The Binding of Isaac’s Inner-Biblical Exegesis

Like all the great narratives of the Bible, the Akedah—the binding of Isaac—grew in several stages (see appendix for a full reconstruction).^[1] All the layers of this text, including its earliest form, contain an unusually large number of cross-references to other biblical texts, what biblical scholars call inner-biblical allusion.

“God Tested Abraham”

The narrative begins by informing the reader that what will follow is a divine test:

^{בראשית כב:א} וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם...

^{Gen 22:1} After these things God tested Abraham…

If the sentence were to follow regular biblical idiom, it would have said וינסה אלהים את אברהם.^[2] The inverted verbal clause, וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה, serves to emphasize the subject, as Timo Veijola notes: “God is to be decidedly named as the author of Abraham’s trial.”^[3] But this clause is not directly part of the action; the reader knows in advance that God is only tentatively asking for Abraham’s son but Abraham does not know it is a test.^[4]

The framing of the story with the key word נ.ס.ה/י (piʿel) “to test, to try,” helps explain the basic problem with the narrative: how could God make such a horrible request of a good person? Using “test” to explain this kind of discord is a common biblical trope:

Wilderness—Why is the deliverance from Egypt followed by lack of water and food (Exod 15:25; 16:4; Deut 8:2, 16)?

Incomplete conquest—Why did the conquest of the promised land first remain incomplete (Judg 2:22; 3:1, 4)?

False Prophets—Why does YHWH in his omnipotence allow false prophets to appear (Deut 13:4)?^[5]

Why God tests—a question on which rabbis and commentators, philosophers and theologians have cut their teeth until today—is not asked, since God's test is not the problem but the solution. Testing is a way to deal with an image of God that is at odds with actual experience, enabling us to distinguish the experienced misfortune from God’s salutary and gracious will, and to maintain faith.^[6]

The frame narrative of the Book of Job (1–2; 42:7–17), in which God allows the Satan to test Job’s righteousness by taking away his wealth, killing his children, and causing him physical pain, is directly influenced by the Akedah narrative.^[7] Indeed, the figure of Job was created in the image of Abraham,^[8] but the latter’s test is more dramatic, since the command to kill his own son is the hardest test imaginable. That said, unlike Job, whose children die as part of the test,^[9] Isaac is never actually harmed. Thus, Abraham’s exemplary righteous behavior in the face of God seemingly revoking the promise of Isaac as Abraham’s heir, demonstrates to readers that God’s faithfulness can ultimately be trusted.^[10]

“Go Forth to the Land”

God commands Abraham to take his son, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him as a sacrifice:

^{בראשית כב:א} ...וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. ^כב:ב וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה [נה"ש: המורה] וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם לְעֹלָה עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ.

^{Gen 22:1} …He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ^22:2 He said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of the Moriah [SP: Moreh], and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”

The command to “go forth to the land” serves as the counterpart of Abraham’s first encounter with God, in which he is to “go forth from the land” and migrate elsewhere.^[11] In both cases, God addresses Abraham abruptly, as it were out of the blue:

^{בראשית יב:א} וַיֹּאמֶר יְ־הוָה אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ.

^{Gen 12:1} YHWH said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

The only difference is that this time, God addresses Abraham by name, and Abraham responds with הִנֵּנִי “here I am,” so that a dialogue ensues.^[12]

The correspondence between the opening Abraham story and the Akedah is clearly purposeful since Abraham has no need to travel to a special land just to sacrifice his son. But it is more than just a literary bookending, since the command to sacrifice Isaac revokes the original promise:

^{בראשית יב:ב} וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה.

^{Gen 12:2} I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.

Moriah and the Terebinths of Moreh

The journey is to go to אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה “the land of the Moriah,” a term that calls to mind אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה “the oracular terebinth,” where Abraham entered the land for the first time:

^{בראשית יב:ו} וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה...

^{Gen 12:6} Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, at the terebinth of Moreh...

The Samaritan Pentateuch here has the word מורה Moreh instead of Moriah. Despite the obvious motivation to have this spot identified with an area near Shechem where the Samaritans locate YHWH’s holy mountain, the LXX also has the same word in both places, which it translates as “high” (ὑψηλήν) oak or country, implying that Moreh is likely the original reading.

The connection to Moreh is especially on point, given that YHWH promises Abram here that his progeny will inherit the land and Abram in response builds an altar:

^{בראשית יב:ז} וַיֵּרָא יְ־הוָה אֶל אַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַי־הוָה הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו.

^{Gen 12:7} YHWH appeared to Abram and said, “I will assign this land to your offspring.” And he built an altar there to YHWH who had appeared to him.

Now Abraham is being asked to build another altar at the same or a related place and to kill the only one through whom the promise can be fulfilled.

Since place names typically cannot take the definite article, the modified term here, הַמֹּרִיָּה “the Moriah” acts like an appellative, implying a kind of place. The word itself looks compound; the latter element is theophoric, “ya” refers to the deity. The first, mori- is often connected to the verb ראה “see/be seen,” but, as noted by Otto Kaiser, it more likely connects to the term ירא “fear,” with the whole name meaning “Fear of Yah.”^[13] Thus, Moriah is the place where Abraham is to prove his fear of God.

Mamre and Isaac

The point is brought home further by the connection between these toponyms and אֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא (elonei mamre), “the terebinths of Mamre,” where Abraham builds another altar:

^{בראשית יג:יח} וַיֶּאֱהַל אַבְרָם וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא אֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַי־הוָה.

^{Gen 13:18} And Abram moved his tent, and came to dwell at the terebinths of Mamre, which are in Hebron; and he built an altar there to YHWH.

Most importantly, it is here that YHWH will appear to Abraham together with two angelic messengers to announce the future birth of Isaac (Gen 18). The altar on Moriah thus overturns the promise at Mamre, since this same Isaac is to be killed at the same deity’s behest.

“Only Son”

The cumbersomeness of the phrase אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק “your son, your only, your beloved, Isaac” has long implied to scholars that something was redacted here. I suggest the addition was “your only son,” which reflects the incorporation of the banishment of Ishmael into the corpus. In the older version, the belovedness of Isaac explains the choice; God wants it to be as difficult as possible. Otherwise, child sacrifice would usually be connected to the eldest child:

^{שמות כב:כח} ...בְּכוֹר בָּנֶיךָ תִּתֶּן לִּי.

^{Exod 22:28} … You shall give Me the firstborn among your sons.^[14]

Setting Out on the Journey

Abraham responds without protest to fulfill God’s command:

^{בראשית כב:ג} וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת חֲמֹרוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו אִתּוֹ וְאֵת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיְבַקַּע עֲצֵי עֹלָה וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים.

^{Gen 22:3} So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his servants and his son Isaac. He cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place that God had said to him.

The common formula וַיַּשְׁכֵּם בַּבֹּקֶר (hiph͑il) “to get up in the morning”^[15] describes the initiative at the beginning of the day, emphasizing how readily he obeyed the command. In retrospect, God’s speech thus becomes a night vision. The saddling of the donkey shows Abraham’s nearly royal dignity on one hand.^[16] On the other hand, the donkey is to carry Abraham to his destination as quickly as possible.^[17] The boy must walk alongside. Thus the two reach the appointed site, which is now no longer called (as in 12:1) “land,” but (as in 12:6) “place” (הַמָּקוֹם).

Abraham sets out immediately and wordlessly, as he does when YHWH commands him to leave his home and go to a new land:

^{בראשית יב:ד} וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְ־הוָה... ^יב:ה וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו...

^{Gen 12:4} Abram went forth as YHWH had commanded him… ^{Gen 12:5} Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot…

The opening story is hopeful, as Abram takes his wife and nephew to live in a new land; the Akedah, however, is ominous, as Abraham takes his son to die in a new land.

Chopping Wood… on the Donkey?

The chopped wood here appears in an awkward spot. First Abraham saddles the donkey, then he takes the servants, then the son, and only last does he split the wood (v. 3).

^{בראשית כב:ג} וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת חֲמֹרוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו אִתּוֹ וְאֵת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיְבַקַּע עֲצֵי עֹלָה וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים.

^{Gen 22:3} So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his servants and his son Isaac. He cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place that God had said to him.

Scholars have long observed that this sequence cannot be correct. This too is a redactional insertion, preparing the reader for a large supplement to the narrative that comes later, concerning the details of proper sacrificing.

The Two Superfluous Servants—Another strange feature of the story is the presence of the two servants, who are entirely superfluous. It is especially noticeable that the servants are mentioned first, although the son is the most important person. They too seem to be a later addition to the story to serve a literary purpose (see below). That Abraham took the servants “with him” (אִתּוֹ) looks ahead to when he will leave them for a time (see below).

Arriving at the Place—God tells Abraham to go to a specific mountain that God will show him, but this never actually happens in the narrative. Instead, Abraham simply arrives at the place. This likely corresponds to the original form of the command which was simply to go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice Isaac in whatever spot he chooses. This too parallels the command to go to the land of Canaan, but where to live is never specified. The added phrase עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ “on one of the mountains that I will tell you” ties the story to a Sinaitic parallel (see below).

Seeing the Mountain from Afar

In the previous verse, we are told that Abraham had already arrived at the place; this is the simple meaning of the phrase וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל “he went to.”^[18] Now, suddenly, the place is far off:

^{בראשית כב:ד} בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק.

^{Gen 22:4} On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away.

If the meaning here is the mountain God will tell him of, how does Abraham know this is the spot? Genesis Rabbah offers a midrashic explanation:

^{בראשית רבה סו:א} וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק, מָה רָאָה רָאָה עָנָן קָשׁוּר בָּהָר, אָמַר דּוֹמֶה שֶׁאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם שֶׁאָמַר לִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַקְרִיב אֶת בְּנִי שָׁם.

^{Gen Rab 66a} “And he saw the place from afar”—What did he see? He saw a cloud bound to the mountain. He said “it seems this must be the place where the blessed Holy One told me to sacrifice my son there.”

These verses (4–5) are an addition connecting the Akedah to the revelation at Horeb/Sinai.^[19]

Three days—Abraham arrives on the third day, which also calls to mind the day of revelation:

^{שמות יט:יא} וְהָיוּ נְכֹנִים לַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי כִּי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִשִׁי יֵרֵד יְ־הוָה לְעֵינֵי כָל הָעָם עַל הַר סִינָי.

^{Exod 19:11} Let them be ready for the third day; for on the third day YHWH will come down, in the sight of all the people, on Mount Sinai.

From afar—this phrase brings to mind God’s command to Moses concerning the revelation at Horeb/Sinai:

^{שמות כד:א} וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל יְ־הוָה אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם מֵרָחֹק.

^{Exod 24:1} Then He said to Moses, “Come up to YHWH, with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel, and bow low from afar…”

Similarly, it calls to mind the experience of the Israelites at the Sinai theophany, which occurs amid thunder, lightning, the sound of horns, and smoke on the mountain, when the people flee in mortal terror:

^{שמות כ:יח} וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק.

^{Exod 20:18} All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at afar.

Moses alone is allowed to approach YHWH:

^{שמות כד:ב} וְנִגַּשׁ מֹשֶׁה לְבַדּוֹ אֶל יְ־הוָה וְהֵם לֹא יִגָּשׁוּ וְהָעָם לֹא יַעֲלוּ עִמּוֹ.

^{Exod 24:2} “…Moses alone shall come near YHWH; but the others shall not come near, nor shall the people come up with him.”

So too, Abraham tells the servants to stay away from the mountain in Moriah; only he and Isaac will go up:

^{בראשית כב:ה} וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו שְׁבוּ לָכֶם פֹּה עִם הַחֲמוֹר וַאֲנִי וְהַנַּעַר נֵלְכָה עַד כֹּה וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם.

^{Gen 22:5} Then Abraham said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham tells his servants to wait until his return, just as Moses tells the elders to wait until he returns:

^{שמות כד:יד} וְאֶל הַזְּקֵנִים אָמַר שְׁבוּ לָנוּ בָזֶה עַד אֲשֶׁר נָשׁוּב אֲלֵיכֶם...

^{Exod 24:14} To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us until we return to you…”^[20]

Given these parallels, it is likely that the two servants came into the narrative only to be left with the donkey in order to mirror the setting of the foot of Mount Sinai.^[21]

A Conversation about Sacrifice

As Abraham and Isaac go up the mountain, the verse interrupts the flow to describe the items Abraham and Isaac brought with them to perform the sacrifice: fire and knife^[22]carried by Abraham and wood by the sacrificial victim himself:

^{בראשית כב:ו}וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֲצֵי הָעֹלָה וַיָּשֶׂם עַל יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ אֶת הָאֵשׁ וְאֶת הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו.

^{Gen 22:6} Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.

In an earlier version, the words וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו “so the two of them walked on together” directly followed the instructions to the servants to stay put. The mention of fire and wood for a burnt offering is a nod to the requirements listed in Leviticus:

^{ויקרא א:ז} וְנָתְנוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן אֵשׁ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְעָרְכוּ עֵצִים עַל הָאֵשׁ.

^{Lev 1:7} The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and lay out wood upon the fire.

The inclusion of these details comes from the same redactor that added the wood in verse 3. The narrative then turns to a conversation between father and son as they walk up the mountain:

^{בראשית כב:ז} וַיֹּאמֶר יִצְחָק אֶל אַבְרָהָם אָבִיו וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֶּנִּי בְנִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה הָאֵשׁ וְהָעֵצִים וְאַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה. ^כב:ח וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו.

^{Gen 22:7} Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ^22:8 Abraham said, “God will see the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

The conversation ends with the words וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו “so the two of them walked on together,” a Wiederaufnahme or resumptive repetition to the ending of verse 5,^[23] implying that this is yet another supplement (see appendix for the full division of layers).

Abraham answers his son as he answered God: הִנֶּנִּי “Here I am.” As Friedhelm Hartenstein notes, “Typically, the subject of the reply, ‘Here I am!’ stands in a subordinate position to the addresser.”^[24] The unusual usage here is necessary in order to have this dialogue mirror the dialogues between God and Abraham with which the narrative begins (vv. 1–2) and ends (vv. 11–12).^[25]

Isaac names the objects listed earlier—the fire and the wood^[26]—and ties to them the question about the sacrificial animal. שֶׂה refers to a single animal from the flock, and is meant to call the ransom law to mind:

^{שמות יג:יג} וְכָל פֶּטֶר חֲמֹר תִּפְדֶּה בְשֶׂה וְאִם לֹא תִפְדֶּה וַעֲרַפְתּוֹ וְכֹל בְּכוֹר אָדָם בְּבָנֶיךָ תִּפְדֶּה.

^{Exod 13:13} But every firstling donkey you shall redeem with an animal from the flock; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. And you must redeem every firstborn male among your children.

In his response, Abraham emphasizes אֱלֹהִים “God” as the agent to whom he surrenders. At the same time, he uses the imperfect verb (יִרְאֶה) “he will see,”^[27] suggesting the possibility that God may see an alternative option as ransom, and Isaac will be spared.^[28] It is also a nod to the naming of the place (v. 14), and functions as a backstory, another explanation for the name: It is the place that God sees a ram instead of Isaac.

A Proper Sacrifice

The story continues with Abraham arriving at the appointed place, setting up the altar for Isaac to be sacrificed and awkwardly placing his live child atop the wood:

^{בראשית כב:ט} וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּבֶן שָׁם אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיַּעֲרֹךְ אֶת הָעֵצִים וַיַּעֲקֹד אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיָּשֶׂם אֹתוֹ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִמַּעַל לָעֵצִים.

^{Gen 22:9} and they came to the place that God had said to him. Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

This procedure means to show that Abraham fulfills the law of the burnt offering:

^{ויקרא א:ח} וְעָרְכוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֵת הַנְּתָחִים אֶת הָרֹאשׁ וְאֶת הַפָּדֶר עַל הָעֵצִים אֲשֶׁר עַל הָאֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.

^{Lev 1:8} Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall lay out the sections, with the head and the suet, on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar.

And yet, Abraham cannot actually follow the procedure exactly, since that would require him to first slaughter Isaac, dismember him, and put the pieces on top of an already lit fire. Since he is not going to slaughter Isaac, the redactor was again limited in where he could place these details. Instead, Abraham binds him, from the root ע.ק.ד, used only here, which is the origin of the story’s name: the Akedah.

The Angel Stops Abraham

Then Abraham turns to slaughter his son:

^{בראשית כב:י} וַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְרָהָם אֶת יָדוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת לִשְׁחֹט אֶת בְּנוֹ.

^{Gen 22:10} Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.

The gesture of Abraham reaching out his hand makes vivid that he is really setting out to fulfill God’s demand. The terrible nature of his action is packed into the simple final clause: לִשְׁחֹט אֶת־בְּנוֹ “to slaughter his son.” The name Isaac is missing. The stab goes into Abraham’s own heart.

At the point where Isaac should be killed, an angel of YHWH stops Abraham from carrying through with the command:

^{בראשית כב:יא} וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ יְ־הוָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. ^כב:יבוַיֹּאמֶר אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ אֶל הַנַּעַר וְאַל תַּעַשׂ לוֹ מְאוּמָּה כִּי עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה וְלֹא חָשַׂכְתָּ אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ מִמֶּנִּי.

^{Gen 22:11} But the angel of YHWH called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ^22:12 He said, “Do not 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.”

Here a new actor enters the stage: the angel of YHWH. The narrator could have—indeed should have—allowed God (הָאֱלֹהִים) to speak again, as Hermann Gunkel wrote: “Since God himself gave the command, he must also rescind it himself.”^[29] The reason for the angel is intertextual: the narrator is re-enacting another incident: the revelation at the burning bush in which the angel of YHWH makes a spectacle to catch Moses’ attention and then God tells Moses not to approach:

^{שמות ג:ב} וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ יְ־הֹוָה אֵלָיו בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה הַסְּנֶה בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ וְהַסְּנֶה אֵינֶנּוּ אֻכָּל. ^ג:ג וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אָסֻרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת הַמַּרְאֶה הַגָּדֹל הַזֶּה מַדּוּעַ לֹא יִבְעַר הַסְּנֶה. ^ג:ד וַיַּרְא יְ־הוָה כִּי סָר לִרְאוֹת וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. ^ג:ה וַיֹּאמֶר אַל תִּקְרַב הֲלֹם...

^{Exod 3:2} The angel of YHWH appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. ^3:3 Then Moses said, I must turn aside and look at this great sight, why the bush is not burning. ^3:4 When YHWH saw that he had turned aside to see, God^[30] called to him out of the bush, saying, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” ^3:5 He said, “Do not come closer!”… ^[31]

The similarity between this scene and the Akedah is not coincidental. The angel speaks “from heaven,” replacing “out of the midst of the bush,” and in both cases, the message is to stop the protagonist from doing something that the deity explicitly or by implication wanted him to do, i.e., for Moses to approach the burning bush and for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

The connection to the burning bush reminds the reader of how God fulfills the promise to the ancestors in the exodus account, presaging the full fulfillment of the divine promise. It thereby resolves the narrative’s underlying problem that God seems to be cancelling the promise of progeny to Abraham.^[32]

The angel states the result of the test: “Now I know that you fear God.” The formulation as a participial clause יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה is a general claim, going beyond the individual act; it describes Abraham as a man whose whole existence is determined by obedience to the will of God.

The Ram in the Thicket

The story cannot end with the saving of Isaac, since the demand for a sacrifice remains. Thus, the narrative moves to a solution to the problem of what the sacrifice will really be:

^{בראשית כב:יג} וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה אַיִל (אַחַר) [נה"ש ותה"ש וכו' אחד] נֶאֱחַז בַּסְּבַךְ בְּקַרְנָיו וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאַיִל וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ לְעֹלָה תַּחַת בְּנוֹ.

^{Gen 22:13} And Abraham looked up and saw (behind him) a [SP, LXX, etc.: single] ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

Abraham discovers the ram when “he lifted up his eyes and saw and behold…”^[33] The correct reading אֶחָד “one, single” is well attested by the text of the Samaritans, by most ancient translations, including the LXX and the Peshitta, and even by a borrowing in one of Daniel’s visions:

^{דניאל ח:ג} וָאֶשָּׂא עֵינַי וָאֶרְאֶה וְהִנֵּה אַיִל אֶחָד עֹמֵד לִפְנֵי הָאֻבָל...

^{Dan 8:3} I looked up and saw a single ram standing beside the gate (or “river”).

It is puzzling at first glance, which is why MT, other Hebrew manuscripts, and the Vulgate read אַחַר “behind.” But this “one” connects to the enumeration of sacrificial animals. The point is that the term is superfluous—hence the correction of the MT scribes—as אַיִל on its own, meaning “a ram,” would be sufficient. The word אֶחָד is included specifically so that readers will think of sacrifice lists, which consistently make use of the numeral.

Some occasions require the burnt offering of a single ram, among other sacrifices, including prominently the provision for ordination to the priesthood, which uses two different rams, each with its own ceremony (Exod 29:15, 19). Closest to the Akedah passage, however, is the provision for the great Day of Atonement, on which two he-goats are to be offered as sin offerings and a single ram as a burnt offering (וְאַיִל אֶחָד לְעֹלָה, Lev 16:5).

The correspondence is undoubtedly intentional.^[34] As Otto Kaiser observed: “Thus the patriarch acts, as it were, like a priest who atones with his sacrifice for his son and thus for the future people of Israel before God.”^[35]

“YHWH Will See”

The substitution of a ram for Isaac was the original ending of the story. The next verse supplements this sacrifice with an etiology for the place, ostensibly to explain the origin of its name:

^{בראשית כב:יד} וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא יְ־הוָה יִרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר הַיּוֹם בְּהַר יְ־הוָה יֵרָאֶה.

^{Gen 22:14} So Abraham called that place “YHWH will see”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of YHWH shall be seen.”^[36]

The naming uses the same scheme as for Bethel (Gen 28:19) and Mahanaim (Gen 32:3). There, however, the etymological etiology emerges from a core motif in the narrative that is built around trying to explain the origins of a well-known toponym. Here, however, “YHWH will see” is not an independent place name as such,^[37] but an interpretation of the event and built upon what Abraham says to Isaac earlier (v. 8): אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי “God will see the lamb for the offering, my son.”^[38]

The identification of this toponym develops in stages:

Land of the Moriah/Moreh (אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה/המורה)—In the original narrative, the Akedah takes place in an unspecified location in the land of the Moriah/Moreh, where Abraham must go, as a parallel to Abraham entering the land of Canaan.

Mountain of God (הַר הָאֱלֹהִים)—Later editors connected the Akedah to the Sinai theophany, because of the appearance of the angel like at the burning bush, and imply that this is the mountain where Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac took place.

Temple Mount in Jerusalem—In the Book of Chronicles, Mount Moriah is identified as the Temple Mount:

^{דברי הימים ב ג:א} וַיָּחֶל שְׁלֹמֹה לִבְנוֹת אֶת בֵּית יְ־הוָה בִּירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם בְּהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה אֲשֶׁר נִרְאָה לְדָוִיד אָבִיהוּ אֲשֶׁר הֵכִין בִּמְקוֹם דָּוִיד בְּגֹרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבוּסִי.

^{2 Chron 3:1} Then Solomon began to build the House of YHWH in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [YHWH] had appeared to his father David, at the place which David had designated, at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ^[39]

Later Jewish tradition takes Mount Moriah as the Temple Mount for granted.^[40]

The Angel’s Second Speech

The angel of YHWH then addresses Abraham again:

^{בראשית כב:טו} וַיִּקְרָא מַלְאַךְ יְ־הוָה אֶל אַבְרָהָם שֵׁנִית מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם. ^כב:טז וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם יְ־הוָה...

^{Gen 22:15} The angel of YHWH called to Abraham a second time from heaven, ^22:16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, says YHWH:

And yet, it is actually not the angel who is speaking, but God, as is clear from the introductory oath formula, where YHWH is swearing by himself. In the prophets, this formula generally introduces an oath of vengeance.^[41] Here, however, it introduces YHWH noting Abraham’s positive action as the reason for repeating and reaffirming the promises of progeny and blessing in Genesis 12 and 15.^[42]

^{בראשית כב:טז} ...כִּי יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְלֹא חָשַׂכְתָּ אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידֶךָ. ^כב:יז כִּי בָרֵךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת זַרְעֲךָ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכַחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם וְיִרַשׁ זַרְעֲךָ אֵת שַׁעַר אֹיְבָיו. ^כב:יח וְהִתְבָּרֲכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלִי.

^{Gen 22:16} “…Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, ^22:17 I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, ^22:18 and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth wish to be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

The use of the oath formula to introduce this divine promise is surprising until we note the parallel passage in Jeremiah, which exhorts the Judahites and their king and the people of Judah to behave righteously:

^{ירמיה כב:ג} כֹּה אָמַר יְ־הוָה עֲשׂוּ מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה וְהַצִּילוּ גָזוּל מִיַּד עָשׁוֹק וְגֵר יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה אַל תֹּנוּ אַל תַּחְמֹסוּ וְדָם נָקִי אַל תִּשְׁפְּכוּ בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה.

^{Jer 22:3} Thus says YHWH: Act with justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

Jeremiah continues by saying that if they keep to these rules, then the Davidic kings will remain as rulers in Jerusalem, but if they violate them, YHWH swears the Temple will be destroyed:

^{ירמיה כב:ד} כִּי אִם עָשׂוֹ תַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וּבָאוּ בְשַׁעֲרֵי הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה מְלָכִים יֹשְׁבִים לְדָוִד עַל כִּסְאוֹ רֹכְבִים בָּרֶכֶב וּבַסּוּסִים הוּא (ועבדו) [וַעֲבָדָיו] וְעַמּוֹ. ^כב:ה וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם יְ־הוָה כִּי לְחָרְבָּה יִהְיֶה הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה.

^{Jer 22:4} For if you will indeed obey this word, then through the gates of this house shall enter kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their servants, and their people. ^22:5 But if you will not heed these words, I swear by myself, says YHWH, that this house shall become a desolation.^[43]

In the Akedah speech, not only the oath formula, but also the reason given for the oath—“because you have done this”—is consistent with Jeremiah. As Jeremiah is speaking to the Davidic king, the angel’s promise here serves as a prequel: David’s kingship is in part a reward for Abraham’s obedience.

The scribe chose the Jeremiah passage out of the many promises to be found in the Prophets is the exhortation וְדָם נָקִי אַל תִּשְׁפְּכוּ בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה “do not shed innocent blood in this place,” since Abraham fulfilled this by staying his hand and not slaughtering Isaac.

In other words, the author of the supplement inverts the meaning of the story: Abraham is rewarded not because he was willing to sacrifice his son, but because he did not and obeyed God’s command not to shed blood “in this place.”

Returning Home

The story ends with Abraham—and Isaac, though he isn’t mentioned^[44]—returning to the two servants waiting for him, and they go together to his home in Beersheba.

^{בראשית כב:יט} וַיָּשָׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו וַיָּקֻמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ יַחְדָּו אֶל בְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּשֶׁב אַבְרָהָם בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע.

^{Gen 22:19} Abraham then returned to his servants, and they departed together for Beersheba; and Abraham settled in Beersheba.

The reference to the city feels superfluous, given that it was not mentioned in the opening. The mention of this place is part of the same layer that introduced the servants in the first place—it is attempting to integrate the Akedah story better into the geographical space and time of the Abraham cycle as a whole.

The previous story, about Abraham’s covenant with Abimelech, king of Gerar, concludes with Abraham in Beersheba (Gen 21:33–34).^[45] The final phrase, “and Abraham settled in Beersheba” is either a resumptive repetition, or perhaps the original conclusion of this previous story, with the binding of Isaac, as in interruption, disturbing the sequence.

Appendix

The Core Akedah Story

^{בראשית כב:א} וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. ^כב:ב וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ /// אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם לְעֹלָה /// ^כב:ג וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת חֲמֹרוֹ וַיִּקַּח /// אֵת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ /// וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים. ^כב:ט וַיִּבֶן שָׁם אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ /// ^כב:יוַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְרָהָם אֶת יָדוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת לִשְׁחֹט אֶת בְּנוֹ. ^כב:יאוַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ יְ־הוָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. ^כב:יבוַיֹּאמֶר אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ אֶל הַנַּעַר וְאַל תַּעַשׂ לוֹ מְאוּמָּה כִּי עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה /// ^כב:יג וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה אַיִל אַחַר נֶאֱחַז בַּסְּבַךְ בְּקַרְנָיו וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאַיִל וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ לְעֹלָה תַּחַת בְּנוֹ.///

^{Gen 22:1} After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ^22:2 He said, “Take your son /// Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering /// ^22:3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took /// his son Isaac /// and set out and went to the place that God had said to him. ^22:9 Abraham built an altar there /// ^22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. ^22:11 But the angel of YHWH called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ^22:12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God. /// ^22:13 And Abraham looked up and saw ‘a single’ ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ///

The Layers of the Akedah Story

The Akedah story has six layers:

1. Black text—God tests Abraham’s faith by telling him to sacrifice his son somewhere in Moriah. Abraham passes and God’s angel stops him from killing Isaac, after which Abraham offers a flock animal in place of his son.
2. Blue text—Adding the Horeb/Sinai theme, including the two servants who accompany Abraham, to identify the mountain in Moriah with Horeb/Sinai.
3. Orange text—Sacrificial edit, adding the wood and fire.
4. Gray Background—Etiological naming additions.
5. Green background—Angel’s second speech, making Abraham’s righteousness that he didn’t kill Isaac, and reiterating the old promises.
6. Red text—Only-child and loyalty-emphasis edit.

^{בראשית כב:א} וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהָאֱלֹהִים נִסָּה אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. ^כב:ב וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ

^{Gen 22:1} After these things (←V. 20) God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ^22:2 He said, “Take your son,

אֶת יְחִידְךָ

your only son

אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם לְעֹלָה

Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land (←12:1) of Moriah, (←12:6) and offer him there as a burnt offering

עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ.

on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” (←V. 3)

^כב:ג וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת חֲמֹרוֹ וַיִּקַּח

^22:3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took (←12:5)

אֶת שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו אִתּוֹ וְ

two of his servants and

אֵת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ

his son Isaac

וַיְבַקַּע עֲצֵי עֹלָה

he cut the wood for the burnt offering, (←Lev 1:7)

וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים.

and set out and went (←12:4) to the place (←12:6) that God had said to him.

^כב:דבַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק. ^כב:הוַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו שְׁבוּ לָכֶם פֹּה עִם הַחֲמוֹר וַאֲנִי וְהַנַּעַר נֵלְכָה עַד כֹּה וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם.

^22:4 On the third day (←Exod 19:16) Abraham looked up and saw (←V. 13) the place (←V. 3) far away. (←Exod 24:1) ^22:5 Then Abraham said to his servants, “Stay here (←Exod 24:14) with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” (←Exod 24:14)

^כב:ו וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֲצֵי הָעֹלָה וַיָּשֶׂם עַל יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ אֶת הָאֵשׁ וְאֶת הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת

^22:6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire (←Lev 1:7) and the knife. (←V. 10)

וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו.

So the two of them walked on together.

^כב:זוַיֹּאמֶר יִצְחָק אֶל אַבְרָהָם אָבִיו וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֶּנִּי בְנִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה הָאֵשׁ וְהָעֵצִים וְאַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה. ^כב:חוַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לּוֹ הַשֶּׂה לְעֹלָה בְּנִי וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחְדָּו.

^22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, (←V. 1) my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, (←V. 6) but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ^22:8 Abraham said, “God himself will see the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. (←V. 6)

^כב:ט וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים

^22:9 and came to the place that God had said to him, (←V. 3)

וַיִּבֶן שָׁם אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ

Abraham built an altar there (←12,7)

וַיַּעֲרֹךְ אֶת הָעֵצִים וַיַּעֲקֹד אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיָּשֶׂם אֹתוֹ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִמַּעַל לָעֵצִים.

and laid the wood in order. (←Lev 1,7) He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. (←Lev 1,8) ^22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand (←V. 12)

^כב:יוַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְרָהָם אֶת יָדוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת לִשְׁחֹט אֶת בְּנוֹ. ^כב:יאוַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ יְ־הוָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. ^כב:יבוַיֹּאמֶר אַל תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ אֶל הַנַּעַר וְאַל תַּעַשׂ לוֹ מְאוּמָּה כִּי עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה

and took the knife to kill his son. ^22:11 But the angel of YHWH (←Exod 3:2) called to him (←Exod 3:4) from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” (←Exod 3:4) ^22:12 He said, “Do not (←Exod 3:5) lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God,

וְלֹא חָשַׂכְתָּ אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ מִמֶּנִּי.

since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

^כב:יג וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה אַיִל אַחַר נֶאֱחַז בַּסְּבַךְ בְּקַרְנָיו וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאַיִל וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ לְעֹלָה תַּחַת בְּנוֹ.

^22:13 And Abraham looked up and saw ‘a single’ ram, (←Lev 16:5) caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

^כב:יד וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָהָם שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא יְ־הוָה יִרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר הַיּוֹם בְּהַר יְ־הוָה יֵרָאֶה.

^22:14 So Abraham called that place “YHWH will see”; (←16:13) [as it is said to this day, “On the mount of YHWH shall be seen.”]

^כב:טו וַיִּקְרָא מַלְאַךְ יְ־הוָה אֶל אַבְרָהָם שֵׁנִית מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם.^כב:טז וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם יְ־הוָה כִּי יַעַן אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה

^22:15 The angel of YHWH called to Abraham a second time from heaven, ^22:16 and said, (←V. 11) “By myself I have sworn, says YHWH: (←Jer 22:5) Because you have done this, (←Jer 22,4)

וְלֹא חָשַׂכְתָּ אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידֶךָ.

and have not withheld your son, your only son,

^כב:יז כִּי בָרֵךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת זַרְעֲךָ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכַחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם וְיִרַשׁ זַרְעֲךָ אֵת שַׁעַר אֹיְבָיו. ^כב:יח וְהִתְבָּרֲכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ

^22:17 I will indeed bless you, (←12:2) and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven (←15:5) and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, (←24,60) ^22:18 and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth wish to be blessed, (←12:3)

עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלִי.

because you have obeyed my voice."

^כב:יט וַיָּשָׁב אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו וַיָּקֻמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ יַחְדָּו אֶל בְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּשֶׁב אַבְרָהָם בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע.

^22:19 So Abraham returned to his servants, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham settled in Beersheba.(←V. 19b)