Genesis 22: The Test
Background and Text: Genesis 22:1-19
Genesis 22:1 And he was after these things. And the Elohim (the Gods) tested [singular] Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham). And He said unto him, “Avraham!” And he said, “Behold, I am!” 2And He said, “Take, na, thy son, thine only that thou loved, He-Will-Laugh (Isaac). And walk. Walk unto Land of the Bitterness-of-Yehovah (Moriah). And ascend him there for an ascension upon one of the mountains that I will say unto thee.”
3And Avraham early-rose in the morning. And he bound his ass. And he took two of his youths with him, and Isaac his son. And he cleaved trees of ascension. And he stood. And he walked unto the place that the Gods said [singular] to him.
4In the third day, and Avraham lifted his eyes. And he saw the place from a distance. 5And Avraham said unto his youths, “Sit to you here with the ass. And the youth and I will walk unto so. And we have worshipped. And we have returned unto you.” 6And Avraham took trees of the ascension. And he put upon Isaac his son. And he took the fire and the meat-cleaver in his hand. And both of them walked together.
7And Isaac said unto Avraham his papa, and he said, “My Papa!” And he said, “Behold, I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold the fire and the trees! And where is the lamb for ascension?” 8And Avraham said, “Elohim will see to Himself the lamb for ascension, my son.” And both of them walked together.
9And they came unto the place that the Gods said to him. And Avraham built the altar there. And he ordered the trees. And he bound Isaac his son. And he put him upon the altar from above to the trees. 10And Avraham sent his hand. And he took the meat-cleaver to slaughter his son.
11And Messenger Yehovah called unto him from the heavens. And He said, “Avraham! Avraham!” And he said, “Behold, I am.” 12And He said, “Do not send thy hand unto the youth! And do not do to him a blemish! For now I knew that thou art a fearer of Elohim! And thou did not spare thy son thine only from me.”
13And Avraham lifted his eyes. And he saw. And behold, another ram is caught in a thicket via his horns. And Avraham walked. And he took the ram. And he ascended him for an ascension under his son.
14And Avraham called the name of that place ‘Yehovah-Will-See,’ which he will say today, “Yehovah will see in the mountain!”
15And Messenger Yehovah called unto Avraham a second-time from the heavens. 16And He said, “Via me I swore,” Yehovah declared, “that because thou did this saying, and thou did not spare thy son thine only, 17that blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens and as sand that is upon the lip of the sea! And thy Seed will inherit the gate of His enemies! 18And all races of the land will bless-themselves via thy Seed [on the] heel-that thou hearkened into my voice!”
19And Avraham returned unto his youths. And they stood. And they walked together unto Well-Of-Oath. And Avraham dwelt in Well-Of-Oath.
20And he was after these things. And He told to Avraham to say, “Behold, Queen childed—also he—sons to Snorer thy brother, 21Counsel his firstborn and Contempt his brother and They-Stood-A-Mighty-One the father of I-Will-Elevate 22and As-Violence/Devil and His-Vision and Distinction-Of-Fertility and He-Will-Drip and They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One. 23And They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One childed Multiplied-Decanting. Queen childed these eight to Snorer brother of Avraham, 24and his concubine—and her name is They-Saw-What? And she childed—also he—He-Slaughtered and He-Burned and Thou-Wilt-Hush and Thy-Belly.
I. The Startling Command (verses 1-2)
The Bible declares that the Elohim (the Gods) tested Avraham. It does not give the purpose for the test in this section, but it does show that He does such things.
Avraham finally had a son of the promise. He loved his son, as Elohim attested (Elohim was a witness to this and said so). He now told him to take his son whom he loved, and go to the land of Moriah.
Elohim referred to Isaac as “thy son, thine only” as if Ishmael did not exist.
He told him to walk, then to ‘ascend’ his son for ascension in the same way that one would do an animal. Elohim would tell him upon which mountain to do this.
Questions
1. Does God test everyone?
2. Why did Elohim test him in this way?
3. Why does the Hebrew Bible use Elohim (meaning Gods instead of God)?
4. Why does the Hebrew Bible use ‘the Elohim’?
5. What does the Hebrew word na mean (verse 2)?
6. Why does Elohim refer to Isaac as Avraham’s only son when Avraham also had Ishmael?
7. What does “thy son, thine only that thou loved” mean?
8. Why is loved in the past tense?
9. Why must Avraham walk? Couldn’t he ride animals?
10. What was the name of the mountain where this event would take place?
11. What does “ascend him there” mean?
12. Did Elohim command Avraham to kill his son?
13. Did Elohim do right by commanding this?
II. Avraham’s Quick Response (verse 3)
Avraham rose early in the morning. He loaded the ass with the saddle and with provisions. Two youths and Isaac accompanied him.
Avraham split the wood for the sacrifice. He then stood up and went with the three unto the place Elohim told him.
Questions
1. Why did Avraham rise early in the morning?
2. Why didn’t Avraham ask another slave (perhaps a much younger man) to split the logs for him?
3. Why did Avraham take the other two youths?
4. How did Avraham know the right place to go?
5. Did Isaac wonder where they were going, and why?
III. The Fire and the Meat Cleaver (verses 4-6)
The journey took several days. Avraham saw the destination on the third day, still a distance away.
He told the two youths to stay with the ass while Isaac and he would go the rest of the way.
Avraham gave the reason for the journey: Isaac and he were going to worship, and both would return to the youths.
He loaded the trees for the ascension upon Isaac. Avraham took burning wood to light the fire, and a meat cleaver. They both walked together.
Questions
1. Did Avraham lie when he said, “I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you”?
2. Could the youths see Avraham and Isaac while they finished their journey?
3. Why didn’t the youths ask him where he was going?
4. What does so mean in “The youth and I will walk unto so”?
5. Why did Avraham say, “We have worshipped” rather than “We will worship”?
6. What does worship mean?
7. What are trees of the ascension?
8. Why did Avraham place the wood on Isaac instead of carrying it himself?
9. In what form was the fire that Avraham took?
10. What was the purpose of the meat cleaver?
11. Isn’t this a gruesome scene?
IV. The Question (verses 7-8)
Isaac became curious at this point. Sacrifices require sacrificial animals. They had brought none with them. Isaac said, “My Papa!” Avraham replied, “Behold, I am, my son.” Isaac observed, “Behold the fire and the trees! And where is the lamb for ascension?” Avraham told him, “Elohim will see to Himself the lamb for ascension, my son.” That must have satisfied Isaac; they both walked onward together.
Questions
1. What did Avraham mean by the reply, “Elohim will see to Himself the lamb for ascension”?
2. Why didn’t Avraham tell Isaac what he was about to do to him?
3. Did Avraham love Isaac?
V. The Grim Task (verses 9-10)
They finally arrived. Avraham built the altar. He ordered the trees—he set them in order so that they would burn just right. Then he tied up Isaac! He placed him upon the altar—upon the firewood trees!
Avraham then sent his hand… He took the meat cleaver to slaughter his son!
Questions
1. Why did Isaac submit to being tied?
2. Did Avraham gag his son?
3. Why did he tie him in the first place?
4. Had Avraham slaughtered his son in this way, would not this have been a heinous (enormously and shockingly evil) crime? Would it not have been wrong and sinful?
5. How would you feel about someone coming at you with a meat cleaver when you are tied up?
VI. The Results of the Test (verses 11-12)
Messenger Yehovah (also known as the Angel Yehovah) called Avraham’s name twice: “Avraham! Avraham!” Avraham responded, “Behold, I am!” This Messenger Yehovah commanded him to not send his hand unto the youth. He also commanded him to not do to him a blemish!
This Messenger said, “For now I knew that thou art a fearer of Elohim! And thou did not spare thy son thine only from me.”
Questions
1. Why did Messenger Yehovah call Avraham’s name twice?
2. Why did the messenger tell him to stop after Elohim had told him to do this?
3. Didn’t Messenger Yehovah already know that Avraham was a fearer of Elohim?
4. Who is Messenger Yehovah, and how could a reader know this?
5. Would Avraham have killed Isaac?
VII. The Exchange (verse 13)
Avraham lifted his eyes. A ram was caught in a thicket by his horns. He was not damaged, but was stuck. Avraham walked to the ram, took it, and exchanged the animal and his son. He then ascended the animal on the altar.
Questions
1. Why did Avraham offer the caught ram (instead of letting it go, or instead of eating it)?
2. Why did Yehovah provide a ram instead of a lamb?
3. Explain under his son in “he ascended him for an ascension under his son”:
4. The text stated, “And behold, another ram is caught in a thicket via his horns.” Explain why the text states, “another”:
VIII. The Naming of the Place (verse 14)
It was Avraham who had said before that Yehovah will see to Himself the lamb for ascension. The animal caught was a ram, not a lamb.
Avraham now called that location Yehovah-Will-See. Yehovah will see in the mountain.
Questions
1. What was significant about the animal being a ram rather than a lamb?
2. This verse states, “Yehovah will see.” What will He see?
3. In what mountain will Yehovah see this Lamb?
IX. The Results of Obedience (verses 15-18)
Messenger Yehovah called a second time to Avraham from the heavens. He swore (vowed) via Himself.
Avraham had done two noble acts: He had
- done the saying of Messenger Yehovah
- not spared his son, his only.
Yehovah vowed to do the following:
- He will bless Avraham.
- He will multiply his seed as stars of the heavens and as sand that is upon the lip of the sea.
He also stated two results of these things:
- His Seed will inherit the gate of His enemies.
- All races of the land will bless themselves via His Seed.
All this was because Avraham had hearkened into His voice.
Questions
1. Why did Messenger Yehovah vow?
2. Why did Messenger Yehovah vow via Himself?
3. Do the stars of the heavens multiply?
4. Does the sand of the sea multiply?
5. Verse 17 states, “thy Seed will inherit the gate of His enemies.” Identify this Seed:
5. When will this Seed inherit the gate of His enemies, and why would the Seed want a gate?
6. Identify “all races of the land”:
7. What does “will bless themselves via thy Seed” mean?
8. Why will such good things occur, according to this text?
X. The Return (verse 19)
Avraham and Isaac returned back to the waiting youths. They all walked together unto Well-Of-Oath, Beersheba. Avraham dwelt there.
Questions
1. Perhaps now you can answer the question why Avraham took the youths with Isaac and him:
2. The text states that “they stood.” Who stood?
3. What was the topic of conversation as they walked to Beersheba?
4. Did Avraham like Beersheba?
XI. Names (verses 20-24)
Avraham had a brother named Nahor (which means snorer). His wife was Milcah, meaning Queen. Someone (identified only as he) told Avraham that Milcah had birthed sons, so that Nahor and Milcah now had children.
I have provided meanings for the names of the children. I can be certain of the meanings of some of the names, and I am less certain of the meanings of other names because I have very little information upon which to determine their meanings. Please know this as you read the meanings that I have proposed.
|
English Name |
Proposed Meaning |
|
| Huz | Counsel | |
| Buz | Contempt | |
| Kemuel | They-Stood-A-Mighty-One | |
| Aram | I-Will-elevate | |
| Chesed | As-Violence/Devil | |
| Hazo | His-Vision | |
| Pildash | Distinction-Of-Fertility | |
| Jidlaph | He-Will-Drip | |
| Bethuel | They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One | |
| Rebekah | Multiplied-Decanting | |
| Reumah | They-Saw-What? | |
| Tebah | He-Slaughtered | |
| Gaham | He-Burned | |
| Thahash | Thou-Wilt-Hush | |
| Maacah | Thy-Belly |
Questions
1. Why did folks name their children with such weird names?
2. Why would a parent name a baby Snorer?
3. What does decant mean?
4. What is a concubine?
5. How is Rebekah’s name prophetic?