Binding of Isaac (Akedah)
Overview
- Testament: Old
- Book: Genesis 22
- Summary: God tests Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah. Abraham obeys, but God provides a ram instead.
Details
This is the ultimate test of faith. After 25 years of waiting for Isaac, God now asks Abraham to sacrifice him. Abraham rose early, journeyed three days, and without hesitation prepared to kill his son, trusting God could even raise the dead (Hebrews 11:19).
At the moment Abraham raised the knife, an angel stopped him. A ram caught in a thicket provided the sacrifice. God reaffirmed His covenant, swearing by Himself since there was no one greater.
Mount Moriah is traditionally identified with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem — where Solomon would later build the Temple.
Key People Involved
Key Places
- Mount Moriah — Site of the test
Important Verses
- “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.” — Genesis 22:2
- “And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.” — Genesis 22:14
Cross-References
- John 3:16 — Parallel: “only begotten Son”
- Romans 8:32 — “He spared not his own Son”
- Hebrews 11:17-19 — Abraham’s faith
- Genesis 22:14 — Jehovah-jireh (LORD will provide)