And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

GENESIS 22:9KJV
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Genesis 22:9 (KJV)

What does Genesis 22:9 mean?

Genesis 22:9 describes Abraham arriving at the specific place God had shown him, building an altar there, arranging the wood, binding his son Isaac, and placing him on the altar on top of the wood. This verse shows Abraham carefully following God’s instructions, even to the point of preparing to sacrifice his own son.

In this scene, Abraham and Isaac have traveled together to a mountain God identified earlier. The verse focuses on Abraham’s actions: he constructs the altar, organizes the wood, and binds Isaac, showing deliberate obedience. The narrative is quiet and tense, highlighting the gravity of Abraham’s faith and the seriousness of the test God has set before him.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 22:9

  • "altar" (מִזְבֵּחַ, mizbeach): This word refers to a structure for offering sacrifices. Its use here emphasizes that Abraham is preparing for a formal act of worship, not just any kind of ritual.
  • "bound" (עָקַד, aqad): The verb for binding is unusual in the Hebrew Bible and is closely tied to this story, underscoring the specific and careful way Abraham ties Isaac, which later Jewish tradition remembers as "the binding of Isaac."
  • "laid in order" (עָרַךְ, arakh): This word means to arrange or set in order, showing that Abraham is methodical and intentional in his preparations, not acting in haste or confusion.

Why Genesis 22:9 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Abraham is not acting impulsively; he is following each step as God directed, which highlights his obedience and trust.
  • The specific mention of building the altar and binding Isaac shows the seriousness and reality of the test, making the story more vivid and personal.
  • Genesis 22:9 connects to the larger narrative of faith and testing in Abraham’s life, setting up the dramatic moment when God intervenes and provides a substitute for Isaac.

Where else these words appear

“laid” Hebrew H6186 · used in 71 verses

  • Genesis 14:8 And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela(the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;
  • 1 Samuel 17:21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.
  • Job 32:14 Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.

“Isaac” Hebrew H3327 · used in 101 verses

  • Genesis 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
  • Genesis 26:16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
  • Genesis 35:28 And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

“upon” Hebrew H4605 · used in 134 verses

  • Genesis 6:16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
  • Numbers 4:35 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:
  • 2 Chronicles 16:12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.