Genesis 22:2
New International Version
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

New Living Translation
“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

English Standard Version
He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

King James Bible
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

New King James Version
Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

New American Standard Bible
Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

NASB 1995
He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

NASB 1977
And He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then He said, “Take now your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and go forth to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

Amplified Bible
God said, “Take now your son, your only son [of promise], whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Christian Standard Bible
“Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

American Standard Version
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD said, "Go get Isaac, your only son, the one you dearly love! Take him to the land of Moriah, and I will show you a mountain where you must sacrifice him to me on the fires of an altar."

English Revised Version
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
God said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you."

Good News Translation
"Take your son," God said, "your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me."

International Standard Version
God said, "Please take your son, your unique son whom you love—Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him as a burnt offering there on one of the mountains that I will point out to you."

Majority Standard Bible
“Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

NET Bible
God said, "Take your son--your only son, whom you love, Isaac--and go to the land of Moriah! Offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will indicate to you."

New Heart English Bible
He said, "Now take your son, your only one, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of."

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Take now thy son, thy only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will name to thee.

World English Bible
He said, “Now take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And He says, “Now take your son, your only one, whom you have loved, even Isaac, and go for yourself to the land of Moriah, and cause him to ascend there for a burnt-offering on one of the mountains of which I speak to you.”

Young's Literal Translation
And He saith, 'Take, I pray thee, thy son, thine only one, whom thou hast loved, even Isaac, and go for thyself unto the land of Moriah, and cause him to ascend there for a burnt-offering on one of the mountains of which I speak unto thee.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say, Take now thy son, thine only, whom thou didst love, Isaak, and go by thyself to the land of Moriah; and carry him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I told thee.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He said to him: Take thy only begotten son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of vision: and there thou shalt offer him for a holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will show thee.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He said to him: “Take your only begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of vision. And there you shall offer him as a holocaust upon one of the mountains, which I will show to you.”

New American Bible
Then God said: Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There offer him up as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.

New Revised Standard Version
He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of the Amorites; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I will tell you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said to him: “Take your son your only one, Isaaq, whom you love, and you go to the land of the Amorites and offer him up there for a sacrifice on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And He said: 'Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, Take thy son, the beloved one, whom thou hast loved - Isaac, and go into the high land, and offer him there for a whole-burnt-offering on one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Offering of Isaac
1Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 2“Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” 3So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated.…

Cross References
Hebrews 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son, / even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” / Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.

James 2:21-23
Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? / You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. / And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 10:37
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;

1 John 4:9-10
This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. / And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Galatians 3:8
The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 Peter 1:19-20
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. / He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake.

Romans 4:3
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

2 Chronicles 3:1
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Leviticus 1:3
If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to present an unblemished male. He must bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for its acceptance before the LORD.

Exodus 13:2
“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”

1 Samuel 1:24-28
Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. / And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. / “Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. ...

2 Kings 3:27
So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get you into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.

Take.

Genesis 17:19
And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Genesis 21:12
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Moriah.

2 Chronicles 3:1
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

and offer.

Judges 11:31,39
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering…

2 Kings 3:27
Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

Micah 6:7
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

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Burned Burnt Burnt-Offering Dearly Isaac Love Moriah Mori'ah Mountains Offer Offering Region Sacrifice Thyself
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Burned Burnt Burnt-Offering Dearly Isaac Love Moriah Mori'ah Mountains Offer Offering Region Sacrifice Thyself
Genesis 22
1. Abraham is tested with the command to offer Isaac.
3. He gives proof of his faith and obedience.
11. The angel prevents him.
13. Isaac is exchanged for a ram.
14. The place is called Jehovah-jireh.
15. Abraham is again blessed.
20. The generations of Nahor unto Rebekah.














Take your son
The Hebrew word for "take" is "קַח" (laqach), which implies a command to seize or grasp. This directive from God is not a mere suggestion but a divine imperative, highlighting the seriousness and gravity of the task Abraham is being asked to undertake. The phrase "your son" emphasizes the personal and intimate nature of the request, underscoring the deep bond between Abraham and Isaac. This command tests Abraham's faith and obedience, as it challenges him to prioritize God's will over his paternal instincts.

your only son Isaac
The term "only" in Hebrew is "יָחִיד" (yachid), which can mean unique or beloved. Although Abraham had another son, Ishmael, Isaac is referred to as his "only" son because he is the child of promise, the one through whom God's covenant would be fulfilled. This phrase underscores the significance of Isaac in God's plan and the magnitude of the sacrifice Abraham is being asked to make. It foreshadows the New Testament parallel of God offering His only Son, Jesus, for the salvation of humanity.

whom you love
The Hebrew word for "love" is "אָהַב" (ahav), indicating deep affection and emotional attachment. This is the first mention of love in the Bible, and it is significant that it is used in the context of a father-son relationship. This highlights the depth of Abraham's emotional struggle and the profound nature of the test. It also reflects the love God has for His own Son, Jesus, and the sacrifice He would make for mankind.

and go to the land of Moriah
"Moriah" is believed to be derived from a root meaning "seen by Yahweh" or "chosen by Yahweh." This location is significant in biblical history, as it is traditionally identified with the site of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. The journey to Moriah symbolizes a pilgrimage of faith, where Abraham must trust in God's provision and purpose. It is a place where divine encounters and revelations occur, setting the stage for future acts of worship and sacrifice.

Offer him there as a burnt offering
The Hebrew word for "offer" is "עָלָה" (alah), meaning to ascend or go up, which is fitting as burnt offerings were completely consumed by fire, symbolizing total surrender to God. The concept of a "burnt offering" (עֹלָה, olah) involves complete dedication and submission to God's will. This request is a profound test of Abraham's faith, as it seems to contradict God's promise to make Isaac the heir of the covenant. It challenges Abraham to trust in God's character and promises, even when circumstances appear dire.

on one of the mountains
Mountains in biblical literature often represent places of divine revelation and encounter. They are symbolic of spiritual elevation and closeness to God. The specific mountain is not named here, emphasizing the need for Abraham to rely on God's guidance and direction. This element of the narrative highlights the journey of faith, where believers must trust in God's leading, even when the destination is not fully known.

which I will show you
This phrase indicates that God will provide further revelation and guidance to Abraham. It requires Abraham to walk by faith, not by sight, trusting in God's timing and provision. This mirrors the Christian journey, where believers are called to follow God's leading, even when the path is unclear. It underscores the importance of obedience and trust in God's promises, knowing that He will reveal His purposes in His perfect timing.

(2) Take now.--Now is not an adverb of time, but an interjection of entreaty, usually coupled with requests, and intended to soften them. It thus makes the words more an exhortation than a command.

Thine only son Isaac.--The words in the original are more emphatic, being, "Take, I pray, thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac." If childlessness was so unendurable in old time to Abraham (Genesis 15:2), what would it be now, after so many years of enjoyment of a son, and after giving up Ishmael for his sake (Genesis 17:18)?

The land of Moriah.--Moriah may either mean Jah is teacher (see Note on Genesis 12:6), or Jah is provider. The first is supported by Isaiah 2:3, where the verb is rendered will teach; but the second agrees best with Genesis 22:8; Genesis 22:14. If this be the meaning, the name would be derived from this event, and would signify the place where "Jehovah will Himself provide the sacrifice." It has been suggested by many able commentators, that the place meant was Moreh in Sichem, and that the site of the sacrifice was, as the Samaritans affirmed, the natural altar upon the summit of Mount Gerizim. But as Abraham and Isaac reached the spot on the third day, and evidently at an early hour, Gerizim is too remote from Beer-sheba for this to be possible Even Jerusalem is distant enough, as the journey from Beer-sheba takes twenty and a half hours; and travellers in those days had to cook their own food, and prepare their own sleeping accommodation. We may notice also, that Moriah is described as "a land," in some part of which Abraham was to be shown the special mountain intended for the sacrifice; Moreh, on the contrary, was a place where Abraham had lived, and which was therefore well known to him. . . .

Verse 2. - And he said, Take now - "the נַא modifies the command, and seems to express that Elohim wished to receive the sacrifice as a free-will offering" (Lange) - thy son (not a lamb, but thy child), thine only son - not ἁγαπητὸν (LXX.), but unigenitum (Vulgate), meaning the only son of Sarah, the only legitimate offspring he possessed, the only heir of the promise, the only child that remained to him after Ishmael's departure (cf. ὁ μονογενὴς, John 1:18) - Isaac, whom thou lovest, - or, whom thou lovest, Isaac; the order and accumulation of the terms being calculated to excite the parental affection of the patriarch to the highest pitch, and to render compliance with the Divine demand a trial of the utmost severity - and get thee - literally, go for thyself (cf. Genesis 12:1; Genesis 21:16) - into the land of Moriah. Moriah - vision (Vulgate, Symmachus, Samaritan), worship (Onkelos, Jonathan), high (LXX.), rebellious (Murphy); but rather a compound of יה and מֹרִי, meaning God is my instructor, alluding to the temple from which the law should afterwards proceed (Kalisch), or, better, of יה and ראה, and signifying "the shown of Jehovah," i.e. the revelation or manifestation of Jehovah (Hengstenberg, Kurtz, Keil, &e.); or "the chosen, i.e. "pointed out of God," with reference to its selection as the site of the Divine sanctuary (Gesenius), or rather because there God provided and pointed out the sacrifice which he elected to accept (Lange). And offer him there for a burnt offering - not make a spiritual surrender of him in and through a burnt offering (Hengstenberg, Lange), but actually present him as a holocaust. That Abraham did not stagger on receiving this astounding injunction may be accounted for by remembering that the practice of offering human sacrifices prevailed among the early Chaldaeans and Canaanites, and that as yet no formal prohibition, like that of the Mosaic code, had been issued against them - upon one of the mountains - not Moreh in Sicbem (Tuch, Michaelis, Stanley, Grove, et alii), which was too distant, but Moriah at Jerusalem (Hengstenberg, Kurtz, Keil, Kalisch), where subsequently God appeared to David (2 Samuel 24:16), and the temple of Solomon was built (2 Chronicles 3:1) - which I will tell thee of - i.e. point out (probably by secret inspiration) as thou proceedest.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Take
קַח־ (qaḥ-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

your son,”
בִּנְךָ֨ (bin·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

[God] said,
וַיֹּ֡אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“your only
יְחִֽידְךָ֤ (yə·ḥî·ḏə·ḵā)
Adjective - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3173: United, sole, beloved, lonely, the life

son Isaac,
יִצְחָ֔ק (yiṣ·ḥāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah

whom
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you love,
אָהַ֙בְתָּ֙ (’ā·haḇ·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

and go
וְלֶךְ־ (wə·leḵ-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the land
אֶ֖רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Moriah.
הַמֹּרִיָּ֑ה (ham·mō·rî·yāh)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4179: Moriah -- a mountain where Isaac was to be sacrificed

Offer him
וְהַעֲלֵ֤הוּ (wə·ha·‘ă·lê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

there
שָׁם֙ (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

as a burnt offering
לְעֹלָ֔ה (lə·‘ō·lāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5930: Whole burnt offering

on
עַ֚ל (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

one
אַחַ֣ד (’a·ḥaḏ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 259: United, one, first

of the mountains
הֶֽהָרִ֔ים (he·hā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

I will show
אֹמַ֥ר (’ō·mar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

you.”
אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (’ê·le·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to


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OT Law: Genesis 22:2 He said Now take your son your (Gen. Ge Gn)
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