Genesis 22:9
in Genesis 22When they arrived at the place God had designated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 22
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAnd bound Isaac his son - If the patriarch had not been upheld by the conviction that he was doing the will of God, and had he not felt the most perfect confidence that his son should be restored even from the dead, what agony must his heart have felt at every step of the journey, and through all the circumstances of this extraordinary business? What must his affectionate heart have felt at the questions asked by his innocent and amiable son?
This site's exposition
He bound his son Isaac
Abraham builds the altar, arranges the wood, binds his son Isaac and lays him on it, and the Hebrew name for the episode, the Akedah, comes from that word for binding. Calvin and Clarke read the binding as something the son allowed, with his father past a hundred. Sarah dies at a hundred and twenty-seven and bore Isaac at ninety, which puts a ceiling of thirty-seven on his age here.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Clement of RomeClement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 10 · Written before 99.
proposed
Abraham, styled "the friend," [Isaiah 41:8] was found faithful, inasmuch as he rendered obedience to the words of God. He, in the exercise of obedience, went out from his own country, and from his kindred, and from his father's house, in order that, by forsaking a small territory, and a weak family, and an insignificant house, he might inherit the promises of God. For God said to him, "Get you out from your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, into the land which I shall show you. And I will make you a great nation, and will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be blessed. And I will bless them that bless you, and curse them that curse you; and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed." [Genesis 12:1-3] And again, on his departing from Lot, God said to him, "Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you now are, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed forever. And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, [so that] if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall your seed also be numbered." [Genesis 13:14-16] And again [the Scripture] says, "God brought forth Abram, and spoke unto him, Look up now to heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them; so shall your seed be. And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." [Genesis 15:5-6] On account of his faith and hospitality, a son was given him in his old age; and in the exercise of obedience, he offered him as a sacrifice to God on one of the mountains which He showed him.
Many of you who hear these words are fathers in the church of God. Do you think any one of you from the mere relating of the story acquires so much steadfastness, so much strength of soul, that when a son perhaps is lost by a death that is common and due to all, even if he be an only son, even if he be a beloved son, might bring in Abraham as an example for himself and set his magnanimity before his eyes?
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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 cheerfully let them all go.
(2.) Of our duty to God, in return for 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, though they have been as a right hand, or a right eye, or an Isaac--all those things that are competitors and rivals with Christ for the sovereignty of the heart ( Luke xiv.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
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 cheerfully let them all go.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And they came to the place which God had told him of,.... Mount Moriah.
And they came to the place which God had told him of,.... Mount Moriah.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
11, 12. the angel . . . called, &c.--The sacrifice was virtually offered--the intention, the purpose to do it, was shown in all sincerity and fulness.
And bound Isaac his son - If the patriarch had not been upheld by the conviction that he was doing the will of God, and had he not felt the most perfect confidence that his son should be restored even from the dead, what agony must his heart have felt at every step of the journey, and through all the circumstances of this extraordinary business? What must his affectionate heart have felt at the questions asked by his innocent and amiable son?
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶֽל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמָּקוֹם֮ | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָֽמַר־ | ʾamar- | he had said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| הָאֱלֹהִים֒ | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַיִּ֨בֶן | vaiyiven | and he built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| שָׁ֤ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| אַבְרָהָם֙ | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ | vaiyaarokh | and he arranged | H6186 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעֵצִ֑ים | haetzim | the wood<s> | H6086 → | 328 times |
| וַֽיַּעֲקֹד֙ | vaiyaakod | and he bound | H6123 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִצְחָ֣ק | yitzchak | Isaac | H3327 → | 108 times |
| בְּנ֔וֹ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וַיָּ֤שֶׂם | vaiyasem | and he put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| אֹתוֹ֙ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| מִמַּ֖עַל | mimaal | from above | H4605 → | 140 times |
| לָעֵצִֽים׃ | laetzim | <to> the wood<s> | H6086 → | 328 times |
וַיָּבֹ֗אוּand they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
אֶֽל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמָּקוֹם֮the place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָֽמַר־he had said
ʾamar-H559 →5305 times
ל֣וֹto <the> him
lo
הָאֱלֹהִים֒<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וַיִּ֨בֶןand he built
vaiyivenH1129 →376 times
שָׁ֤םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
אַבְרָהָם֙Abraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְand he arranged
vaiyaarokhH6186 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעֵצִ֑יםthe wood<s>
haetzimH6086 →328 times
וַֽיַּעֲקֹד֙and he bound
vaiyaakodH6123 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִצְחָ֣קIsaac
yitzchakH3327 →108 times
בְּנ֔וֹson his
benoH1121 →4930 times
וַיָּ֤שֶׂםand he put
vaiyasemH7760 →584 times
אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
מִמַּ֖עַלfrom above
mimaalH4605 →140 times
לָעֵצִֽים׃<to> the wood<s>
laetzimH6086 →328 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
Acts 8:32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:7–8
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not…
- 1 Peter 2:21–24
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:
- Jeremiah 51:40
I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats.
- Jeremiah 11:19
For I was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter; I did not know that they had plotted against me: “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; let us cut him off from…
- Romans 8:36
As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
- Isaiah 53:7–8
Through
James 2:21Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
it leads to
- Genesis 22:16–18
saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
- Genesis 22:9–12
When they arrived at the place God had designated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood.
- Genesis 22:16–18
Through
Mark 15:1Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin devised a plan. They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate.
it leads to
- Matthew 27:1–2
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.
- Matthew 27:1–2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
On this verse
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 10; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 8.7.