Genesis 22:11 kjv
And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Genesis 22:11 nkjv
But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."
Genesis 22:11 niv
But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.
Genesis 22:11 esv
But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
Genesis 22:11 nlt
At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!"
Genesis 22 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 16:7-13 | The angel of the LORD found Hagar... And she called the name of the LORD... "You are a God of seeing." | Angel of LORD's activity; speaking as God. |
| Gen 18:1-2 | The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre... he saw three men standing. | Divine manifestation (Theophany/Angel of LORD). |
| Gen 22:13-14 | Abraham lifted up his eyes... there was a ram... So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD Will Provide." | God's provision and the naming of "Yahweh Yireh." |
| Exod 3:2-4 | The angel of the LORD appeared... "Moses, Moses!" He said, "Here I am." | Angel of LORD as God; double naming for urgency. |
| Judg 2:1-4 | The angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim... and said... "I brought you out of Egypt." | Angel of LORD identifying as YHWH Himself. |
| Josh 5:13-15 | Joshua looked, and behold, a man was standing... "Are you for us...?" He said, "No; but I am the Commander of the army of the LORD." | Divine presence and authority (pre-incarnate Christ). |
| Zech 3:1-2 | Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD... and the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you." | Angel of LORD operating alongside and interchangeably with YHWH. |
| Mal 3:1 | "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple..." | Reference to a divine messenger who is also the Lord. |
| Gen 46:2 | God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob!" And he said, "Here I am." | Double naming to get attention before a significant divine word. |
| 1 Sam 3:10 | The LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant hears." | Double naming indicating a vital call from God. |
| Acts 7:30-35 | An angel appeared to him in the wilderness... in the flame of fire in a bush... "Moses, Moses!" | Stephen's sermon referring to the Angel of the Lord as God. |
| Acts 9:4 | He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" | Double naming signifying a powerful, arresting call from Jesus. |
| Heb 11:17-19 | By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac... He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead. | Abraham's faith in God's power over life and death. |
| Jas 2:21-23 | Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac...? Faith was perfected by his works. | Abraham's faith demonstrated by his obedience. |
| Rom 8:32 | He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? | God's ultimate sacrifice, prefigured by the Akedah. |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. | God's willingness to give His Son, unlike Abraham's command. |
| Ps 34:7 | The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. | Angel of the LORD's role in delivering the faithful. |
| Prov 3:5-6 | Trust in the LORD with all your heart... In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. | Abraham's radical trust is an example of this principle. |
| Phil 4:19 | And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. | God's divine provision in contrast to Abraham's act. |
| Gen 12:1-3 | The LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country... and I will make of you a great nation..." | Foundation of the Abrahamic Covenant tested and confirmed here. |
| Gen 22:15-18 | And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven... "By myself I have sworn..." | The renewed and amplified covenant blessing post-Akedah. |
| Deut 8:2-3 | And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you... to test you. | The purpose of God's tests to prove faith and reliance on Him. |
Genesis 22 verses
Genesis 22 11 Meaning
Genesis 22:11 marks the crucial moment of divine intervention during Abraham's ultimate test of faith on Mount Moriah. It describes the precise instant when the "angel of the LORD" called out from heaven, emphatically halting Abraham's act of sacrificing Isaac. This verse signals God's immediate and merciful provision, showcasing His attentiveness to Abraham's obedience and establishing His opposition to human sacrifice, contrasting with the practices of surrounding nations.
Genesis 22 11 Context
Genesis chapter 22 recounts the dramatic and pivotal event known as the Akedah, or the binding of Isaac. It begins with God's astonishing command to Abraham to offer his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. Isaac, through whom God's covenant promises of innumerable descendants were to be fulfilled, represented everything Abraham had waited for. Abraham's unquestioning obedience to this profoundly challenging command is the core focus of the narrative leading up to verse 11. He rose early, prepared, journeyed for three days, and built an altar, all while Isaac was present. The tension escalates dramatically in verses 9-10 as Abraham binds Isaac and raises the knife.
This profound narrative served several crucial purposes for the original audience: it was a definitive rejection of human child sacrifice, a horrific practice common among surrounding Canaanite cultures dedicated to gods like Molech (cf. Lev 18:21; Deut 12:31). By providing a ram instead, YHWH solidified His ethical distinctiveness. It also demonstrated God's nature as one who tests faith, not to destroy, but to reveal and strengthen devotion, ultimately leading to divine provision. The narrative also deeply cemented Abraham's status as the quintessential man of faith, serving as a foundational example of absolute trust in God's promises and sovereignty, even when His commands seem inexplicable.
Genesis 22 11 Word analysis
But (וַ - wa): This Hebrew conjunction introduces a dramatic shift. It functions as a "but now" or "and behold," signalling an immediate change of direction and the onset of a climactic event that reverses the dire trajectory. It powerfully marks the turning point from profound tension to divine intervention.
the angel of the LORD (מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה - malak YHWH): This is a crucial theological title in the Old Testament, representing a divine manifestation or "theophany." "Malak" means "messenger" or "envoy." While literally "messenger of YHWH," this figure frequently speaks and acts with the authority and identity of God Himself (e.g., Gen 16:10; Exod 3:2-6; Judg 6:11-12, 16). Many scholars view the "Angel of the LORD" as a pre-incarnate appearance of the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. Its appearance signifies direct, personal, and authoritative divine involvement, not just the action of a created angelic being. Here, it is God Himself intervening.
called (קָרָא - qara): This verb signifies a powerful, audible, and authoritative cry or proclamation. It implies an urgent summons intended to capture immediate attention and prompt action. The sound cut through Abraham's concentration and the silence of the act.
to him (אֵלָיו - elav): Explicitly refers to Abraham. The divine communication is directly aimed at Abraham, underscoring the intensely personal and urgent nature of the intervention. It is a direct address to the one whose hand holds the knife.
from heaven (מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם - min hashshamayim): This phrase highlights the divine and transcendent origin of the command. The voice is not earthly but comes from above, emphasizing its ultimate authority and conveying that this is an act of sovereign divine oversight. It signals that God, from His elevated dwelling, is actively observing and intervening in human affairs.
and said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer): A standard Hebrew narrative transition to direct speech. It sets the stage for the life-altering words that follow, emphasizing the divine verbal communication.
Abraham, Abraham! (אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם - Avraham, Avraham): The repetition of the name is a significant Hebrew rhetorical device. It indicates profound emphasis, urgency, deep personal address, and a powerful demand for immediate, undivided attention. It serves to break Abraham's focus and command his presence fully. In Scripture, such a double naming often precedes a crucial revelation, a life-altering instruction, or a moment of intense divine-human encounter (cf. Gen 46:2, Exod 3:4, 1 Sam 3:10, Acts 9:4). Here, it conveys both urgency and the depth of God's personal concern for Abraham.
Genesis 22 11 Bonus section
- The location, Mount Moriah, later associated with Jerusalem (2 Chron 3:1), prophetically links Abraham's offering to the site of Christ's ultimate sacrifice, making the Akedah a powerful typological foreshadowing of the gospel.
- The dramatic pause between Abraham raising the knife and the divine call intensifies the emotional impact and highlights God's perfect timing in intervening at the last possible moment, solidifying Abraham's demonstration of unreserved obedience.
- The scene fundamentally redefines sacrifice within the Israelite faith; true devotion is seen not in the immolation of human life, but in obedience and surrender, allowing God to provide the true offering.
Genesis 22 11 Commentary
Genesis 22:11 marks the pivotal climax of Abraham's monumental test, halting a sacrificial act that would have shattered the divine covenant. The phrase "the angel of the LORD" signals God's direct, personal, and timely intervention, often understood as a manifestation of YHWH Himself in a pre-incarnate form. His voice from "heaven" underscores the transcendence and supreme authority of this command, demonstrating that God is ever watchful and involved in the faithful lives of His people. The repeated call, "Abraham, Abraham!", is a dramatic and intimate rhetorical device, communicating intense urgency and drawing Abraham's full attention back from the brink. This verse is rich with theological significance: it powerfully asserts God's ultimate provision ("Yahweh Yireh"), His merciful character that values human life over ritualistic human sacrifice (distinguishing Him from pagan deities), and the nature of His testing – not for destruction, but to prove and strengthen faith, confirm commitment, and deepen intimacy. This moment confirms Abraham's obedience, securing his legacy as a man of extraordinary faith, and foreshadows God's own ultimate sacrifice in providing His Son, Jesus Christ, as the true and final substitute.