Genesis 22: God tests Abraham with his son Isaac
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What happens?
God tests Abraham by telling him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering on a mountain in the land of Moriah. Abraham goes, builds an altar and ties Isaac on it, but Yahweh's angel stops him, and Abraham offers a ram in his son's place. The angel then gives Yahweh's oath to bless Abraham and his offspring, and the chapter ends with news of his brother Nahor's family, which includes Rebekah.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God, Abraham, Isaac and Yahweh's angel speak. God's own words are in 5 of the 24 verses: his call and command to Abraham (verses 1-2), and his oath in verses 16-18, which the angel passes on with the words "says Yahweh". The angel's own words in verses 11-12 are not gold, and neither is Abraham's answer "Here I am" in verse 1. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”God speaks
In plain English: Some time later, God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" Abraham answered, "Here I am."
The Hebrew word: "Tested" is nasah: to test or try someone.
How it is translated: In the 34 verses that use it, this Bible says "test" or "tested" in 21 and "tempt" or "tempted" in 7. Older Bibles like the King James say "God did tempt Abraham" here.
What changes: In older English, "tempt" also meant to test. The verse calls it a test, and the reader is told so before Abraham is.
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2He said, “Now take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.”God speaks
In plain English: God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
The Hebrew word: "Your only son" uses yachid: the only one, one and only.
How it is translated: This Bible says "only" in 8 of the 12 verses that use it, as for Jephthah's only child in . In it is "the lonely".
Good to know: Abraham has another son, Ishmael (), who was sent away in chapter 21. God had said that Abraham's offspring would be named through Isaac (). Moriah is named in only one other verse, , where Solomon builds the temple "on Mount Moriah". Genesis does not say if it is the same place.
Church tradition: Many churches read this chapter as a picture of God giving his Son. speaks of God's "only born Son", and says Abraham offered his "only born son" and received him back from the dead, "figuratively speaking". Genesis 22 itself does not make this link.
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3Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey; and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him.
In plain English: Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. He split the wood for the burnt offering, then set out for the place God had told him about.
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4On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off.
In plain English: On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
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5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come back to you.”
In plain English: Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you."
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6Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together.
In plain English: Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. He carried the fire and the knife in his own hand. The two of them walked on together.
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7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
In plain English: Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father?" He answered, "Here I am, my son." Isaac said, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
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8Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together.
In plain English: Abraham said, "God will provide (or: will see to) the lamb for himself, for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them walked on together.
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9They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood.
In plain English: They came to the place God had told him about. Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood on it in order. He tied up his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
Good to know: "Bound" is aqad, to tie up. It appears only here in the Bible. Jewish tradition names the whole story after it: the Akedah, "the binding".
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10Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.
In plain English: Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
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11Yahweh’s angel called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”
In plain English: Then Yahweh's angel called to him from the sky, "Abraham, Abraham!" He answered, "Here I am."
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12He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
In plain English: The angel said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not held back your son, your only son, from me."
Good to know: The angel speaks about God ("you fear God"), then says "you have not withheld your son ... from me", speaking as God. The text does not explain this.
Church tradition: Some churches read "the angel of Yahweh" as God himself appearing. Others read him as an angel who speaks for God. Genesis 22 does not say which.
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13Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
In plain English: Abraham looked up and saw a ram behind him, caught by its horns in a thicket. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.
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14Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh Will Provide”. As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.”
In plain English: Abraham named that place "Yahweh Will Provide" (or: Yahweh will see). That is why people say to this day, "On Yahweh's mountain it will be provided (or: he will be seen)."
The Hebrew words: "Yahweh Will Provide" is Yahweh yireh. Yireh comes from ra'ah, the everyday word "to see", so the name says "Yahweh will see", that is, will see to it. It is the same word Abraham used in : "God will provide".
How it is translated: This Bible uses ra'ah in 1,205 verses. About 7 times in 10 it says "see", "saw" or "seen", and it says "provide" or "provided" in only 5.
What changes: The saying at the end can be read "it will be provided" or "he will be seen" (he will appear) on Yahweh's mountain. The Hebrew allows both.
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15Yahweh’s angel called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,
In plain English: Yahweh's angel called to Abraham from the sky a second time
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16and said, “‘I have sworn by myself,’ says Yahweh, ‘because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,God speaks
In plain English: and said, "'I have sworn by myself,' says Yahweh, 'because you have done this, and have not held back your son, your only son,
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17that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies.God speaks
In plain English: that I will greatly bless you. I will greatly increase your offspring, as many as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring (one or many) will take over the gate of his enemies.
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18All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice.’”God speaks
In plain English: All the nations of the earth will be blessed (or: will bless themselves) through your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice.'"
The Hebrew words: "Will be blessed" can also be read "will bless themselves". "Offspring" is zera, seed, as in : it can mean one child or many descendants.
What changes: Read as "bless themselves", the nations will use the name of Abraham's offspring when they bless, the way says "God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh". Read as "be blessed", the blessing comes to the nations through his offspring.
Church tradition: reads "your offspring" as one person, Christ. Genesis 22 does not name the offspring.
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19So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.
In plain English: So Abraham went back to his young men, and they set off together for Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.
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20After these things, Abraham was told, “Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
In plain English: Some time later, Abraham was told, "Milcah too has borne children to your brother Nahor:
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21Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,
In plain English: Uz his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram,
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22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
In plain English: Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel."
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23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
In plain English: Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
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24His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
In plain English: Nahor's concubine (a secondary wife), whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
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