And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

Wesley's Notes

22:1 Here is the trial of Abraham's faith, whether it continued so strong, so vigorous, so victorious, after a long settlement in communion with God, as it was at first, when by it he left his country: then it appeared that he loved God better than his father; now, that he loved him better than his son. After these things - After all the other exercises he had had, all the difficulties he had gone through: now perhaps he was beginning to think the storms were blown over but after all, this encounter comes, which is stranger than any yet. God did tempt Abraham - Not to draw him to sin, so Satan tempts; but to discover his graces, how strong they were, that they might be found to praise and honour and glory. The trial itself: God appeared to him as he had formerly done, called him by name Abraham, that name which had been given him in ratification of the promise: Abraham, like a good servant, readily answered, Here am I; what saith my Lord unto his servant? Probably he expected some renewed promise, like those, Ge 15:1 17:1, but to his great amazement that which God hath to say to him is in short, Abraham, go kill thy son: and this command is given him in such aggravating language as makes the temptation abundantly more grievous. When God speaks, Abraham, no doubt, takes notice of every word, and listens attentively to it: and every word here is a sword in his bones; the trial is steel'd with trying phrases. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that he should afflict? No, it is not; yet when Abraham's faith is to be tried, God seems to take pleasure in the aggravation of the trial.

King James Translators' Notes

Behold...: Heb. Behold me

Scofield Reference Notes

[2] And it came to pass

The spiritual experience of Abraham was marked by four great crises, each of which involved a surrender of something naturally most dear. These were:

(1) Country and kindred Gen 12:1 Mt 10:34-39 2Cor 6:14-18

(2) His nephew, Lot; especially dear to Abraham by nature, as a possible heir and as a fellow believer 2Pet 2:7,8 Gen 13:1-18. The completeness of Abraham's separation from one who, though a believer, was a "vessel unto dishonour," is shown by Gen 15:1-3 2Tim 2:20,21 Acts 15:36-40.

(3) His own plan about Ishmael Gen 17:17,18 1Chr 13:1-14 15:1,2.

(4) Isaac, "thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest" Gen 22:1-19 Heb 11:17,18.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 22

Ge 22:1-19. Offering Isaac.

1. God did tempt Abraham-not incite to sin (Jas 1:13), but try, prove-give occasion for the development of his faith (1Pe 1:7).

and he said, . Here I am-ready at a moment's warning for God's service.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

22:1,2 We never are secure from trials In Hebrew, to tempt, and to try, or to prove, are expressed by the same word. Every trial is indeed a temptation, and tends to show the dispositions of the heart, whether holy or unholy. But God proved Abraham, not to draw him to sin, as Satan tempts. Strong faith is often exercised with strong trials, and put upon hard services. The command to offer up his son, is given in such language as makes the trial more grievous; every word here is a sword. Observe, 1. The person to be offered: Take thy son; not thy bullocks and thy lambs. How willingly would Abraham have parted with them all to redeem Isaac! Thy son; not thy servant. Thine only son; thine only son by Sarah. Take Isaac, that son whom thou lovest. 2. The place: three days' journey off; so that Abraham might have time to consider, and might deliberately obey. 3. The manner: Offer him fro a burnt-offering; not only kill his son, his Isaac, but kill him as a sacrifice; kill him with all that solemn pomp and ceremony, with which he used to offer his burnt-offerings.