22:9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there 1 and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up 2 his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.
1 sn Abraham built an altar there. The theme of Abraham’s altar building culminates here. He has been a faithful worshiper. Will he continue to worship when called upon to make such a radical sacrifice?
2 sn Then he tied up. This text has given rise to an important theme in Judaism known as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew word for “binding.” When sacrifices were made in the sanctuary, God remembered the binding of Isaac, for which a substitute was offered. See D. Polish, “The Binding of Isaac,” Jud 6 (1957): 17-21.
3 tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.