A thoughtful guide for your walk of faith Read with context, practice with grace.
Pentateuch · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Genesis 22

Beginnings, creation, human rebellion, covenant, and the family of Abraham.

Old Testament

Genesis 22

1After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”

2He 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.”

3Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey; and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him.

4On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off.

5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come back to you.”

6Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together.

7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together.

9They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood.

10Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.

11The LORD’s angel called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”

12He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

13Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

14Abraham called the name of that place “The LORD Will Provide”. As it is said to this day, “On the LORD’s mountain, it will be provided.”

15The LORD’s angel called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,

16and said, “‘I have sworn by myself,’ says the LORD, ‘because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,

17that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies.

18All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice.’”

19So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.

20After these things, Abraham was told, “Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor:

21Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,

22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”

23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

24His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Beginnings, creation, human rebellion, covenant, and the family of Abraham. Read Genesis 22 within the complete Genesis overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Genesis 22

Genesis 22 contains 24 verses and about 550 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 24 closes: “His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include abraham, will, burnt, offering, here, isaac. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Genesis 22

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Genesis 22:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer