Genesis 22:12 - Exposition

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him. Abraham's surrender of the son of his affections having been complete, there was no need to push the trial further. The voice from heaven has been accepted as evidence of God's rejection of human sacrifices (Lange, Murphy), only that is not assigned as the reason for Isaac's deliverance. For now I knew —literally, have known ; not caused thee to know, but caused others to know (Lange); or the words are used anthropomorphically (Calvin)— that thou fearest God, — Elohim ; the Divine intention being to characterize the patriarch as a God-fearing man, and not simply as a worshipper of Jehovah— seeing —literally, and (sc. in proof thereof)— thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me . Καὶ οὐκ ἐφείσω τοῦ ὑιοῦ σοῦ ἁγαπητοῦ δε ἐμέ ( LXX .). Cf. ὅς γε τοῦ ἰδιοῦ ὑιοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο ( Romans 8:32 ), as applied to the sacrifice of Christ. In this verse the angel of Jehovah identifies himself with Elohim.