Genesis 22:1-19 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

Abraham Obeys the Divine Command to Sacrifice Isaac, and is Rewarded by the Sparing of his Son. The main narrative (Genesis 22:1-13) is from E, and the story, which is a literary masterpiece, is told with a reticence more effective than any detailed exposition of the tragedy implicit in it could have been. The pathos of the son's question in Genesis 22:7, the father's answer in Genesis 22:8, is unsurpassable. And the racked feelings of the father, the unconsciousness of the son, are left to the reader's imagination. The point is that Abraham accepts, with unfaltering obedience, the demand for the costliest offering, recognising God's right to make it. The view that the writer intended to teach that human sacrifice was repugnant to God is a modern expedient for making the narrative more palatable. It is not really suggested by anything in the story. The substitution of the ram is not an indication that animal should replace human sacrifice. Isaac is spared, not because the offering of a human victim is intrinsically hateful, but because the purpose of the test had been fulfilled, and the consummation of the sacrifice was therefore unnecessary, while obedience so complete deserved such a reward. But probably behind the tale as we have it there was an earlier legend, explaining why rams were offered at the sanctuary where the tale was told. Originally men offered their children, but the god once directed that a ram should be substituted, and so ever afterwards rams, and not children, were sacrificed. The similar story of Iphigenia at Aulis will occur to many readers. (On human sacrifice see pp. 83, 99.)

Genesis 22:2. Note the description of Isaac, bringing out the greatness of the sacrifice demanded. only son: Genesis 21:12. the land of Moriah: Jerusalem may be intended (2 Chronicles 3:1), but it could hardly have stood in the original text. There was no land of Moriah, and Moriah was not commonly used for the Temple hill. Nor would E be likely to represent Abraham as coming to the capital of the S. kingdom. Jerusalem was an inhabited city, here apparently we have to do with a lonely spot. The original text may have been the land of the Amorites (Syr.). Moriah would be substituted because it seemed to contain the same elements as the name Yahweh yireh (Genesis 22:14).

Genesis 22:6. Isaac bears the wood, as Jesus bears His Cross. The lad bears the heavy, the father the more dangerous burden (Gunkel).

Genesis 22:11. Read angel of God (Syr.).

Genesis 22:14. Very difficult. E cannot have written it in its present form, for he cannot have used Yahweh. Yet he must have recorded the giving of the name. Yahweh presumably was originally Elohim or El, and Gunkel has brilliantly suggested that the name was Yeruel (2 Chronicles 20:16). This is corroborated by the presence in the context of several similar words (-' elohim yireh in Genesis 22:8, yere -' elohim in Genesis 22:12, yar -' ail in Genesis 22:13). He emends Genesis 22:14 b for he said, To-day in this mountain God provideth.

Genesis 22:15-18. Probably an addition by a redactor (note Yahweh in Genesis 22:15 f.).

Genesis 22:19. Close of E's story.

Genesis 22:1-19

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.a

2 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.

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.

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

5 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.

6 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.

7 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 lambb for a burnt offering?

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

9 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.

10 And 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.

12 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.

13 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.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh:c 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,

16 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:

17 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;d and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

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

19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.