“And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.”
King James Version (KJV)
22:8 My son, God will provide himself a lamb - This was the language either, Of his obedience; we must offer the lamb which God has appointed now to be offered; thus giving him this general rule of submission to the divine will to prepare him for the application of it to himself. Or, Of his faith; whether he meant it so or no, this proved to be the meaning of it; a sacrifice was provided instead of Isaac. Thus, Christ the great sacrifice of atonement was of God's providing: when none in heaven or earth could have found a lamb for that burnt - offering, God himself found the ransom. All our sacrifices of acknowledgement are of God's providing too; 'tis he that prepares the heart. The broken and contrite spirit is a sacrifice of God, of his providing.
22:9 With the same resolution and composedness of mind, he applies himself to the compleating of this sacrifice. After many a weary step, and with a heavy heart, he arrives at length at the fatal place; builds the altar, an altar of earth, we may suppose, the saddest that ever be built; lays the wood in order for Isaac's funeral pile; and now tells him the amazing news. Isaac, for ought appears, is as willing as Abraham; we do not find that he made any objection against it. God commands it to be done, and Isaac has learned to submit. Yet it is necessary that a sacrifice be bound; the great Sacrifice, which, in the fulness of time, was to be offered up, must be bound, and therefore so must Isaac. Having bound him he lays him upon the altar, and his hand upon the head of the sacrifice. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and wonder, O earth! here is an act of faith and obedience which deserves to be a spectacle to God, angels and men; Abraham's darling, the church's hope, the heir of promise, lies ready to bleed and die by his own father's hands! Now this obedience of Abraham in offering up Isaac is a lively representation, Of the love of God to us, in delivering up his only begotten Son to suffer and die for us, as a sacrifice. Abraham was obliged both in duty and gratitude to part with Isaac and parted with him to a friend, but God was under no obligations to us, for we were enemies. Of our duty to God in return of that love we must tread in the steps of this faith of Abraham. God, by his word, calls us to part with all for Christ, all our sins, tho' they have been as a right hand, or a right eye, or an Isaac; all those things that are rivals with Christ for the sovereignity of our heart; and we must chearfully let them all go. God, by his providence, which is truly the voice of God, calls us to part with an Isaac sometimes, and we must do it by a chearful resignation and submission to his holy will.
22:11 The Angel of the Lord - That is, God himself, the eternal Word, the Angel of the covenant, who was to be the great Redeemer and Comforter.
22:12 Lay not thine hand upon the lad - God's time to help his people is, when they are brought to the greatest extremity: the more eminent the danger is, and the nearer to be put in execution, the more wonderful and the more welcome is the deliverance. Now know I that thou fearest God - God knew it before, but now Abraham had given a memorable evidence of it. He need do no more, what he had done was sufficient to prove the religious regard he had to God and his authority. The best evidence of our fearing God is our being willing to honour him with that which is dearest to us, and to part with all to him, or for him.
And Abraham stretched foorth his hand, and tooke the knife to slay his sonne.
- King James Version (1611) - View 1611 Bible Scan
Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
- New American Standard Version (1995)
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
- American Standard Version (1901)
And stretching out his hand, Abraham took the knife to put his son to death.
- Basic English Bible
And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slaughter his son.
- Darby Bible
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
- Webster's Bible
Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.
- World English Bible
and Abraham putteth forth his hand, and taketh the knife -- to slaughter his son.
- Youngs Literal Bible
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
- Jewish Publication Society Bible