Genesis 22:11-18

11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."

12 He said, ¹"Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for ²now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

14 So Abraham called the name of that place, ³"The LORD will provide";^[a] as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."^[b]

15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven

16 and said, ⁴"By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,

17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring ⁵as the stars of heaven and ⁶as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess ⁷the gate of his^[c] enemies,

18 and ⁸in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, ⁹because you have obeyed my voice."

Genesis 22:11-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 22

In this chapter we have an account of an order given by God to Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ge 22:1,2; of his readiness to obey the will of God, he immediately preparing everything for that purpose, Ge 22:3-10, of the order being reversed, and another sacrifice substituted in its room, which occasioned the giving a new name to the place where it was done, Ge 22:11-14; upon which the promise of special blessings, of a numerous offspring, and of the seed in whom all nations should be blessed, is renewed, Ge 22:15-18; after this Abraham returns to Beersheba, where he is informed of the increase of his brother Nahor's family, Ge 22:19-24.

Cross References

• 1. [Micah 6:7, 8]
• 2. [Genesis 26:5]
• 3. ver. 8
• 4. Psalms 105:9; Luke 1:73; Hebrews 6:13
• 5. Jeremiah 33:22; See Genesis 15:5
• 6. See Genesis 13:16
• 7. Genesis 24:60; Psalms 127:5
• 8. Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 26:4; Galatians 3:8; Cited Acts 3:25
• 9. ver. 3; Genesis 26:5

Footnotes

• [a]. Or will see
• [b]. Or he will be seen
• [c]. Or their