Genesis 22:13
in Genesis 22Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram in a thicket, caught by its horns. So he went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, behind him a ram caught in the 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Ambrose of MilanOn the Decease of His Brother Satyrus, Book 2, Section 98 · Written before 397.
He showed the ram in the thicket in the stead of the lad, that He might restore the son to his father, and yet the victim not fail the priest. And so Abraham was not stained with his son's blood, nor was God deprived of the sacrifice. The prophet spoke, and neither yielded to boastfulness nor continued obstinate, but took the ram in exchange for the lad. And by this is shown the more how piously he offered him whom he now so gladly received back.
This site's exposition
a ram in a thicket, caught by its horns
The ram stands behind Abraham, caught fast by its horns, and it is there before he turns and before it is wanted. He offers it in place of his son. It is the first animal in Scripture to die in the place of a named man. Athanasius holds that Isaac's death would have bought nothing for the world, and that the offering was made for Abraham's testing.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Thus the sacrifice was not for the sake of Isaac but for that of Abraham, who was tested by being called upon to make this offering. And of course, God accepted his intentions, but he prevented him from slaying Isaac. The death of Isaac would not buy freedom for the world. No, that could be accomplished only by the death of our Savior, by whose stripes we are all healed.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Behold a ram - Tho' that blessed Seed was now typified by Isaac, yet the offering of him up was suspended 'till the latter end of the world, and in the mean time the sacrifice of beasts was accepted, as a pledge of that expiation which should be made by that great sacrifice.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
on Genesis 22:13-19
Abraham lifted up his eyes . . . and behold . . . a ram, &c.--No method was more admirably calculated to give the patriarch a distinct idea of the purpose of grace than this scenic representation: and hence our Lord's allusion to it (Joh 8:56).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Abraham beheld a ram after ( achar ) it had been caught in the thicket by its horns. 21 Scripture reads: achar ne’achaz.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
At the beginning Abraham’s fear of G-d was latent; it had not become actualized through such a great deed. But now it was known in actuality, and his merit was perfect, and his reward would be complete from the Eternal, the G-d of Israel. 385 See Ruth:12.
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
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשָּׂ֨א | vaiyisa' | and he lifted up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֜ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֵינָ֗יו | ʾeinav | eyes his | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וַיַּרְא֙ | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| וְהִנֵּה־ | vehineh- | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אַ֔יִל | ʾayil | a ram | H352 → | 187 times |
| אַחַ֕ר | ʾachar | behind | H310 → | 715 times |
| נֶאֱחַ֥ז | neechaz | it was caught | H270 → | 67 times |
| בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ | basevakh | in the thicket | H5442 → | |
| בְּקַרְנָ֑יו | bekarnav | by horns its | H7161 → | |
| וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַבְרָהָם֙ | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֣ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאַ֔יִל | haayil | the ram | H352 → | 187 times |
| וַיַּעֲלֵ֥הוּ | vaiyaalehu | and he offered up it | H5927 → | 890 times |
| לְעֹלָ֖ה | leolah | to a burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| תַּ֥חַת | tachat | in place of | H8478 → | 505 times |
| בְּנֽוֹ׃ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
וַיִּשָּׂ֨אand he lifted up
vaiyisa'H5375 →656 times
אַבְרָהָ֜םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֵינָ֗יוeyes his
ʾeinavH5869 →887 times
וַיַּרְא֙and he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
וְהִנֵּה־and there!
vehineh-H2009 →843 times
אַ֔יִלa ram
ʾayilH352 →187 times
אַחַ֕רbehind
ʾacharH310 →715 times
נֶאֱחַ֥זit was caught
neechazH270 →67 times
בַּסְּבַ֖ךְin the thicket
basevakhH5442 →
בְּקַרְנָ֑יוby horns its
bekarnavH7161 →
וַיֵּ֤לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
אַבְרָהָם֙Abraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
וַיִּקַּ֣חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאַ֔יִלthe ram
haayilH352 →187 times
וַיַּעֲלֵ֥הוּand he offered up it
vaiyaalehuH5927 →890 times
לְעֹלָ֖הto a burnt offering
leolahH5930 →287 times
תַּ֥חַתin place of
tachatH8478 →505 times
בְּנֽוֹ׃son his
benoH1121 →4930 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
Isaiah 30:21And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”
it leads to
- Psalms 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you.
- Proverbs 3:5–6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
- Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
- Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These…
- Psalms 32:8
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.
- 2 Peter 2:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
By subject
Redemption35 verses
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Ambrose of Milan, On the Decease of His Brother Satyrus, Book 2, Section 98; Athanasius of Alexandria, Festal Letters 6; Athanasius of Alexandria, FESTAL LETTERS 6; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.