God Tests Abraham
Study note
God calls Abraham and tells him to take his son Isaac — his only son, whom he loves — to the region of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering. This seems to contradict everything God has promised. But Abraham rises early the next morning and prepares for the journey. After three days of travel, Abraham tells his servants to wait while he and Isaac go ahead to worship. Isaac carries the wood while Abraham carries the fire and the knife. When Isaac asks where the lamb for the offering is, Abraham gives a prophetic answer: 'God himself will provide the lamb.'
1 Later on, God decided to test Abraham. He called out, "Abraham!" And Abraham answered, "I'm right here." 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 God said, "Take your son — your only son Isaac, the one you love so much — and travel to the land of Moriah. When you get there, offer him as a burnt sacrifice on the mountain I will point out to you." 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 Abraham woke up early the next morning, loaded up his donkey, and brought two servants and his son Isaac along. He chopped enough firewood for the sacrifice and started the journey to the place God had described. 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 On the third day of travel, Abraham looked up and spotted the place off in the distance. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
5 He told his servants, "Wait here with the donkey. The boy and I are going to go over there to worship, and then we will come back to you." 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 Abraham loaded the firewood onto Isaac's back and carried the fire and the knife himself. The two of them walked on together. 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 Isaac spoke up and said, "Father?" Abraham replied, "Yes, son?" Isaac said, "We have the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" 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. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
God Provides a Ram
Study note
When they reach the place, Abraham builds an altar, arranges the wood, binds Isaac, and lays him on the altar. As Abraham reaches for the knife, the angel of the Lord calls out from heaven and tells him to stop. Now God knows that Abraham fears him, because he did not withhold his only son. Abraham looks up and sees a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. He sacrifices the ram instead of Isaac. Abraham names the place 'The Lord Will Provide.' The mountain in the region of Moriah is traditionally identified as the site where Solomon's temple would later be built in Jerusalem.
9 When they arrived at the spot God had chosen, Abraham built an altar and stacked the wood on it. Then he tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 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 Abraham reached out, picked up the knife, and was about to kill his son. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But at that moment, the angel of the Lord shouted from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" He answered, "I'm here!" And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 The angel said, "Stop! Don't touch the boy. Don't do anything to him. Now I know that you truly respect and trust God, because you were willing to give up your son — your only son — for me." 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 Abraham looked up and noticed a ram tangled by its horns in a thick bush nearby. He walked over, untangled the ram, and sacrificed it on the altar instead of his son. 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 Abraham named that place 'The Lord Will Provide.' Even today, people say, "On the Lord's mountain, he will provide." And 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.
God Renews His Promises
Study note
The angel of the Lord calls to Abraham a second time and delivers God's most emphatic restatement of the covenant promises. Because Abraham did not withhold his son, God swears by himself — the highest possible oath — to bless Abraham greatly, to multiply his descendants like the stars and the sand, and to give his offspring victory over their enemies. Through Abraham's offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed. Abraham returns to Beersheba.
15 The angel of the Lord called out to Abraham from heaven a second time. And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 He said, "I make this promise on my own name. This is the Lord speaking. You obeyed me. You did not hold back your son, your only son." 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 "I will pour out blessings on you. I will make your descendants as many as the stars filling the sky and the grains of sand along the beach. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies." 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 "Every nation on earth will be blessed through your family line — and all because you obeyed me." And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
19 Then Abraham went back to his servants, and they all traveled together to Beersheba. Abraham made his home there. So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
Nahor's Family
Study note
The chapter ends with news about Abraham's brother Nahor and his family. His wife Milcah has borne eight sons. This seemingly small detail is important because one of Nahor's granddaughters is Rebekah, who will become Isaac's wife in chapter 24. God is already preparing the next generation.
20 Sometime after this, Abraham got news: "Your brother Nahor and his wife Milcah have had children." 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 Their sons were Uz (the oldest), Buz, Kemuel (who later became the father of Aram), Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These were the eight sons that Milcah gave birth to for Nahor, Abraham's brother. And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
24 Nahor's other wife — a woman named Reumah — also had children: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maakah. And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.