Genesis 22

1 Some time [after these events, later on] later God [Elohim, the supreme One] tested [proved, tried] Abraham and said to him, “Abraham [the father of many]!” “Here I am [behold, I’m present],” he answered. word study 2 “Take [please, I pray thee] your son [your only descendant],” God said, “your only [unique, solitary] son Isaac [he laughs, the one you love], whom you love [have affection for, cherish], and go [walk, journey] to the land [earth, territory] of Moriah [a hill in Palestine]. Offer [sacrifice, give] him there [in that place, at that time] as a burnt offering [a step or stairs, often used to describe the ascent to the altar] on one [a single, united] of the mountains [hills], which [that, the one] I will show [tell, reveal] you.” word study 3 So Abraham [the father of faith] got up early [at dawn, before sunrise] the next morning, saddled [tied or bound] his donkey [a male ass], and took along [accompanied by] two of his servants [young men, attendants] and his son Isaac [he laughs, a child of promise]. He split [clave, broke up] the wood [trees, wooden planks] for a burnt offering [a step or stairs, often used to describe the ascent to the altar] and set out [rose up, went] for the place [location, region] God [Elohim, the supreme God] had designated [told, commanded]. word study 4 On the third [following two previous] day [a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time] Abraham [the father of many children, including Ishmael and Isaac] looked up [lifted his eyes, raised his gaze] and saw [beheld, perceived with his eyes] the place [a location, a region, maqom] in the distance [far away, at a remote point]. word study 5 “Stay [remain, abide] here [in this place] with the donkey [a male donkey],” Abraham [the father of many nations] told his servants [young men]. “The boy [youth, young one] and I will go [walk, proceed] over there [yonder, to that place] to worship [bow down, give reverence], and then we will return [turn back, come again] to you [towards you, to this place].” word study 6 Abraham [the father of faith] took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac [his only son, a child of promise]. He himself carried the fire [burning, flame] and the sacrificial knife [a tool for slaughter], and the two of them [united in purpose, father and son] walked on together [in harmony, as one]. word study 7 Then Isaac [the son of promise, he laughs] said to his father Abraham [the father of faith], “My father [abba, dear father]!” “Here I am [behold, I am present], my son [child, descendant],” he replied. “The fire [burning, flame] and the wood [tree, wooden plank] are here,” said Isaac, “but where [in what location, what place] is the lamb [sheep, young animal] for the burnt offering [step of ascent, sacrifice to God]?” word study 8 Abraham [the father of faith] answered, “God [Elohim, the supreme Provider] Himself will provide [see and care for] the lamb [sheep or goat] for the burnt offering [a step of devotion, a sacrifice to atone], my son [a descendant, a child of promise].” And the two [a pair, a duality] walked on together [in unity, as one]. word study 9 When they arrived [came to the place which God had told him of] at the place [a location or region] God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] had designated, Abraham [the father of many nations] built [constructed, established] the altar [a place of sacrifice] there and arranged [laid in order, prepared] the wood [trees, wooden planks]. He bound [tied up securely] his son [descendant, child] Isaac [he laughs] and placed [set, put] him on the altar [upon the wood, as an offering], atop [above, higher than] the wood [the trees]. word study 10 Then Abraham [the father of faith] reached out his hand [in obedience, with strength] and took the knife [for slaughter, a cutting instrument] to slaughter [to slay, as a sacrifice] his son [his only child, a descendant]. word study 11 Just then the angel [messenger] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] called out [to summon, to invoke] to him from heaven [the visible universe, the abode of God], “Abraham [the father of many nations], Abraham!” “Here I am [behold, I’m present],” he replied. word study 12 “Do not [refrain from, withhold] lay a hand [your power, strength] on the boy [youth, young one] or do anything [any harm, injury] to him,” said the angel, “for now [at this moment, in this instant] I know [have come to understand, am aware] that you fear [reverence, respect] God [Elohim, the supreme Creator], since you have not [have refused to] withheld [spared, restrained] your only [unique, solitary] son from me [from my presence, from my will]. ” word study 13 Then Abraham [the father of faith] looked up and saw behind him a ram [caught by its horns, stuck] in a thicket [a dense cluster of bushes], caught by its horns [seized, held fast]. So he went and took the ram [as a substitute, a replacement] and offered it as a burnt offering [a sacrificial gift, a consecrated act] in place of his son [his only child, his beloved Isaac]. word study 14 And Abraham [the father of faith] called that place The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] Will Provide [see or look after, be the Provider]. So to this day [the present time, this very moment] it is said [spoken, proclaimed], “On the mountain [a place of encounter] of the LORD [Yehovah-jireh, the Lord who sees] [the supreme God, Yehovah] it will be provided [seen, looked after, supplied].” word study 15 And the angel [messenger of God, divine representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] called [to summon, to cry out] to Abraham [the father of many nations] from heaven [the visible sky and the abode of God] a second [again, another time] time, word study 16 saying, “By Myself [with My own authority, I swear] I have sworn [taken an oath, made a promise], declares the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God], that because you have done [accomplished, fulfilled] this and have not withheld [refused, spared] your only son [your unique, beloved child], word study 17 I will surely [greatly, abundantly] bless you, and I will multiply [increase, grow] your descendants [seed, offspring] like the stars [celestial bodies, heavenly hosts] in the sky [heaven, the universe] and the sand [grains, particles] on the seashore [the beach, the coast]. Your descendants [seed, offspring] will possess [take control, occupy] the gates [entrances, strongholds] of their enemies [adversaries, foes]. word study 18 And through your [seed or offspring, descendants] offspring all nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrews] of the earth [land, territory, or region] will be blessed [to praise or honor God, receive divine favor], because you have obeyed [listened and responded to] My voice [the sound of God’s speaking, divine command].” word study 19 Abraham [the father of faith] went back [to return, turn back] to his servants [young men, attendants], and they got up [rose up, stood] and set out [walked, traveled] together [united, as one] for Beersheba [the well of the sevenfold oath, a city in Palestine]. And Abraham [the patriarch, a key figure] settled [dwelt, lived] in Beersheba [the city of the covenant]. word study 20 Some time later [after these things, it came to pass], Abraham was told [informed, declared to], “Milcah [she, the wife of Nahor] has also [even, too] borne [given birth to, beget] sons [children, descendants] to your brother [male sibling, close relative] Nahor [Abraham’s brother, grandson of Terah]: word study 21 Uz [the oldest son, firstborn] the firstborn, his brother [male sibling, close relative] Buz, Kemuel [father, ancestor] (the father [parent, patriarch] of Aram [the region of Syria, the Arameans]), word study 22 Chesed [a relative of Abraham], Hazo [meaning vision], Pildash [son of Nahor and Milcah], Jidlaph [meaning weeping], and Bethuel [man of God, father of Rebekah].” word study 23 And Bethuel [the father of a multitude, man of God] became the father [begat, gave birth to] of Rebekah [a person of ensnaring beauty]. Milcah [queen, counsel] bore these [specific, aforementioned] eight sons to Abraham’s [the father of a multitude, a friend of God] brother [close relative, male sibling] Nahor [rest, comfort]. word study 24 Moreover, Nahor’s [secondary wife, female companion] concubine [woman living with a man without marriage], whose name [identity, character] was Reumah, bore [gave birth to, brought forth] Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah [children of Nahor and Reumah]. word study