Genesis 22:1-19
International Standard Version
The Command to Offer Isaac
22 Sometime later, God tested Abraham. He called out to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am!” he answered.
2 God[a] said, “Please take your son, your unique son whom you love—Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him as a burnt offering there on one of the mountains that I will point out to you.”
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his male servants[b] with him, along with his son Isaac. He cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out to go to the place about which God had spoken to him. 4 On the third day he looked ahead and saw the place from a distance.
5 Abraham ordered his two servants,[c] “Both of you are to stay here with the donkey. Now as for the youth and me, we’ll go up there, we’ll worship, and then we’ll return to you.” 6 Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. Abraham[d] carried the fire and the knife. And so the two of them went on together.
Abraham Answers Isaac’s Question
7 Isaac addressed his father Abraham: “My father!”
“I’m here, my son,” Abraham replied.
Isaac asked, “The fire and the wood are here, but where’s the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God will provide[e] himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
The two of them went on together 9 and came to the place about which God had spoken. Abraham built an altar there, arranged the wood, tied up his son Isaac, and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then he stretched out his hand and grabbed the knife to slaughter his son.
The Angel of the Lord Intervenes
11 Just then, an angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
12 “Don’t lay your hand on the youth!” he said. “Don’t do anything to him, because I’ve just demonstrated[f] that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only unique one, from me.”
13 Then Abraham looked up and behind him to see a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So Abraham went over, grabbed the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named that place, “The Lord Will Provide,”[g] as it is told this day, “On the Lord’s mountain, he will provide.”[h]
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “I have taken an oath to swear by myself,” declares the Lord, “that since you have carried this out and have not withheld your only unique[i] son, 17 I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the gates[j] of their enemies. 18 Furthermore, through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed,[k] because you have obeyed my command.”
19 After this, Abraham returned to his servants[l] and they set out together for Beer-sheba, where Abraham settled.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 22:2 Lit. He
- Genesis 22:3 Or young men
- Genesis 22:5 Or young men
- Genesis 22:6 Lit. He
- Genesis 22:8 Or will see to
- Genesis 22:12 Lit. because now I know
- Genesis 22:14 Or Will See To It
- Genesis 22:14 Or will see to it
- Genesis 22:16 Or only
- Genesis 22:17 I.e. the centers of power in their cities
- Genesis 22:18 Or gain blessing for themselves
- Genesis 22:19 Or young men
Genesis 22:1-19
Lexham English Bible
God Tests Abraham
22 And it happened that after these things, God tested Abraham. And he said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 And he said, “Take your son, your only child, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains where[a] I will tell you.” 3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. And he took two of his servants with him, and Isaac his son. And he chopped wood for a burnt offering. And he got up and went to the place which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw the place at a distance. 5 And Abraham said to his servants, “You stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go up there. We will worship, then we will return to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and placed it on Isaac his son. And he took the fire in his hand and the knife, and the two of them went together. 7 And Isaac said to Abraham his father, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 And Abraham said, “God will provide[b] the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went together.
9 And they came to the place that God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood. Then he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar atop the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 And the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the boy; do not do anything to him. For now I know that you are one who fears[c] God, since you have not withheld your son, your only child, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, a ram was caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh will provide,”[d] for which reason[e] it is said today, “on the mountain of Yahweh it shall be provided.”[f] 15 And the angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time from heaven. 16 And he said, “I swear by myself, declares Yahweh, that because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only child, 17 that I will certainly bless you and greatly multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the shore of the sea. And your offspring will take possession of the gate of his enemies. 18 All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring, because you have listened to my voice.” 19 And Abraham returned to his servants, and they got up and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived in Beersheba.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 22:2 Or “that”
- Genesis 22:8 Literally “God will see to it” or “God will see for himself”
- Genesis 22:12 Literally “a fearer”
- Genesis 22:14 Literally “will see”
- Genesis 22:14 Literally “which”
- Genesis 22:14 Literally “it/he shall be seen”
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