Genesis 22 · Abraham and Sarah
The reader is told from the outset that God tests Abraham. Abraham is commanded to offer Isaac, the son through whom the promise has been named. The account creates severe tension, then decisively stops the killing and provides a substitute.
The biblical text
1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
5And 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.
6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
7And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9And 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.
10And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13And 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.
14And 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.
15And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
19So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
20And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;
21Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
22And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
23And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
24And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.
King James Version. Text from eBible.org. Edition and rights.
Original study notes
Abraham travels with Isaac and two servants. Isaac carries wood and asks about the lamb, while Abraham answers that God will provide. The narrative gives actions and dialogue with little direct explanation of Abraham's inner reasoning. Later Hebrews reflects on his trust in God's ability to raise the dead.
Abraham binds Isaac and reaches for the knife, but the angel of the Lord calls him to stop. A ram caught by its horns is offered in Isaac's place. The place is named around the Lord's provision. The death of the promised son is prevented.
The promise of numerous offspring and blessing to the nations is reaffirmed with an oath. Abraham returns, and news of his brother's family introduces Rebekah. The story of threatened succession opens into the next generation's future.
This is a unique narrated test, not an instruction to imitate violence against a child or to obey private commands to harm someone. The text ends the attempted sacrifice, and biblical law condemns child sacrifice.
Explore difficult questions →The opening identifies a test. That framing matters for the entire account.
A ram provided in place of Isaac. Preserve the difference between the threatened act and the outcome.
Read these passages in context. Notice what they repeat, develop or clarify.
