And it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
נִסָּהnissah
"tested"—to test, prove, try, put to the test
From the root n-s-h. A divine test is not designed to make one fail but to reveal and refine character. God tests Abraham not because He is uncertain of the outcome but because the test itself becomes the vehicle through which Abraham's faith reaches its fullest expression. The word is used of Israel's testing at Massah (Exodus 17:7) and of God's testing through the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2).
הִנֵּנִיhineni
"Here I am"—behold me, here I am, I am present and ready
A compound of hinneh ('behold') and the first-person suffix ('me'). It signals complete availability — not merely physical presence but spiritual readiness. Moses (Exodus 3:4), Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4), and Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8) will all respond with this same word at pivotal moments of calling.
Translator Notes
'God tested' (ha'Elohim nissah) — the verb nissah means 'to test, to prove, to try.' The narrator tells the reader at the outset what Abraham himself does not know: this is a test, not a final directive. The definite article on Elohim (ha'Elohim, 'the God') is unusual and may emphasize the absolute, sovereign God — the One who has the right to test. The KJV's 'tempt' follows older English usage where 'tempt' could mean 'test' (cf. James 1:13, where God 'tempts no one' to evil). The rendering uses 'tested' to avoid the modern connotation of enticement to sin.
'Here I am' (hineni) — the first of three hineni responses in this chapter (also v. 7 and v. 11). This single Hebrew word — 'behold me' — expresses total availability and readiness. It is the posture of the servant who holds nothing back. Abraham answers before knowing what will be asked. His availability precedes the content of the command.
'After these things' (achar haddevarim ha'elleh) — a transitional formula that creates temporal distance. What 'things'? The birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Ishmael, the treaty with Abimelech. Abraham has settled into a life of relative peace. The test comes not in the midst of crisis but in the calm after it — when Abraham has the most to lose.
And He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love — Isaac — and go forth to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I will tell you."
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
4 terms
Key Terms
יְחִידְךָyechidkha
"your only son"—your only one, your unique one, your beloved, your sole one
From yachid ('only, unique, sole'). The word does not deny Ishmael's existence but designates Isaac as the unique son of promise — the irreplaceable one. The LXX translates it agapeton ('beloved'), and the echo of this language in the New Testament's description of Jesus as God's 'only begotten' (monogenes) or 'beloved Son' has been noted by interpreters since antiquity.
לֶךְ־לְךָlekh-lekha
"go forth"—go, go for yourself, go forth, take yourself
This phrase appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible — here and in 12:1. The first lekh-lekha launched the Abrahamic journey; this second one brings it to its climax. The repetition binds the two episodes as the twin pillars of Abraham's story: the call and the test, departure from the past and surrender of the future.
הַמֹּרִיָּהhamMoriyyah
"Moriah"—Moriah, place of seeing/vision, place of reverence
The etymology is debated: from ra'ah ('to see,' thus 'place of vision/seeing') or from yara' ('to fear/revere,' thus 'place of reverence'). Both meanings converge in the narrative: Moriah is where God is seen (v. 14) and where Abraham's fear of God is demonstrated (v. 12). Tradition identifies it with the Temple Mount.
עֹלָהolah
"a burnt offering"—burnt offering, whole offering, that which ascends
From the root '-l-h ('to go up, ascend'). The olah is the offering that ascends entirely to God — completely consumed on the altar, with no portion returned to the worshiper. It represents total dedication and surrender. That God asks Abraham to offer Isaac as an olah means: give everything, hold nothing back.
Translator Notes
'Your son, your only son, whom you love — Isaac' (et-binkha et-yechidkha asher-ahavta et-Yitschaq) — four increasingly specific descriptions narrow the identity with agonizing precision. Each phrase tightens the vise: 'your son' (you have two — which one?), 'your only son' (the unique one, the one through whom the promise flows), 'whom you love' (the first occurrence of the word 'love' [ahavah] in the Bible, and it appears here, in this context), 'Isaac' (the name that means laughter — the laughter now threatened with extinction). The rhetorical effect is devastating: God forces Abraham to feel the full weight of what is being asked before the command is even issued.
'Go forth' (lekh-lekha) — the identical phrase used in Abraham's original call (12:1). The first lekh-lekha sent Abraham away from his past — his father's house and homeland. This second lekh-lekha sends him toward the potential annihilation of his future — the sacrifice of his promised son. The two journeys frame Abraham's life: the first in hope, the second in obedience tested to the breaking point.
'The land of Moriah' (erets hamMoriyyah) — the name Moriah is connected to the root r-'-h ('to see') and possibly y-r-' ('to fear/revere'). The land of 'seeing' or 'vision' — the place where God will be seen and will see to it (cf. v. 14). Jewish tradition identifies Moriah with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 3:1), making this the site where Solomon's Temple will stand — the place of sacrifice par excellence.
'Offer him as a burnt offering' (ha'alehu sham le'olah) — the verb he'elah means literally 'to bring up, to cause to ascend.' An olah ('burnt offering') is one that 'goes up' entirely in smoke — it is wholly consumed, with nothing held back. God asks Abraham to hold nothing back: to offer everything, completely, without remainder.
And Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and he took his two young men with him and Isaac his son. And he split the wood for the burnt offering, and he arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Rose early in the morning' (vayyashkem babboqer) — the identical phrase used when Abraham sent Hagar away (21:14). Abraham's obedience does not wait for daylight deliberation. The early rising suggests either the urgency of obedience or the impossibility of sleep. He does not argue, negotiate, or intercede — though he interceded passionately for the strangers of Sodom (18:22–33), he is silent when his own son is at stake. This silence is either the deepest faith or the deepest agony, or both.
'He split the wood for the burnt offering' (vayevaqqa' atsei olah) — the verb baqa' ('to split, to cleave') is physical and violent. Abraham prepares the instrument of sacrifice with his own hands. The deliberateness of each action — saddling, gathering, splitting — stretches the narrative across a sequence of agonizing preparations. Every stroke of the axe is an act of obedience.
The narrative is marked by extraordinary compression. No emotions are described, no internal dialogue is reported. The text proceeds with relentless forward motion: he rose, he saddled, he took, he split, he arose, he went. The silence of the text mirrors the silence of Abraham.
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
KJV Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'On the third day' (bayyom hashelishi) — three days of walking with the knowledge of what awaits at the end. The third day is a recurring biblical motif of resolution and revelation (cf. Exodus 19:11,16; Hosea 6:2; Jonah 1:17). Three days is long enough for the full weight of the decision to settle in, long enough for Abraham to turn back at any point, long enough for hope to war with despair in every step.
'Lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar' (vayyissa Avraham et-einav vayyar et-hammakom merachoq) — the phrase 'lifted up his eyes' signals a moment of perception and recognition. Abraham sees Moriah — the place of testing — in the distance. The word maqom ('place') becomes almost a proper noun; in later Jewish tradition, HaMaqom ('The Place') becomes a name for God Himself. Abraham sees 'the place' — the intersection of divine command and human obedience — from a distance, and he walks toward it.
And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go over there, and we will worship, and we will return to you."
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶהvenishtachaveh
"we will worship"—to bow down, prostrate oneself, worship, pay homage
The hitpael of sh-ch-h. The most profound Hebrew word for worship — literally, to flatten oneself before God. Abraham calls the sacrifice of his son 'worship,' the ultimate act of bowing before the divine will.
וְנָשׁוּבָהvenashuvah
"we will return"—to return, come back, turn back, repent
First person plural cohortative of shuv ('to return'). The 'we' is the theological crux: does Abraham speak in faith, in hope, or in gentle deception? The verb shuv itself carries overtones of restoration and repentance — a return not merely to a place but to wholeness.
Translator Notes
'We will worship' (venishtachaveh) — the verb hishtachavah means 'to bow down, to prostrate oneself, to worship.' Abraham names what is about to happen as worship. The act of sacrificing his son — the most extreme obedience imaginable — is not destruction but worship. This reframing reveals the heart of the Aqedah: it is fundamentally an act of devotion, not of violence.
'We will return to you' (venashuvah aleikhem) — the verb is first person plural: 'we will return.' Abraham says 'we' — both I and the boy. The author of Hebrews interprets this as faith in resurrection: Abraham believed God could raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:17–19). In the narrative itself, the plural may express Abraham's trust that God will somehow resolve the contradiction between the command to sacrifice and the promise that 'through Isaac your offspring will be named' (21:12). Or it may be a merciful deception spoken to spare the young men alarm. The ambiguity is profound and deliberately unresolved.
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked together.
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
הַמַּאֲכֶלֶתhamma'akhelet
"the knife"—knife, slaughtering knife, large blade
From the root '-kh-l ('to eat, consume'). The ma'akhelet is literally 'the eater' — a large knife used for slaughtering sacrificial animals. Its name evokes consumption and destruction. This is not a small blade but a butcher's instrument, designed for a single, decisive cut.
יַחְדָּוyachdav
"together"—together, as one, in unity, alike
This adverb of unity becomes the thematic heartbeat of the Aqedah. Father and son walk together — in physical proximity, in shared purpose, and in a faith that neither fully comprehends. The repetition in verse 8 after Isaac's innocent question makes the togetherness even more poignant.
Translator Notes
'Laid it upon Isaac his son' (vayyasem al-Yitschaq beno) — Isaac carries the wood upon which he will be offered. The image of the son carrying the instrument of his own sacrifice has reverberated through centuries of interpretation. In Christian typology, Isaac bearing the wood prefigures Christ bearing the cross. In Jewish tradition (the Aqedah), the emphasis falls on Isaac's willing participation — he is no unknowing victim but a partner in the act of obedience.
'The fire and the knife' (et-ha'esh ve'et-hamma'akhelet) — Abraham carries the two elements that Isaac must not handle: fire (danger) and the knife (death). The father bears the burden of lethal agency while the son carries the wood. The distribution of loads between father and son is a portrait of love operating within obedience.
'The two of them walked together' (vayyelekhuu sheneihem yachdav) — this phrase appears twice in the Aqedah narrative (here and in v. 8), forming a literary frame around Isaac's question about the lamb. The word yachdav ('together') carries enormous emotional weight. Father and son walk in unity toward an event that only one of them fully understands. Their togetherness is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
KJV 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?
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
הַשֶּׂהhasseh
"the lamb"—lamb, sheep, goat, small livestock animal
The word seh refers generally to a young animal of the flock — a lamb or kid. Isaac asks for a seh; Abraham promises God will provide a seh (v. 8); what actually appears is an ayil — a ram (v. 13). The shift from lamb to ram is noted by interpreters: God provides, but not always in the exact form expected.
Translator Notes
'My father!' 'Here I am, my son' (avi... hineni veni) — the exchange is among the most emotionally charged in all of Scripture. Isaac calls out 'my father' — the intimate, trusting address of a child. Abraham responds with the same hineni he used for God in verse 1, now directed to his son: 'Here I am, my son.' The word beni ('my son') at the end is a dagger of tenderness. Abraham is fully present to both God and his son — answering both with the same total availability, even as their claims tear him apart.
'Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' (ayyeh hasseh le'olah) — Isaac's question is devastating in its innocence. He has observed the preparations — fire and wood are present — but the essential element is missing: the sacrificial animal. The child reasons logically and asks what any observant youth would ask. The question forces Abraham either to reveal the terrible truth or to answer in faith. Isaac's word seh ('lamb, small livestock') will echo in verse 8 and ultimately in verse 13, where a ram appears in its place.
And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them walked together.
KJV And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
יִרְאֶהyir'eh
"will provide"—will see, will provide, will look to, will appear
From the root r-'-h ('to see'). The Hebrew concept of 'providing' is rooted in 'seeing' — God sees the need and acts accordingly. This verb becomes the name of the place in verse 14: YHWH Yir'eh ('the LORD will see/provide'). The entire theology of divine provision in Scripture traces back to this moment on Moriah.
Translator Notes
'God will provide for Himself the lamb' (Elohim yir'eh-lo hasseh le'olah) — the verb yir'eh means both 'He will see' and 'He will provide' (seeing to a need is providing for it). Abraham's answer is simultaneously a statement of faith, a prophecy, and perhaps a gentle evasion. If read as 'God will see to it — the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,' the sentence can be parsed such that 'my son' is in apposition to 'the lamb' — God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering: my son. Whether Abraham intends this double meaning or the narrator constructs it, the ambiguity is breathtaking.
'The two of them walked together' (vayyelekhuu sheneihem yachdav) — the repetition of this phrase from verse 6 is one of the most powerful literary devices in the Hebrew Bible. After Isaac's question and Abraham's heart-rending answer, they still walk together. Nothing has changed outwardly; everything has intensified inwardly. The togetherness now includes Isaac's question hanging in the air between them — answered and unanswered at once.
And they came to the place of which God had told him, and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. And he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
וַיַּעֲקֹדvayyaqod
"he bound"—to bind (hands and feet), to tie up
A hapax legomenon — used only here in the Hebrew Bible. The Aqedah ('the Binding') takes its name from this unique verb. Its singularity mirrors the singularity of the event itself. In later Jewish liturgy and theology, the Aqedah becomes a paradigm of sacrificial devotion, invoked in prayers and understood as the supreme merit of the patriarchs.
Translator Notes
'He bound Isaac' (vayyaqod et-Yitschaq) — the verb aqad ('to bind') appears only here in the entire Hebrew Bible. This unique word gives the episode its name: the Aqedah, 'the Binding.' The singularity of the word matches the singularity of the event — nothing like this has happened before, and the language itself acknowledges that there is no ordinary word for it. The binding implies that Isaac is now a willing participant, or at least does not resist — Jewish tradition consistently holds that Isaac consented, making the Aqedah a joint act of faith between father and son.
'Built the altar... arranged the wood... bound Isaac... laid him on the altar' — four verbs in rapid succession, each describing a discrete, deliberate action. The narrative achieves its power through restraint: no emotions are reported, no hesitation is described. The focus is entirely on the physical actions, and the silence about Abraham's inner state is more eloquent than any description could be.
'On top of the wood' (mimma'al la'etsim) — Isaac lies upon the very wood he carried up the mountain. The son who bore the burden now becomes the offering. The image is complete: altar, wood, bound son — everything is prepared for the sacrifice.
The technical term for ritual slaughter — a swift, clean cut across the throat. Its use here treats Isaac as a sacrificial animal, following the full protocol of the olah. The horror is precisely in the propriety: Abraham is not committing murder but performing worship, and the two have become indistinguishable.
Translator Notes
'Stretched out his hand' (vayyishlach Avraham et-yado) — the verb shalach ('to send forth, to stretch out') describes the deliberate extension of Abraham's hand toward the instrument of death. This is the climactic moment — the point at which obedience reaches its absolute limit. Abraham does not merely contemplate the act; his hand is in motion.
'To slaughter his son' (lishchot et-beno) — the verb shachat ('to slaughter, to kill ritually') is the technical term for sacrificial killing — cutting the throat of the animal to drain its blood. It is used of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:6) and of all Levitical sacrifices. Abraham intends to perform a proper, ritual slaughter of his son. The word 'his son' (beno) at the end of the verse — without Isaac's name — is almost too intimate to bear.
The verse is one of the shortest and most devastating in the Bible. Twelve Hebrew words describe the moment at which Abraham's obedience becomes action. The narrative pauses here at the knife's edge — literally — and the intervention of verse 11 arrives at the last possible instant.
And the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
KJV And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Abraham! Abraham!' — the double calling of the name signals urgency and intimacy. The same doubling occurs at other pivotal moments: 'Moses, Moses' (Exodus 3:4), 'Samuel, Samuel' (1 Samuel 3:10), 'Saul, Saul' (Acts 9:4). The repetition arrests Abraham's hand at the very moment the knife is poised. One second later and the story changes forever.
'Here I am' (hineni) — the third and final hineni of the chapter. Abraham first said it to God (v. 1), then to his son (v. 7), and now again to the angel of the LORD. His availability has not wavered throughout the ordeal. The man who answered 'Here I am' before knowing the test now answers 'Here I am' at its climax. His posture of surrender is unchanged.
'The angel of the LORD called from heaven' (mal'akh YHWH min-hashamayim) — notably, the covenant name YHWH returns. In verse 1, it was Elohim (the God who tests); now it is YHWH (the God who saves, the covenant-keeper). The shift from Elohim to YHWH at the moment of deliverance is theologically significant: the God of universal sovereignty tests, but the God of covenant faithfulness rescues.
And he said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
יְרֵא אֱלֹהִיםyere Elohim
"you fear God"—God-fearing, one who reverences God, one who stands in awe of God
The 'fear of God' (yir'at Elohim) is the foundational virtue of the Hebrew Bible — not terror but profound reverence that governs all choices. To be yere Elohim is to place God's authority above every other loyalty, even the deepest human bond. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac is the ultimate demonstration of this fear.
חָשַׂכְתָּchasakta
"withheld"—to withhold, spare, hold back, keep back, restrain
From the root ch-s-kh. Abraham did not 'hold back' his son — he offered everything. The verb will echo in Romans 8:32 where Paul states that God 'did not spare (epheisato) His own Son' — the divine Father doing what He stopped the human father from doing.
Translator Notes
'Do not stretch out your hand against the boy' (al-tishlach yadkha el-hanna'ar) — the same verb shalach from verse 10 is now negated. The hand that was extended toward death is commanded to stop. God's prohibition is absolute: 'do not do anything to him' (ve'al-ta'as lo me'umah). The boy is not to be touched. The test is complete.
'Now I know that you fear God' (attah yadati ki-yere Elohim attah) — the phrase 'now I know' (attah yadati) has generated extensive theological discussion. Does God learn something new? The language of 'knowing' here may be understood as God's acknowledgment of demonstrated reality — the test has made visible what was previously internal. Abraham's faith has been externalized in action, and God declares what that action reveals: Abraham is a God-fearer (yere Elohim) — one who reverences God above all else, including his most precious possession.
'You have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me' (velo chasakta et-binkha et-yechidkha mimmenni) — the verb chasakh ('to withhold, to spare, to hold back') echoes the language of verse 2. God asked Abraham to give; Abraham did not withhold. The repeated phrase 'your son, your only son' (binkha et-yechidkha) circles back to the opening command, creating a frame: what God demanded in verse 2, Abraham surrendered in verse 12. Paul echoes this language in Romans 8:32: God 'did not spare His own Son.'
And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
אַיִלayil
"a ram"—ram, male sheep
A mature male sheep, distinguished from the seh (young lamb) that Isaac asked about. The ram's horns — which catch in the thicket — are what make it a ram rather than a lamb. In later Israelite worship, the ram becomes a central sacrificial animal, particularly in the ordination offering (Exodus 29) and the Day of Atonement rituals.
תַּחַתtachat
"instead of"—instead of, in place of, under, beneath, in exchange for
This preposition establishes the foundational principle of substitution: the ram dies in Isaac's place. The theology of vicarious sacrifice — one life given in exchange for another — is expressed in this single word. It will echo through the Passover lamb, the scapegoat, and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.
Translator Notes
'Behold, a ram caught in the thicket by its horns' (vehinneh-ayil achar ne'echaz basevakh beqarnav) — the ram appears suddenly, introduced by hinneh ('behold') — the narrative marker of surprise and revelation. It is caught (ne'echaz, from achaz, 'to seize, to grasp') in the sevakh (a dense thicket). The ram is held there — trapped, available, provided. Isaac asked about a lamb (seh); God provides a ram (ayil) — a mature, horned animal, suitable for sacrifice. God provides, but on His own terms.
'Instead of his son' (tachat beno) — the preposition tachat ('instead of, in place of, under') establishes the principle of substitutionary sacrifice. The ram dies in Isaac's place. This single word — tachat — carries the weight of an entire theology: one life given in exchange for another. The concept will be elaborated in the Levitical sacrificial system and finds its ultimate expression, in Christian theology, in the cross. In the narrative, it is the hinge on which the entire drama turns: Isaac lives because the ram dies.
'Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked' (vayyissa Avraham et-einav vayyar) — the same phrase from verse 4, where Abraham saw the place from afar. Now he sees the provision up close. The God who brought him to the place of testing is the same God who provides at the place of testing. Seeing — the root r-'-h that runs through the entire chapter — reaches its climax: Abraham sees the ram that God has 'seen to.'
And Abraham called the name of that place "The LORD Will Provide," as it is said to this day, "On the mountain of the LORD it shall be provided."
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
יְהוָה יִרְאֶהYHWH Yir'eh
"The LORD Will Provide"—the LORD will see, the LORD will provide, the LORD will look to it
The place-name that memorializes the Aqedah. It compresses into two words the entire drama: the need, the faith, and the provision. The name YHWH Yir'eh has become one of the most beloved divine titles in the Judeo-Christian tradition, invoked whenever believers trust that God will see to their need in impossible circumstances.
Translator Notes
'The LORD Will Provide' (YHWH Yir'eh) — Abraham names the place with the same verb he used in his answer to Isaac (v. 8): 'God will see to it.' Now, with the ram offered and Isaac alive, the prophetic statement becomes a memorial name. YHWH Yir'eh means both 'the LORD will see' and 'the LORD will provide' — seeing and providing are one divine act. The name encapsulates the entire theology of the Aqedah: God sees the need, God sees the faith, and God provides the answer.
'On the mountain of the LORD it shall be provided/seen' (behar YHWH yera'eh) — the verb yera'eh is the niphal (passive) of ra'ah: 'it will be seen' or 'He will be seen' or 'it will be provided.' The ambiguity is deliberate and fruitful. On God's mountain, provision appears; on God's mountain, God Himself is seen. The saying 'to this day' (hayyom) indicates that this proverb persisted in Israel as a testimony to divine faithfulness at the very place where the Temple would eventually stand (2 Chronicles 3:1).
The entire chapter has been structured around the verb ra'ah ('to see'): Abraham 'sees' the place (v. 4), God 'will see to' the lamb (v. 8), Abraham 'sees' the ram (v. 13), and now the place is named 'the LORD sees/provides.' Vision — both human and divine — is the thematic thread that binds the narrative.
And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven,
KJV And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'A second time' (shenit) — the angel's first call (v. 11) stopped the sacrifice; this second call delivers the blessing. The first intervention was urgent — 'Do not stretch out your hand!' The second is expansive — a reaffirmation and amplification of the covenant promises. The double calling mirrors the structure of the entire narrative: first the test, then the reward; first the crisis, then the covenant.
and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son,
KJV 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:
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
נִשְׁבַּעְתִּיnishba'ti
"I have sworn"—to swear, take an oath, bind oneself by oath
From shava' ('to swear'), related to sheva' ('seven') — oaths were often sealed by sevens. God's self-sworn oath is the ultimate guarantee. When God swears by Himself, there is no higher authority, no possibility of revocation. The oath transforms the Abrahamic promises from gracious declarations into irrevocable commitments.
Translator Notes
'By Myself I have sworn' (bi nishba'ti ne'um-YHWH) — God swears by Himself because there is no one greater by whom to swear (cf. Hebrews 6:13–14). This is the only time in the Abraham narrative that God takes an oath. The promises of chapters 12, 15, and 17 were declarations; this is a sworn oath — the highest possible form of divine commitment. God binds Himself irrevocably to the promises that follow.
'Declares the LORD' (ne'um-YHWH) — the prophetic formula ne'um, typically rendered 'oracle of' or 'declares,' marks this as a formal divine pronouncement. Its use here — unique in Genesis — elevates the speech to the status of prophetic oracle. What follows is not a conversation but a solemn decree.
'Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son' — the language of verse 12 is repeated almost verbatim, reinforcing the basis of the oath: Abraham's obedience. The covenant promises are now grounded not only in God's sovereign choice but in Abraham's demonstrated faith. Grace and obedience converge at Moriah.
I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of the heavens and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
KJV 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;
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
בָרֵךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָbarekh avarekekha
"I will surely bless you"—blessing I will bless, I will certainly/abundantly bless
The infinitive absolute construction is the Hebrew superlative — the most emphatic way to state a verb. God does not merely promise to bless; He promises to bless with the full force of divine commitment. This is blessing squared, blessing beyond measure, blessing that cannot be overstated.
Translator Notes
'I will surely bless you' (barekh avarekekha) — the infinitive absolute construction (barekh + finite verb avarekh) creates the strongest possible emphasis in Hebrew: 'blessing, I will bless you' — an unbreakable, intensified promise. The same construction governs 'multiplying, I will multiply' (harbah arbeh). Double emphasis for double blessing.
'As the stars of the heavens and as the sand on the seashore' — two images of innumerability, one celestial and one terrestrial. The stars (first promised in 15:5) represent the exalted, heavenly dimension of Abraham's legacy; the sand represents its earthly, tangible abundance. Together they encompass the totality of creation — heaven and earth united in the scope of the promise.
'Your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies' (veyirash zar'akha et sha'ar oyeav) — the 'gate' of a city was its point of defense, its legal center, and its seat of power. To 'possess the gate' means to conquer and control — to exercise dominion over those who oppose. This is a promise of victory, not merely survival. Abraham's seed will not be marginal but dominant.
and in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
KJV And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Notes & Key Terms
2 terms
Key Terms
וְהִתְבָּרֲכוּvehitbarakhu
"shall be blessed"—shall be blessed, shall bless themselves, shall find blessing
The hitpael of barakh. Whether passive ('shall be blessed') or reflexive ('shall bless themselves'), the meaning converges: Abraham's offspring will be the standard, source, and channel of blessing for the entire world. Paul cites this verse in Galatians 3:8 as the 'gospel preached beforehand to Abraham.'
שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלִיshama'ta beqoli
"you have obeyed My voice"—you heard/obeyed my voice
Literally 'you heard in my voice' — the preposition be- suggests deep, attentive listening. Obedience in Hebrew is hearing-and-doing: shama' encompasses both reception and response. Abraham's faith was not merely cognitive assent but enacted obedience.
Translator Notes
'In your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed' (vehitbarakhu bezar'akha kol goyei ha'arets) — the hitpael form of barakh can mean 'shall bless themselves' (reflexive — invoking Abraham's descendants as a standard of blessing) or 'shall be blessed' (passive — receiving blessing through Abraham's line). Both meanings are theologically rich. The promise, first given in 12:3, is now restated in its most expansive form. The blessing is not for Israel alone but for all nations (kol goyei ha'arets). The particular story of one man on one mountain opens into a universal horizon.
'Because you have obeyed My voice' (eqev asher shama'ta beqoli) — the word eqev ('because, as a consequence of, on account of') establishes a direct link between Abraham's obedience and the universal blessing. The verb shama' ('to hear, to obey') — the same root as Ishmael's name and the Shema — closes the narrative circle. Abraham heard God's voice, and he obeyed. The consequence of that obedience extends to every nation on earth.
This verse is the theological summit of the Aqedah and arguably of the entire Abrahamic narrative. The particular obedience of one man in one impossible test becomes the channel through which blessing flows to all humanity. The covenant is simultaneously narrower (confirmed by the most extreme test) and wider (extending to all nations) than ever before.
And Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
KJV So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Abraham returned to his young men' (vayyashav Avraham el-ne'arav) — the verb shuv ('to return') fulfills the promise of verse 5: 'we will return to you.' Abraham does return — and notably, Isaac is not mentioned. The silence about Isaac's return has puzzled interpreters. In the midrash, some traditions say Isaac went to study at the academy of Shem; the narrative simply leaves him unmentioned, perhaps because the focus remains tightly on Abraham's faith journey, which began and ends at Beersheba.
'They went together' (vayyelekhuu yachdav) — the word yachdav ('together') appears for the third time in the chapter (cf. vv. 6, 8), but now the 'together' has shifted from father and son to Abraham and his servants. The community of the journey reforms around the patriarch, and life resumes.
'Abraham dwelt at Beersheba' — the narrative returns to its starting point (21:33–34). The drama of Moriah is over; Abraham resumes the life of a sojourner in the Negev. The most extraordinary event of his life yields to the most ordinary continuation. Faith returns to daily life.
And it came to pass after these things that it was told to Abraham, saying, "Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
KJV 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;
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'After these things' (acharei haddevarim ha'elleh) — the same transitional formula that opened the chapter (v. 1). Its repetition signals a shift from the Aqedah to a new narrative unit. The genealogical note that follows seems mundane after the heights of Moriah, but it serves a vital narrative function: it introduces Rebekah, Isaac's future wife.
'Milcah also has borne children' — the word 'also' (gam) draws a parallel with Sarah: just as Sarah bore a son miraculously, so Milcah has been fruitful in the family of Nahor. God's blessing of fertility extends beyond Abraham's immediate household. The parallel between the two branches of Terah's family sets the stage for the union of Isaac and Rebekah in chapter 24.
Uz his firstborn and Buz his brother and Kemuel the father of Aram,
KJV Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Uz' (Uts) — the firstborn of Nahor. The land of Uz is later identified as the homeland of Job (Job 1:1), possibly connecting this genealogy to the wisdom tradition. 'Buz' his brother appears in Jeremiah 25:23 alongside Dedan and Tema, suggesting connections to Arabian peoples. 'Kemuel the father of Aram' links this line to the Aramaeans, the people from whom Rebekah will come.
The list of Nahor's twelve sons (eight by Milcah, vv. 21–23, and four by his concubine, v. 24) parallels the twelve sons of Ishmael (25:13–16) and the twelve sons of Jacob (35:22–26). The number twelve functions as a number of tribal completeness across multiple lineages.
and Chesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel."
KJV And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Chesed' (Kesed) — possibly the ancestor of the Chaldeans (Kasdim), the people of Ur from which Abraham originally came. If so, the genealogy traces the origin of the Chaldean nation to Abraham's own extended family. 'Bethuel' (Betu'el) is the most significant name in this list: he is the father of Rebekah (v. 23) and Laban, and thus the link between the Nahor branch and Isaac's future marriage.
And Bethuel fathered Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
KJV And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
Notes & Key Terms
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Key Terms
רִבְקָהRivqah
"Rebekah"—Rebekah, possibly 'to tie, to bind' or 'fattened calf'
Rebekah's name appears here for the first time in Scripture — almost as an afterthought in a genealogical list. Yet her introduction at the end of the Aqedah narrative is profoundly purposeful: the near-sacrifice of Isaac is immediately followed by the appearance of the woman through whom the promise will continue. Death is averted, and life goes on.
Translator Notes
'Bethuel fathered Rebekah' (uVtu'el yalad et-Rivqah) — the seemingly incidental mention of Rebekah (Rivqah) is the theological payoff of the entire genealogy. The narrator, having brought the Isaac story to its crisis and resolution on Mount Moriah, now quietly introduces the woman who will become Isaac's wife and the mother of Jacob. The name Rivqah may be related to a root meaning 'to tie, to bind' or 'to fatten (cattle)' — connecting either to the binding motif of the Aqedah or to the pastoral wealth of the family.
'These eight Milcah bore to Nahor' — the summary counts eight sons by Milcah, the primary wife. Four additional sons by the concubine Reumah will follow in verse 24, totaling twelve — the number of tribal completeness. The genealogy ensures the reader knows that God's work of building families and nations extends beyond the covenant line.
And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
KJV And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'His concubine, whose name was Reumah' (ufilagsho ushemah Re'umah) — the pilegesh ('concubine') was a secondary wife with lower legal status. Reumah's four sons, combined with Milcah's eight, bring Nahor's total to twelve — paralleling the twelve sons of Ishmael and foreshadowing the twelve sons of Jacob. The pattern of twelve recurs throughout Genesis as a marker of tribal wholeness.
'Maacah' (Ma'akhah) — this name appears later as a region east of the Sea of Galilee and as a personal name borne by several biblical figures, including the mother of King Asa. The genealogy thus weaves connections between the patriarchal period and later Israelite geography and history.
The chapter ends not with the drama of Moriah but with a list of names — the quiet work of God building families, preparing the next generation, and setting the stage for the continuation of the promise. After the mountaintop, ordinary life resumes, and God works in genealogies as surely as in theophanies.