Gen 22:3-6 | Clarke | STEP | Verse 3 Two of his young men - Eliezer and Ishmael, according to the Targum. Clave the wood - Small wood, fig and palm, proper for a burnt-offering

Genesis 22:3-6

Verse 3

Two of his young men - Eliezer and Ishmael, according to the Targum.

Clave the wood - Small wood, fig and palm, proper for a burnt-offering - Targum. Verse 4

The third day - "As the number Seven," says Mr. Ainsworth, "is of especial use in Scripture because of the Sabbath day, Gen 2:2, so Three is a mystical number because of Christ's rising from the dead the third day, Mat 17:23; 1Cor 15:4; as he was crucified the third hour after noon, Mar 15:25 : and Isaac, as he was a figure of Christ, in being the only son of his father, and not spared but offered for a sacrifice, Rom 8:32, so in sundry particulars he resembled our Lord: the third day Isaac was to be offered up, so it was the third day in which Christ also was to be perfected, Luk 13:32; Isaac carried the wood for the burnt-offering, Gen 22:6, so Christ carried the tree whereon he died, Joh 19:17; the binding of Isaac, Gen 21:9, was also typical, so Christ was bound, Mat 27:2. "In the following remarkable cases this number also occurs. Moses desired to go three days' journey in the wilderness to sacrifice, Exo 5:3; and they traveled three days in it before they found water, Exo 15:22; and three days' journey the ark of the covenant went before them, to search out a resting place, Num 10:33; by the third day the people were to be ready to receive God's law, Exo 19:11; and after three days to pass over Jordan into Canaan, Jos 1:14; the third day Esther put on the apparel of the kingdom, Est 5:1; on the third day Hezekiah, being recovered from his illness, went up to the house of the Lord, 2Kgs 20:5; on the third day, the prophet said, God will raise us up and we shall live before him, Hos 6:2; and on the third day, as well as on the seventh, the unclean person was to purify himself, Num 19:12 : with many other memorable things which the Scripture speaks concerning the third day, and not without mystery. See Gen 40:12, Gen 40:13; Gen 42:17, Gen 42:18; Jon 1:17; Jos 2:16; unto which we may add a Jew's testimony in Bereshith Rabba, in a comment on this place: There are many Three Days mentioned in the Holy Scripture, of which one is the resurrection of the Messiah." - Ainsworth.

Saw the place afar off - He knew the place by seeing the cloud of glory smoking on the top of the mountain - Targum. Verse 5

I and the lad will go and come again - How could Abraham consistently with truth say this, when he knew he was going to make his son a burnt-offering? The apostle answers for him: By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac - accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure, Heb 11:17, Heb 11:19. He knew that previously to the birth of Isaac both he and his wife were dead to all the purposes of procreation; that his birth was a kind of life from the dead; that the promise of God was most positive, In Isaac shall thy seed be called, Gen 21:12; that this promise could not fail; that it was his duty to obey the command of his Maker; and that it was as easy for God to restore him to life after he had been a burnt-offering, as it was for him to give him life in the beginning. Therefore he went fully purposed to offer his son, and yet confidently expecting to have him restored to life again. We will go yonder and worship - perform a solemn act of devotion which God requires, and come again to you. Verse 6

Took the wood - and laid it upon Isaac - Probably the mountain-top to which they were going was too difficult to be ascended by the ass; therefore either the father or the son must carry the wood, and it was most becoming in the latter.