Genesis 22:2
What does Genesis 22:2 mean?
A plain-English look at Genesis 22:2 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Genesis 22:2 means
God's command to Abraham is stark and deeply challenging: he is to offer Isaac, his only son by Sarah, the son he loves and the promised heir, as a burnt offering. The specificity of the command—"thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac"—emphasizes the immense personal cost. The destination, "the land of Moriah," and the instruction to offer Isaac on “one of the mountains” God would reveal, underscore the divine origin and deliberate nature of this sacrificial act. This command directly threatened the very covenant promises God had made to Abraham regarding his descendants.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And 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.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And 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.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And he said to him, Take your son, your dearly loved only son Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and give him as a burned offering on one of the mountains of which I will give you knowledge.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And 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.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752He 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 an holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will shew thee.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son], whom thou lovest, Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and there offer him up for a burnt-offering on one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
Context
Building directly on the opening verse, this instruction lays out the horrific specifics of Abraham's test. It immediately follows God's call and Abraham's willing response, introducing the nearly unbearable demand upon Abraham's faith. This command initiates the journey and the subsequent narrative tension, making the nature of Abraham's obedience acutely clear and setting the stage for the dramatic events to follow.
v.1And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I.
v.2This passage
v.3And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Genesis 22:12
And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.
- Hebrews 11:17
By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
- Genesis 22:16
and said, By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,
- 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 wrath against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
- Genesis 17:19
And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.
- 1 John 4:9
Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.
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