb 12:1
come: Heb 11:19
Reciprocal: Gen 22:19 – So Abraham Gen 24:26 – General Exo 24:14 – Tarry ye
22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and {e} come again to you.
(e) He did not doubt that God would accomplish his promise, even if he should sacrifice his son.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes