Genesis 22:16
in Genesis 22saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and said, By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,
KJV
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
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This verse in Genesis 22
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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).
This site's exposition
the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time
on Genesis 22:15-16
Heaven speaks a second time, and what follows is the only oath in Genesis in which God swears by Himself. Clarke takes the speaker who says declares the LORD and yet swears by Himself to be the Mediator the offering pointed to. That reading is his own.
This site's exposition
By Myself I have sworn
The LORD swears by Himself because Abraham has not withheld his only son. Origen asks what is new in this second call from heaven, as the blessing and the descendants were promised before. John Gill reads it as the covenant confirmed by an oath.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
This is Isaac the co-heir of the promises and the blessings of God given to Abraham his father—who was a type of the sacrifice of the Lord Christ, since for three days he travelled on to death, and afterwards returned alive—who on his own shoulders …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And said, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord,....
And said, by myself have I sworn, saith the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
By myself have I sworn - So we find that the person who was called the angel of the Lord is here called Jehovah; See note on Gen 22:
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בִּ֥י | bi | by <the> myself | ||
| נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי | nishba'ti | I swear | H7650 → | 186 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּ֗י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יַ֚עַן | yaan | because | H3282 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ | ʾasita | you have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָ֣ר | hadavar | the thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| חָשַׂ֖כְתָּ | chasakhta | you have withheld | H2820 → | 28 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בִּנְךָ֥ | binkha | son your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְחִידֶֽךָ׃ | yechidekha | only [son] your | H3173 → | 12 times |
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
בִּ֥יby <the> myself
bi
נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּיI swear
nishba'tiH7650 →186 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּ֗יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
יַ֚עַןbecause
yaanH3282 →
אֲשֶׁ֤רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשִׂ֙יתָ֙you have done
ʾasitaH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָ֣רthe thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
חָשַׂ֖כְתָּyou have withheld
chasakhtaH2820 →28 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בִּנְךָ֥son your
binkhaH1121 →4930 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְחִידֶֽךָ׃only [son] your
yechidekhaH3173 →12 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
Luke 1:73the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
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,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 105:9
the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac.
- Deuteronomy 7:8
But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand…
- Genesis 22:16–18
Through
Psalms 105:9the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac.
it leads to
- Genesis 17:2
I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.”
- Genesis 26:3
Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath…
- Hebrews 6:17
So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath.
- Genesis 17:2
Through
Jeremiah 51:14The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”
it leads to
- Amos 6:8
The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself—the LORD, the God of Hosts, has declared: “I abhor Jacob’s pride and detest his citadels, so I will deliver up the city and everything in it.”
- Joel 2:25
I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you.
- Amos 6:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies26
On this verse
On this chapter
- Abraham
- Chaldea
- God and the Nations, from Abraham to the New Jerusalem
- Isaac
- Jesus: Titles & Roles
- The Words Agape, Philia, Chesed and Ahavah
Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 6 titles
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 9.1.