Genesis 22:1
in Genesis 22Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseWE may regard the father of the faithful as being a pattern of his children. As God dealt with Abraham, so will He deal in measure with all those who, as Believers, are the children of believing Abraham. Everything that will abide the fire shall go through the fire, that it may be both proved and improved. We clearly understand that when God is said to "tempt" Abraham, the word used does not carry its ordinary meaning.
This site's exposition
Some time later God tested Abraham
Some time later God tested Abraham, and the Hebrew word means to put a man to the proof. James 1:13 keeps the sense clear, that God tempts no one with evil. Abraham answers, Here I am. He gives that same answer to Isaac at verse 7 and to the angel at verse 11.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The author of the trial: God tempted him, not to draw him to sin, so Satan tempts (if Abraham had sacrificed Isaac, he would not have sinned, his orders would have justified him, and borne him out), but to discover his graces, how strong they were, that they might be found to praise, and honour, and glory, 1 Pet. i.
Here is the trial of Abraham's faith, whether it continued so strong, so vigorous, so victorious, after a long settlement in communion with God, as it was at first, when by it he left his country: then it was made to appear that he loved God better than his father; now that he loved him better than his son.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
God did tempt Abraham--not incite to sin (Jas 1:13), but try, prove--give occasion for the development of his faith (1Pe 1:7). and he said, . . . Here I am--ready at a moment's warning for God's service.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
After these events, Elohim tested Avraham and said to him, Avraham! and he [Avraham] said, Here I am.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֗י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אַחַר֙ | ʾachar | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| הַדְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | the things | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הָאֵ֔לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים | vehaelohim | and <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נִסָּ֖ה | nisah | he put to [the] test | H5254 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֑ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָ֔יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֖ם | ʾavraham | O Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּֽנִי׃ | hineni | here [am] I | H2009 → | 843 times |
וַיְהִ֗יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
אַחַר֙after
ʾacharH310 →715 times
הַדְּבָרִ֣יםthe things
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הָאֵ֔לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔יםand <the> God
vehaelohimH430 →2601 times
נִסָּ֖הhe put to [the] test
nisahH5254 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַבְרָהָ֑םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֔יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
אַבְרָהָ֖םO Abraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּֽנִי׃here [am] I
hineniH2009 →843 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 10:13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will…
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:9
if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
- 2 Timothy 4:18
And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
- 1 Peter 5:8–9
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
- Hebrews 12:4
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
- 2 Peter 2:9
Through
Deuteronomy 8:2Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your…
it leads to
- James 1:3
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
- 1 Peter 1:7
so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- Deuteronomy 8:16
He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.
- James 1:3
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2223: “Abraham's Trial—a Lesson for Believers” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.