Genesis 22

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 22

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].

2And 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.

4Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5And 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.

6And 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.

7And 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?

8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9And 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.

10And 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.

12And 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.

13And 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.

14And 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,

16And 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]:

17That 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;

18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19So 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;

21Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,

22And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

23And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

24And his concubine, whose name [was] Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

God tested Abraham by commanding him to offer his beloved son, Isaac, as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah. Abraham faithfully obeyed, preparing to sacrifice Isaac, but an angel of the Lord intervened at the last moment. A ram was provided as a substitute sacrifice, and God reaffirmed His covenant promises to Abraham for his obedience.

Medium Summary

Genesis 22 recounts God's severe test of Abraham's faith, commanding him to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, in the land of Moriah. Abraham demonstrated immediate and unwavering obedience, rising early and journeying for three days to the appointed place. Upon arrival, he left his servants, built an altar, bound Isaac, and prepared to slay him, even as Isaac questioned the absence of a lamb. Just as Abraham raised the knife, an angel of the Lord called from heaven, stopping him and affirming Abraham's fear of God. A ram, caught in a thicket, was then provided by God and offered as a burnt offering in Isaac's stead. Abraham named the place Jehovahjireh, signifying the Lord's provision. Subsequently, the angel of the Lord reiterated God's solemn oath to bless Abraham abundantly, multiply his descendants, and ensure that through his seed, all nations of the earth would be blessed, because he had obeyed God's voice. The chapter concludes with a brief genealogy of Nahor's family, including Bethuel, the father of Rebekah.

Long Summary

The twenty-second chapter of Genesis opens with God testing Abraham by instructing him to take his only son, Isaac, whom he loved, to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering. Abraham responded with immediate and profound obedience, rising early the next morning, saddling his ass, and taking Isaac and two young men on the three-day journey. Upon seeing the designated place afar off, Abraham instructed his servants to remain behind, stating that he and Isaac would go to worship and return. Abraham then laid the wood for the burnt offering upon Isaac, while he himself carried the fire and a knife, and they walked together. Isaac, observing the preparations, inquired of his father where the lamb for the burnt offering was. Abraham, with faith, responded that God would provide Himself a lamb. Arriving at the specific location, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, bound Isaac, and laid him upon the altar. As Abraham stretched forth his hand to take the knife and slay his son, the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, stopping his hand. The angel declared that Abraham's willingness to not withhold his only son demonstrated his fear of God. Abraham then lifted his eyes and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket, which he took and offered as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham named that place Jehovahjireh, meaning "The LORD will provide." The angel of the Lord called a second time, swearing by Himself that because Abraham had performed this act of obedience, God would bless him exceedingly. God promised to multiply Abraham's seed as the stars of heaven and the sand of the seashore, and that his descendants would possess the gate of their enemies. Furthermore, it was prophesied that in Abraham's seed, all the nations of the earth would be blessed, because he had obeyed God's voice. After these events, Abraham returned to his young men, and they journeyed together to Beersheba, where Abraham dwelt. The chapter concludes with a genealogical account of Nahor, Abraham's brother, listing his children born of Milcah, including Bethuel, and also children born of his concubine Reumah.

Core Concepts

  • The Testing of AbrahamGod "did tempt Abraham" by commanding him to offer his beloved son, Isaac, as a burnt offering, serving as a profound test of Abraham's faith and obedience. This trial required Abraham to choose between God's command and his deepest paternal affection.
  • Abraham's ObedienceAbraham demonstrated immediate and unwavering obedience to God's difficult command. He rose early, prepared for the journey, and proceeded to fulfill the instruction without hesitation, even to the point of raising the knife.
  • Divine Provision (Jehovahjireh)At the critical moment, God intervened through His angel, stopping Abraham and providing a ram caught in a thicket as a substitute sacrifice for Isaac. This event led Abraham to name the place Jehovahjireh, signifying "The LORD will provide."
  • The Covenant ReaffirmedFollowing Abraham's obedience, the angel of the Lord solemnly reaffirmed God's covenant promises, swearing by Himself to bless Abraham abundantly, multiply his seed, and ensure that through his descendants, all nations of the earth would be blessed. This reaffirmation was a direct consequence of Abraham's faithfulness.
  • Substitute SacrificeA ram was miraculously provided by God and offered as a burnt offering in place of Isaac. This act of substitution averted the sacrifice of Isaac and served as a powerful demonstration of God's mercy and provision.
  • Isaac's RoleIsaac, though the intended sacrifice, willingly carried the wood for the offering and submitted to his father's actions. His question about the lamb and Abraham's response highlight his innocent participation and Abraham's profound faith.
  • Genealogy of NahorThe chapter concludes with a listing of the descendants of Abraham's brother, Nahor, through his wife Milcah and his concubine Reumah, notably including Bethuel, who would become the father of Rebekah. This section provides a familial link relevant to future narratives.