answered: “What wilt thou, son?” “Behold”, said the son, “fire and wood: where is the victim[1] for the holocaust?” Abraham replied: “God will provide Himself a victim for the holocaust, my son.” So they went on together.
When they reached the top of the mountain, Abraham erected an altar, placed the wood upon it, bound his son, and laid him on the altar. Then he put forth his hand and took the sword to sacrifice his son. And behold! an angel from heaven cried out to him, saying: “Abraham, Abraham!” And he answered: “Here I am.” And the angel said: “Lay not thy hand on the boy, neither do thou anything to him! Now I know that thou fearest God, and hast not spared thy only-begotten son for My sake.” Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw behind him a ram[2], sticking fast by his horns in the bushes; him he took and offered, instead of his son. The angel of the Lord spoke again unto Abraham, saying: “By My own self[3] have I sworn, saith the Lord; because thou hast done this thing[4], and hast not spared thy only-begotten son for My sake, I will bless thee, and will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the sea-shore. And in thy seed[5] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed[6] My voice.” And Abraham returned home with his son.
COMMENTARY.
Strength of faith. Abraham’s faith was put to a most severe test. Almighty God had promised him a numerous posterity, and that in his seed all the nations, of the earth should be blessed; and yet now He
- ↑ Where is the victim? How the father’s heart must have bled at these questions of his son ! And what must Isaac have felt, when his father told him that he himself was to be the victim! He was so young, and now he was to die by the hand of his own father! Nevertheless, he submitted to God’s will, when he learnt that it was He who had commanded it.
- ↑ Ram. i.e. a male sheep. Abraham saw that it was by the will of God that the ram was on that spot; so he took him and sacrificed him, instead of his son.
- ↑ By My own self. God, being the Most High, can swear by nothing higher than Himself.
- ↑ This thing, i.e. because thou hast obeyed the command of God, and wert willing to offer up thy son.
- ↑ In thy seed. i.e. in Jesus Christ, who is the son of Abraham (Matthew I, i).
- ↑ Because thou hast obeyed. As a reward for his obedience God now solemnly repeats the same promise which He had made when He first called Abraham, that is, the promise of a numerous posterity, and that the Saviour should be born of his family.
