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17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”[a] 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:18 Gen 21:12.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises,[a] yet he was ready to offer up[b] his only son. 18 God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,”[c] 19 and he reasoned[d] that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense[e] he received him back from there.

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 11:17 tn Here “received the promises” refers to the pledges themselves, not to the things God promised.
  2. Hebrews 11:17 tn Grk “he was offering up.” The tense of this verb indicates the attempt or readiness to sacrifice Isaac without the actual completion of the deed.
  3. Hebrews 11:18 tn Grk “in Isaac seed will be named for you.”sn A quotation from Gen 21:12.
  4. Hebrews 11:19 tn Grk “having reasoned,” continuing the ideas of v. 17.
  5. Hebrews 11:19 tn Grk “in/by a symbol.”