Isaac

Biblical Account

Isaac is a patriarch whose story appears in Genesis 21–35; he was the son of Abraham and Sarah. Scripture records that the couple laughed when they heard the promise that they would have a son (Genesis 17:17; 18:12), and his name is understood to mean "he laughs" in Hebrew. He was born when Abraham was one hundred years old (Genesis 21:5).

• Separation from Ishmael: After Isaac was weaned, Hagar and her son Ishmael left the household (Genesis 21).
• The events on Mount Moriah: God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering (a sacrifice in which an animal is burned), then stopped Abraham and provided a ram in his place. Abraham called the place "Jehovah-jireh" ("the LORD will provide") (Genesis 22).
• Marriage and children: At age forty he married Rebekah, whom Abraham's servant brought from among Abraham's kin (Genesis 24; 25:20), and at sixty he became the father of the twins Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:26).
• In Gerar: During a famine he stayed in Gerar and said that his wife was his sister. When disputes arose over wells, he moved on and dug again until he finally obtained "Rehoboth" ("broad places" or "room"). That year he reaped a hundredfold (Genesis 26).
• The blessing: In his old age, when his eyes had grown dim, he gave the blessing of the firstborn to Jacob as the result of a scheme devised by Rebekah and Jacob (Genesis 27).
• He died at the age of 180, and Esau and Jacob buried him (Genesis 35:28–29).

Significance Within Scripture

The covenant given to Abraham continues through Isaac (Genesis 17:19; 26:3–5). God is called "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6), and Jesus cited this expression in arguing for the resurrection (Matthew 22:32). Paul referred to Isaac as a "child of promise" (Romans 9:7–9; Galatians 4:28). Hebrews 11:17–19 states that Abraham offered up Isaac, accounting that God was able to raise the dead, and 11:20 states that Isaac blessed his two sons by faith. James 2:21 treats the same event in the context of the relationship between faith and works.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Typological interpretation: Since the patristic era, many Christian interpreters have read Isaac carrying the wood up the mountain (Genesis 22:6) and the ram offered in his place as a type (foreshadowing) of Christ's cross. Interpreters differ on how far the typology should be applied.
• Location: 2 Chronicles 3:1 identifies the site where Solomon built the temple as Mount Moriah. On this basis the two places have traditionally been regarded as the same, though some scholars do not consider the identification certain.
• Isaac's age and attitude: Genesis 22 does not state Isaac's age or his feelings. Because he was old enough to carry the wood, many interpreters suppose that he was a boy or a young man. The idea that Isaac submitted willingly was added in Jewish tradition and other sources; it is not stated in the text. In Judaism this event is called the "Akedah" (the binding).
• Other traditions: In Islamic tradition, many hold that the son who was nearly sacrificed was Ishmael.
• Ethical questions: The command to offer up a child has prompted ongoing discussion of the relationship between faith and ethics, as in Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling. Other interpretations emphasize that God in fact prevented a human sacrifice.

In the Korean Church

• Genesis 22 is frequently used in sermons and Sunday school curricula as a text on obedience and faith in "Jehovah-jireh." The phrase "Jehovah-jireh" also appears in worship song lyrics and church names.
• The story of the wells in Genesis 26 is often cited in sermons about avoiding strife and yielding to others. Sermons that emphasize the hundredfold harvest (Genesis 26:12) as a promise of material blessing have at times drawn criticism in connection with debates over prosperity theology.
• The verse stating that Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide (Genesis 24:63) is sometimes cited to encourage quiet time and meditation.