And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
9. which God had told him of ] See Gen 22:1-2.
built the altar there ] Possibly referring to the altar of some well-known spot. Cf. note on the word “place,” Gen 22:3, Gen 12:6. For the definite article, see Gen 8:7. The altar needed rebuilding.
laid the wood in order ] The technical phrase for arranging the wood on an altar of sacrifice. See Num 23:4; 1Ki 18:33.
bound ] LXX . Another technical word, for binding the limbs of the sacrificial animal, only found here in O.T. Amongst the Jews the sacrifice of Isaac was known as “the binding ( ‘akdah) of Isaac.” See Special Note at Gen 1:19. The submission of Isaac is not expressed, but implied. Isaac’s age, according to the narrative of E in this chapter, appears to be that of a mere lad. Without the necessary recognition of the different sources from which the patriarchal narrative is derived, it has been supposed, on the strength of Gen 21:34 and Gen 22:1, that Isaac was now a young man. The note of Calvin, to whom the analysis of Genesis was unknown, is therefore justified: “atqui scimus tunc fuisse mediae aetatis, ut vel patre esset robustior, vel saltem par ad resistendum si viribus certandum esset. Mira quidem est Mosis in narrando simplicitas, sed quae plus vehementiae continet quam si tragice omnia exaggeret.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 22:9
Bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar
The love of the Father
Of all the many parts of the great truths concerning our redemption, which stand out in the history of Abraham and his son, there is one which seems to need especial consideration.
We have a very striking view, not only of the love of God the Son in consenting to go through, as man, the suffering of death, but also of the exceeding tender love of the Father towards us, who could consent to give His Son to death. We know, indeed, that, according to the mysterious decrees of God, it was the Son who suffered on the Cross, not the Father, though one with Him; that the Son died for our sins, that the Son came down from heaven, that the Son was nailed to the wood, that the Son went through the sorrows of death, that the Son gave Himself for us all. But can it have cost the Father nothing, to have sent the Son down from heaven, to have bidden Him go forth from His sight, and to tarry in this evil, wicked world? Can it have cost the Father nothing to have consented to that great task of suffering which the Son undertook? Can He have looked unmoved on the shame and scorn which fell on Him, even in the hour of His birth? Can He have looked unmoved on the Holy Child in the manger, and in His after scenes of reproach, When He was spoken against, blasphemed, hated, disbelieved? Can He, above all, have seen Him, unmoved, in those still more sorrowful acts, when He flung Himself down upon the ground in the garden, in the anguish of His soul, when His sweat was as it were great drops of blood, when He was dragged to prison and to death, when the crown of thorns was bound around His head, when He was scourged and spit upon, when He trembled beneath the weight of His cross, when He was lifted thereon, when the sharp nails were driven into His hands and feet, when the great thirst came upon Him, when the blood streamed down the Cross? Could an earthly father, with an earthly fathers love, have watched his son through such acts as these, without the keenest, sharpest grief, without the deepest sorrow, even though no hand was laid upon him, and he had no such acts of suffering to go through himself? And so does the Holy Ghost design, we must suppose, in picturing to ourselves Abrahams sorrow as he walked by his sons side, as he gazed upon him along that bitter road, as his heart swelled with grief, as he bound him with trembling fingers to the wood, as in an agony he lifted up the knife, that we should see in these things the grief of our heavenly Father in giving His Son to die. And so in seeing His grief, we see also His exceeding tender love towards us; and without lessening one jot or tittle–which God forbid–the love of our Saviour, love which is unspeakable, unfathomable, past knowing, past finding out, we yet get to raise the love of the Father to a greater height than we have ever been wont to give it. And in truth, as we get to observe more truly the proportion of faith, and to know the love of the Father, so shall we also get to learn more deeply the love of the Son. Instead of contrasting the love of the one with that of the other, we shall get to combine them in our minds without confusing them. All our thoughts will be of love; the love of God, of the one true God, of the Father, of the Son, of the Holy Ghost, in their separate persons and offices, will engross our souls, and thus, our hearts being stirred within us in gazing on the mystery of Divine love, we shall, I trust, learn and show forth more and more of love ourselves; for this is the highest grace of all, this outlasts the world, this never faileth, this is the bond of perfectness, this is the very joy and occupation of heaven itself. (Bishop Armstrong.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. And bound Isaac his son] If the patriarch had not been upheld by the conviction that he was doing the will of God, and had he not felt the most perfect confidence that his son should be restored even from the dead, what agony must his heart have felt at every step of the journey, and through all the circumstances of this extraordinary business? What must his affectionate heart have felt at the questions asked by his innocent and amiable son? What must he have suffered while building the altar, laying on the wood, binding his lovely son, placing him on the wood, taking the knife, and stretching out his hand to slay the child of his hopes? Every view we take of the subject interests the heart, and exalts the character of this father of the faithful. But has the character of Isaac been duly considered? Is not the consideration of his excellence lost in the supposition that he was too young to enter particularly into a sense of his danger, and too feeble to have made any resistance, had he been unwilling to submit? Josephus supposes that Isaac was now twenty-five, (see the chronology on Ge 22:1😉 some rabbins that he was thirty-six; but it is more probable that he was now about thirty-three, the age at which his great Antitype was offered up; and on this medium I have ventured to construct the chronology, of which I think it necessary to give this notice to the reader. Allowing him to be only twenty-five, he might have easily resisted; for can it be supposed that an old man of at least one hundred and twenty-five years of age could have bound, without his consent, a young man in the very prime and vigour of life? In this case we cannot say that the superior strength of the father prevailed, but the piety, filial affection, and obedience of the son yielded. All this was most illustriously typical of Christ. In both cases the father himself offers up his only-begotten son, and the father himself binds him on the wood or to the cross; in neither case is the son forced to yield, but yields of his own accord; in neither case is the life taken away by the hand of violence; Isaac yields himself to the knife, Jesus lays down his life for the sheep.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Abraham built an altar, made of earth slightly put together, as God afterwards prescribed, Exo 20:24;
and bound Isaac his son, partly, because burnt-offerings were to be bound to the altar; of which see Poole on “Psa 118:27“; partly, to represent Christ, who was bound to the cross. And that Isaac might be the more exact type of Christ, he was bound by his own consent, otherwise his age and strength seem sufficient to have made an effectual resistance. It is therefore highly reasonable to think that Abraham, having in the whole journey prepared Isaac for such a work by general but pertinent discourses, did upon the mount particularly instruct him concerning the plain and peremptory command of God, the absolute necessity of complying with it, the glorious reward of his obedience, and the dismal consequences of his disobedience; the power and faithfulness of God either to prevent the fatal blow, or to restore his life lost with infinite advantage. Upon these, and such-like reasons, doubtless he readily laid himself down at his fathers feet, and yielded up himself to the Divine will.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. Abraham built an altar,c.Had not the patriarch been sustained by the full consciousnessof acting in obedience to God’s will, the effort would have been toogreat for human endurance and had not Isaac, then upwards of twentyyears of age displayed equal faith in submitting, this great trialcould not have gone through.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they came to the place which God had told him of,…. Mount Moriah. Maimonides f says,
“it is a tradition in or by the hands of all, that this is the place where David and Solomon built an altar in the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite, and where Abraham built an altar, and bound Isaac on it; and where Noah built one when he came out of the ark, and is the altar on which Cain and Abel offered; and where the first man offered when he was created, and from whence he was created.”
And so the Targum of Jonathan, and other Jewish writers g. The Mahometans say h, that Meena or Muna, a place about two or three miles from Mecca, is the place where Abraham went to offer up his son Isaac, and therefore in this place they sacrifice their sheep.
And Abraham built an altar there; of the earth, and turf upon it he found on the mount, erected an altar for sacrifice, even for the sacrifice of his own son: he had built many before, but none for such a purpose as this, and yet went about it readily, and finished it. But if there was one before, Abraham could not with any propriety be said to build it, at most only to repair it; but there is no doubt to be made of it that he built it anew, and perhaps there never was an altar here before:
and laid on the wood in order: for the sacrifice to be put upon it:
and bound Isaac his son: with his hands and feet behind him, as Jarchi says; not lest he should flee from him, and make his escape, as Aben Ezra suggests, but as it was the usual manner to bind sacrifices when offered; and especially this was so ordered, that Isaac might be a type of the Messiah, who was bound by the Jews, Joh 18:12; as well as he was bound and fastened to the cross:
and laid him on the altar upon the wood; it is highly probable with his own consent; for if he was twenty five, and as some say thirty seven years of age, he was able to have resisted his father, and had he been reluctant could have cleared himself from the hands of his aged parent: but it is very likely, that previous to this Abraham opened the whole affair to him, urged the divine command, persuaded him to submit to it; and perhaps might suggest to him what he himself had faith in, that God would either revoke the precept, or prevent by some providence or another the fatal blow, or raise him again from the dead; however, that obedience to the will of God should be yielded, since disobedience might be attended with sad consequences to them both; and with such like things the mind of Isaac might be reconciled to this affair, and he willingly submitted to it; in which he also was a type of Christ, who acquiesced in the will of his Father, freely surrendered himself into the hands of justice, and meekly and willingly gave himself an offering for his people.
f Hilchot Beth Habechirah, c. 2. sect. 1. 2. g In Pirke, ut supra. (c. 31.) h See Pitts’s Account of the Mahometans, c. 7. p. 97.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Having arrived at the appointed place, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood upon it, bound his son and laid him upon the wood of the altar, and then stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
9. And they came to the place. Moses purposely passes over many things, which, nevertheless, the reader ought to consider. When he has mentioned the building of the altar, he immediately afterwards adds, that Isaac was bound. But we know that he was then of middle age, so that he might either be more powerful than his father, or, at least, equal to resist him, if they had to contend by force; wherefore, I do not think that force was employed against the youth, as against one struggling and unwilling to die: but rather, that he voluntarily surrendered himself. It was, however, scarcely possible that he would offer himself to death, unless he had been already made acquainted with the divine oracle: but Moses, passing by this, only recites that he was bound. Should any one object, that there was no necessity to bind one who willingly offered himself to death; I answer, that the holy man anticipated, in this way, a possible danger; lest any thing might happen in the midst of the act to interrupt it. The simplicity of the narrative of Moses is wonderful; but it has greater force than the most exaggerated tragical description. The sum of the whole turns on this point; that Abraham, when he had to slay his son, remained always like himself; and that the fortitude of his mind was such as to render his aged hand equal to the task of offering a sacrifice, the very sight of which was enough to dissolve and to destroy his whole body.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Abraham . . . bound Isaac.Jewish commentators agree that this was done with Isaacs consent, nor could it well have been otherwise. Thus his youthful faith was tried equally with that of his father, his future life sanctified, and himself ennobled by being made a type of Christ (1Pe. 2:23).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. The place which God had told How, when, and where God revealed to him the exact spot for his offering, we are nowhere informed . The rabbins have a tradition that on this same spot Adam, Abel, and Noah had offered sacrifice .
Built laid bound laid The four different Hebrew words graphically describe the successive acts in the work of preparation . These are followed in the next verse by three words which paint the final tableau stretched forth took to slay . All the efforts of sculptors and painters to present this scene have never equalled this word-picture.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And they came to the place of which God had told him, and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on the wood.’
Every moment of agony is dragged out by the writer. The slow careful procedure, the puzzled but possibly apprehensive lad, Isaac, the so well known preparations, and then the moment of truth. Abraham takes his son and binds him with ropes. Does either say anything? What can they say? We do not know. But we do know what they must have felt; Isaac, puzzled, hurt, yet submissive and Abraham, torn in two yet obedient.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Interference of God
v. 9. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. v. 10. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. v. 11. And the Angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! And he said, Here am I.
v. 12. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me. v. 13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. v. 14. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh, as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
I pass over many interesting things, which belong to this history, considered naturally, in order to regard such as are spiritual. How delightful a representation doth the whole transaction afford of God the Father’s love? Rom 8:32 . How sweet a type is given, in the obedience and voluntary surrender of Isaac, of the free and voluntary offering of the Lord Jesus on the cross? Joh 10:18 ; Phi 2:8 ; Eph 5:2 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 22:9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
Ver 9. And they came to the place. ] Mount Moriah; where the temple was afterwards built. 2Ch 3:1 This was a little from Salem, as Mount Calvary also was a little from Jerusalem.
And bound Isaac his son.
a Act. and Mon., fol 1415
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 22:9-14
9Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”
Gen 22:9 “Abraham built the altar there, and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar” We see something, not only of the great faith of Abraham, but of the great faith of Isaac. Isaac was apparently old enough to carry the wood up the hill and he was old enough to resist being tied up by his father. I am sure that this incident caused hours of religious discussion later between Abraham and Isaac.
The VERB “bind” (BDB 785, KB 873, Qal IMPERFECT) is found only here in the OT. The same root (BDB 785) means to bend or twist. Therefore, it is assumed to mean twist the legs of a sacrificial animal so as to tie them together.
Gen 22:10 “Abraham stretched out his hand” This apparently refers to the ritual act of slitting the throat of the sacrificial animal.
Gen 22:11 “but the angel of the LORD” It is obvious when we read Gen 22:11-12 together that this “angel of the LORD” is the personification of God Himself (cf. Gen 16:7-13; Gen 18:1; Gen 19:1; Gen 21:17; Gen 21:19; Gen 22:11-15; Gen 31:11; Gen 31:13; Gen 32:24; Gen 32:30; Gen 48:15-16; Exo 3:2; Exo 3:4; Exo 13:21; Exo 14:19; Jdg 6:12; Jdg 6:14; and Zec 3:1-2). But, notice how in Gen 22:12 the angel refers to “God.” It is difficult to affirm a strict monotheism with all the other spiritual entities mentioned in Genesis (i.e., “Spirit” in Gen 1:2; “Let us” in Gen 1:26; Gen 3:22; Gen 11:7; “the angel of the LORD above,” and also note “the LORD says to my Lord” in Psa 110:1). How all these inter-relate is a mystery. Christians affirm, along with Jews, the monotheism expressed in Deu 6:4. See Special Topic: THE TRINITY at Gen 20:13.
Gen 22:12 There are two negative commands.
1. “do not stretch our your hand against the lad,” BDB 1018, KB 1511, Qal IMPERFECT, but used in a JUSSIVE sense
2. “do nothing to him,” BDB 793, KB 889, Qal JUSSIVE
The following PERFECTS show that YHWH is fully satisfied with Abraham’s trusting faith.
1. “for now I know,” BDB 393, KB 390, Qal PERFECT
2. “since you have not withheld your son,” BDB 362, KB 359, Qal PERFECT
The repetitive phrases referring to Isaac are found in Gen 22:2 and repeated in Gen 22:12 (cf. Gen 22:16).
Just a word about “now I know.” Does this call into question YHWH’s foreknowledge or is this a literary way of showing approval to Abraham’s faith? I understand it in the second sense. I am uncomfortable with Open Theism.
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, NJBfear”
TEVhonor”
Peshitta”reveres”
REB”a god-fearing man”
This term (BDB 431) occurs often in the OT. It can mean “fear” (cf. Gen 3:10; Gen 18:15; Gen 20:8; Gen 28:17; Gen 32:7; Gen 42:35; Gen 43:18), but in certain contexts it transitions to “awe,” “respect,” or “honor” when describing a human’s attitude toward Deity. Note the following texts: Gen 42:18; Exo 1:17; Exo 9:30; Exo 18:21; Lev 19:14; Lev 19:32; Lev 25:17; Lev 25:36; Lev 25:43; Deu 6:2; Deu 6:24; Deu 10:12; Deu 10:20; Deu 14:23; Deu 17:19; Deu 25:18; Deu 28:58; Deu 31:12-13; Psa 33:8. This “fear” should issue in worship and obedience. It is a lifestyle relationship, not a set of isolated events, places, creeds, or rules. Obedience flows from respect and love, not fear of reprisal. Disobedience is primarily against love, as well as law! One’s relationship with God becomes the priority of life! The “Abraham believed God” (Gen 15:6) has been demonstrated in life!
Gen 22:13
NASB, RSV”behind him a ram”
NKJVand there behind him was a ram”
NRSV, TEVa ram”
There are variations in the Hebrew manuscripts at this point. The MT has the ADVERB “behind” (, BDB 29), but some Hebrew manuscripts and the Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Peshitta have “one” (, BDB 25), translated “a” ram.
“in place of his son” God did not ask Abraham to sacrifice the ram, but Abraham on his own behalf and with thanksgiving, offered it to God on the very mountain that would one day be the site of Solomon’s temple. This may be the incipient form of sacrifice as the substitutionary act that is later developed, not only in the Mosaic legislation, but also supremely in the sacrifice of Christ (cf. Isaiah 53 and Joh 1:29; the book of Hebrews; 1Pe 1:18-19; Rev 5:11-14).
Gen 22:14 “as it is to this day” This may be the literary marker of a later editor. It could even be Moses, or Moses’ priestly scribe. I personally think that much of Genesis, up to Joseph’s day, comes from Patriarchal oral or written traditions.
“Abraham called the name of the place The LORD Will Provide” This seems to be based on God’s act and Abraham’s answer to Isaac in Gen 22:8.
“in the mount of the LORD it will be provided” This seems to be a foreshadowing of the location of the phrase “the place God will cause His Name to dwell” (cf. Deu 12:5; Deu 12:11; Deu 12:21; Deu 14:23-24; Deu 16:2; Deu 16:6; Deu 16:11, etc. Originally this referred to the tabernacle, but it came to refer to the temple on Mt. Moriah).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
and. Each act is emph. by the Figure of speech Polysyndeton (App-6), and is to be dwelt upon and considered.
an altar. Hebrew the altar.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
laid
The typical lessons here are:
(1) Isaac, type of Christ “obedient unto death” Php 2:5-8.
(2) Abraham, type of the Father, who “spared not His own son, but delivered Him up for us all” Joh 3:16; Rom 8:32.
(3) the ram, type of substitution–Christ offered as a burnt-offering in our stead, Heb 10:5-10.
(4) cf. resurrection Heb 11:17-19; Jam 2:21-23.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
place: Gen 22:2-4, Mat 21:1-46, Mat 26:1 – Mat 27:66
built: Gen 8:20
bound: Psa 118:27, Isa 53:4-10, Mat 27:2, Mar 15:1, Joh 10:17, Joh 10:18, Act 8:32, Gal 3:13, Eph 5:2, Phi 2:7, Phi 2:8, Heb 9:28, 1Pe 2:24
Reciprocal: Gen 26:25 – builded Lev 1:7 – lay 2Sa 24:25 – built there 1Ki 18:33 – he put Joh 18:12 – bound Jam 2:21 – when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 22:9. After many a weary step, and with a heavy heart, he arrives at length at the fatal place; builds the altar, an altar of earth, we may suppose, the saddest that ever he built; lays the wood in order for Isaacs funeral pile; and now tells him the amazing news. Isaac, for aught that appears, is as willing as Abraham; we do not find that he made any objection against it. God commands it to be done, and Isaac has learned to submit. Yet it was necessary that a sacrifice should be bound; the great Sacrifice, which, in the fulness of time, was to be offered up, must be bound, and therefore so must Isaac. Having bound him, he lays him upon the altar, and his hand upon the head of the sacrifice. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and wonder, O earth! here is an act of faith and obedience which deserves to be a spectacle to God, angels, and men; Abrahams darling, the churchs hope, the heir of promise, lies ready to bleed and die by his own fathers hands! Now this obedience of Abraham in offering up Isaac is a lively representation, 1st, Of the love of God to us, in delivering up his only begotten Son to suffer and die for us, as a sacrifice. Abraham was obliged, both in duty and gratitude, to part with Isaac, and parted with him to a friend, but God was under no obligations to us, for we were enemies. 2d, Of our duty to God in return for that love; we must tread in the steps of this faith of Abraham. God, by his word, calls us to part with all for Christ, all our sins, though they have been as a right hand, or a right eye, or an Isaac; all those things that are rivals with Christ for the sovereignty of our hearts; and we must cheerfully let them all go. God, by his providence, which is truly the voice of God, calls us to part with an Isaac sometimes, and we must do it by a cheerful resignation and submission to his holy will.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22:9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and {e} bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
(e) For it is likely that his father had told him God’s commandment, to which he showed himself obedient.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Isaac demonstrated his own faith clearly in this incident. He must have known what his father intended to do to him, yet he submitted willingly (Gen 22:9).
"If Abraham displays faith that obeys, then Isaac displays faith that cooperates. If Isaac was strong and big enough to carry wood for a sacrifice, maybe he was strong and big enough to resist or subdue his father." [Note: Hamilton, The Book . . . Chapters 18-50, p. 110.]
The possibility of Isaac resisting may be why Abraham bound him on the altar.
"The sacrifice was already accomplished in his [Abraham’s] heart, and he had fully satisfied the requirements of God." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, 1:250.]
"The test, instead of breaking him, brings him to the summit of his lifelong walk with God." [Note: Kidner, pp. 142-43. See Donald Campbell, "Passing the Test," Kindred Spirit 9:2 (Summer 1985):9-10.]
Abraham gained a greater appreciation of God as the One who will provide or look out for him (Yahweh-jireh, lit. "the Lord sees") as a result of this incident (Gen 22:14). Also, the Lord confirmed His knowledge of Abraham (Gen 22:12; cf. Gen 18:21; Job 1:1; Job 1:8; Job 2:3).
"The story reaches its climax when Abraham demonstrated his loyalty (Gen 22:12; Gen 22:15-18) by obeying God’s command (cf. Gen 26:5). God then elevated the patriarch to the status of a favored vassal who now possessed a ratified promise, comparable to the royal grants attested in the ancient Near East. God contextalized His self-revelation to Abraham (and to the readers of the narrative) within the relational, metaphorical framework of a covenant lord. Thus one should not be surprised to hear Him speak in ways that reflect the relational role He assumed within this metaphorical framework." [Note: Chisholm, "Anatomy of . . .," p. 13.]
Abraham’s sacrifice of the ram (Gen 22:13), like Noah’s sacrifice after he left the ark (Gen 8:18 to Gen 9:17), expressed thanks and devotion to God and anticipated His benevolence toward future generations. This is the first explicit mention of the substitutionary sacrifice of one life for another in the Bible. God appeared again to Abraham (the ninth revelation) at the end of His test (Gen 22:15). God swore by Himself to confirm His promises to Abraham (Gen 22:16). God so swore only here in His dealings with the patriarchs. Moses referred to this oath later in Israel’s history (Gen 24:7; Gen 26:3; Gen 50:24; Exo 13:5; Exo 13:11; Exo 33:1; et al.; cf. Heb 6:13-14).
". . . the main point of Gen 22:9-14 is not the doctrine of the Atonement. It is portraying an obedient servant worshipping God in faith at great cost, and in the end receiving God’s provision." [Note: Ross, "Genesis," p. 65.]
One writer suggested that Gen 22:15-18 really ". . . describes the establishment of the covenant of circumcision first mentioned in Genesis 17." [Note: T. Desmond Alexander, "Genesis 22 and the Covenant of Circumcision," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 25 (February 1983):17.] However the lack of reference to circumcision in the immediate context makes this interpretation tenuous.
For the first and last time in Genesis, the Lord swore an oath in His own name guaranteeing His promise (Gen 22:16; cf. Heb 6:13-14). God thus reinforced, reemphasized, and extended the promise that He had given formerly (Gen 12:1-3) because Abraham trusted and obeyed Him (Gen 22:17-18).
"Here again God promised Abraham that he would become the recipient of the covenant blessings. The covenant was not based on obedience, nor was the perpetuity of the covenant based on obedience-but rather the reception of covenant blessings was conditioned on obedience. Remember, an unconditional covenant may have conditional blessings." [Note: Pentecost, Thy Kingdom . . ., pp. 66-67.]
Abraham’s "seed" (Gen 22:18) refers not only to Isaac but also to Messiah (cf. Gal 3:16).
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The Four Seeds of Abraham in Scripture |
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NATURAL SEED |
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NATURAL-SPIRITUAL SEED |
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SPIRITUAL SEED |
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ULTIMATE SEED |
Abraham then returned to the well he had purchased at Beersheba and lived there (Gen 22:19).
Moses probably preserved the details of this story because this test involved the future of God’s promised seed, Isaac, and, therefore, the faithfulness of God. He probably did so also because this incident illustrates God’s feelings in giving His Son as the Lamb of God (cf. Joh 1:29; Joh 3:16). Other themes in this chapter include testing and obedience, the relationship between God and man, and the relationship between father and son. [Note: John Lawlor developed these other themes in "The Test of Abraham: Genesis 22:11-19," Grace Theological Journal 1:1 (Spring 1980):19-35.]
Every time Abraham made a sacrifice for God the Lord responded by giving Abraham more.
1. Abraham left his homeland; God gave him a new one.
2. Abraham left his extended family; God gave him a much larger family.
3. Abraham offered the best of the land to Lot; God gave him more land.
4. Abraham gave up the King of Sodom’s reward; God gave Abraham more wealth.
5. Abraham gave up Ishmael; God made Ishmael the father of a multitude of Abraham’s posterity.
6. Abraham was willing to give up Isaac; God allowed him to live and through him gave Abraham numerous seed.
In each case God gave Abraham a deeper relationship with Himself as well as more material prosperity. Note the closeness of this fellowship in Abraham’s response to God’s revelations: "Here I am" (Gen 22:1; Gen 22:11).
God has not promised Christians great physical blessings (cf. 2Ti 3:2), but whenever we make a sacrifice for Him He gives us a deeper relationship with Himself at least (cf. Joh 15:14). For this reason we should not fear making personal sacrifices for God.
Note too that what God called Abraham to give back to Him was something that He had provided for Abraham supernaturally in faithfulness to His promise. Sometimes God tests our faith by asking us to give back to Him what He has supernaturally and faithfully provided, not just what He has provided through regular channels.
This test of Abraham’s faith is the climax of his personal history. It is the last major incident in the record of his life.
". . . God does not demand a literal human sacrifice from His worshippers, but the spiritual sacrifice of an unconditional denial of the natural life, even to submission to death itself." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, 1:252.]
The faithful believer will surrender to God whatever He may ask trusting in God’s promise of provision and blessing.