Genesis 22

This chapter belongs to the latter part of the Abraham narrative in Genesis. Its opening words, "after these things," connect it to the events of Genesis 21: the birth of Isaac, the sending away of Hagar and Ishmael, and the covenant at Beersheba.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 God calls Abraham in order to test him and commands him to offer Isaac, his beloved only son, as a burnt offering (a sacrifice in which the offering is wholly consumed by fire) on a mountain in the land of Moriah. Abraham sets out with two young men and Isaac. On the third day he sees the place afar off and tells the young men, "I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you."
• Verses 6–8 Isaac carries the wood, and Abraham carries the fire and the knife. When Isaac asks where the lamb is, Abraham answers that God himself will provide it.
• Verses 9–14 Abraham builds an altar and binds Isaac, but as he takes the knife, the angel of the Lord stops him. Abraham offers a ram caught by its horns in a thicket in place of his son and names the place "Jehovah-jireh."
• Verses 15–19 The angel of the Lord calls a second time. Swearing by himself, God promises that Abraham's descendants will multiply and that all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Abraham returns to Beersheba.
• Verses 20–24 News arrives that Abraham's brother Nahor has had eight sons by Milcah and four sons by his concubine Reumah, and the text records that Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.

Key Verses

• Genesis 22:8 "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering" — Abraham's answer to his son's question and the central confession of the chapter.
• Genesis 22:14 "Jehovah-jireh" — a name meaning "the Lord will provide (or see)," and the source of a widely used expression of faith in God's provision.
• Genesis 22:18 "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" — the passage in which the promise given to Abraham is extended to all peoples.

Characters and Places

• Abraham — the patriarch who receives the command and goes to offer his son.
• Isaac — the son of Abraham and Sarah. The text does not state Isaac's age at this time.
• The angel of the Lord — the figure who calls to Abraham from heaven. Some interpret him as an ordinary angel, while others regard him as a manifestation of God himself.
• The land of Moriah — the region containing the mountain God designated. 2 Chronicles 3:1 calls the site where Solomon built the temple "Mount Moriah."
• Beersheba — the place to which Abraham returned and where he dwelt.
• Nahor — Abraham's brother. Milcah was his wife, and Reumah his concubine.
• Bethuel — the son of Nahor and Milcah and the father of Rebekah.

Points for Reflection

• Jewish tradition calls this event the Akedah ("binding") and also gives attention to Isaac's obedience. Details not found in the text, such as Isaac's age or Sarah's reaction, were added in later tradition. In Islamic tradition, the view that the son who was offered was Ishmael is widespread.
• The New Testament reads this chapter in several ways. Hebrews 11:17–19 says that Abraham believed God was able to raise the dead, while James 2:21–24 cites his works as evidence of his faith. The phrase "He that spared not his own Son" in Romans 8:32 is often seen as echoing the language of this chapter.
• Christian tradition has long interpreted Isaac carrying the wood and the ram offered in his place as types (foreshadowings of future events) of the cross and substitutionary atonement. Others hold, however, that such connections should be handled with caution and distinguished from the primary meaning of the text.
• The ethical tension raised by a command to offer up one's child has long been debated in philosophy and theology.

In the Korean Church

"Jehovah-jireh" is widely used in sermons and prayers to confess God's provision, and it appears frequently in worship song lyrics and church names. In Sunday schools, the chapter serves as a classic story for teaching Abraham's faith and obedience.