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Christianity

Genesis 22The Binding of Isaac

Summary

Genesis 22 says God tested Abraham by telling him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah. Abraham travels three days, lays the wood on Isaac, and answers his son's question with the words that God will provide a lamb. As he raises the knife, the angel of the LORD stops him, and a ram caught in a thicket is offered instead. Jews call this the Akedah; Christians often read it as foreshadowing Christ.

Key verse

“And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”

Genesis 22:8

Themes

  • Testing
  • Obedience
  • Provision
  • Sacrifice

Text

1

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2

And 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.

3

And 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.

4

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5

And 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.

6

And 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.

7

And 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?

8

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

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.

10

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11

And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12

And 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.

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.

14

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

15

And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16

And 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:

17

That 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;

18

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19

So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

20

And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;

21

Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,

22

And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

23

And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

24

And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

  • Islam

    Surah As-Saffat (37): The Great Sacrifice

    Quran 37:102 to 107 tells of Abraham's dream that he must sacrifice his son, the son's willing consent, and God ransoming him with a great sacrifice. The son is unnamed; Muslim scholars have differed, with many early authorities naming Isaac and the view that he was Ishmael becoming the more common one in later centuries.

  • Judaism

    Pirkei Avot 5: Ten Trials of Abraham

    Mishnah Avot 5:3 says Abraham was tested with ten trials and withstood them all. The Akedah is traditionally counted as the culminating trial.

  • Christianity

    Hebrews 11: Abraham Offered Isaac

    Hebrews 11:17 to 19 says Abraham offered his only son reasoning that God could raise him from the dead.

Questions about Genesis 22

Was it Isaac or Ishmael who was nearly sacrificed?

Genesis 22 names Isaac. The Quran (37:100 to 113) leaves the son unnamed, and Muslim scholars have differed on his identity: many early authorities named Isaac, while the later and now more common view is Ishmael. Eid al-Adha commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son.

Where is Mount Moriah?

Genesis 22:2 sends Abraham to the land of Moriah. 2 Chronicles 3:1 places Solomon's Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, and Jewish tradition identifies the two sites.