Discovery BoxHebrews 11:17-19 
Context11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, 1 yet he was ready to offer up 2 his only son. 11:18 God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,” 3 11:19 and he reasoned 4 that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense 5 he received him back from there.
1 tn Here “received the promises” refers to the pledges themselves, not to the things God promised.
2 tn Grk “he was offering up.” The tense of this verb indicates the attempt or readiness to sacrifice Isaac without the actual completion of the deed.
3 tn Grk “in Isaac seed will be named for you.”
sn A quotation from Gen 21:12.
4 tn Grk “having reasoned,” continuing the ideas of v. 17.
5 tn Grk “in/by a symbol.”
