Isaac
The Son of the Promise
Also known as: Yitzhak
Isaac was the son of the promise, born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. He was a picture of Christ when he willingly allowed himself to be bound on the altar. He continued Abraham's blessing and became the father of Jacob and Esau.
Family
Key events
The Promise of Birth
God promised that Sarah would bear a son despite her old age.
10Then he said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, behind him.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וֹב אָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְשָׂרָ֥ה שֹׁמַ֛עַת פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל וְה֥וּא אַחֲרָֽיו׃
11Abraham and Sarah were old, well along in years, and Sarah was long past childbearing.
וְאַבְרָהָ֤ם וְשָׂרָה֙ זְקֵנִ֔ים בָּאִ֖ים בַּיָּמִ֑ים חָדַל֙ לִהְי֣וֹת לְשָׂרָ֔ה אֹ֖רַח כַּנָּשִֽׁים׃
12So Sarah laughed to herself and thought, "Now that I am worn out, am I to have pleasure? And my husband is old."
וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ הֽ͏ָיְתָה־לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה וֽ͏ַאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן׃
13But the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Can I really bear a child, now that I am old?'
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם לָ֣מָּה זֶּה֩ צָחֲקָ֨ה שָׂרָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר הַאַ֥ף אֻמְנָ֛ם אֵלֵ֖ד וַאֲנִ֥י זָקַֽנְתִּי׃
14Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."
הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א מֵיְהוָ֖ה דָּבָ֑ר לַמּוֹעֵ֞ד אָשׁ֥וּב אֵלֶ֛יךָ כָּעֵ֥ת חַיָּ֖ה וּלְשָׂרָ֥ה בֵֽן׃
Born to Abraham and Sarah
Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90.
1The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.
וֽ͏ַיהוָ֛ה פָּקַ֥ד אֶת־שָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמָ֑ר וַיַּ֧עַשׂ יְהוָ֛ה לְשָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר׃
2Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the very time God had spoken of.
וַתַּהַר֩ וַתֵּ֨לֶד שָׂרָ֧ה לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם בֵּ֖ן לִזְקֻנָ֑יו לַמּוֹעֵ֕ד אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים׃
3Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son born to him, the son Sarah bore him.
וַיִּקְרָ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶֽת־שֶׁם־בְּנ֧וֹ הַנּֽוֹלַד־ל֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָה־לּ֥וֹ שָׂרָ֖ה יִצְחָֽק׃
5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
וְאַבְרָהָ֖ם בֶּן־מְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה בְּהִוָּ֣לֶד ל֔וֹ אֵ֖ת יִצְחָ֥ק בְּנֽוֹ׃
Bound on the Altar
Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, but God stopped him.
9When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ אֶֽל־הַמָּקוֹם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־ל֣וֹ הָאֱלֹהִים֒ וַיִּ֨בֶן שָׁ֤ם אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֶת־הָעֵצִ֑ים וַֽיַּעֲקֹד֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֹתוֹ֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ מִמַּ֖עַל לָעֵצִֽים׃
10Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־הַֽמַּאֲכֶ֑לֶת לִשְׁחֹ֖ט אֶת־בְּנֽוֹ׃
11But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he answered.
וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֜יו מַלְאַ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֣ם ׀ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃
12"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אַל־תִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָֽדְךָ֙ אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וְאַל־תַּ֥עַשׂ ל֖וֹ מְא֑וּמָּה כִּ֣י ׀ עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־יְרֵ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אַ֔תָּה וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֛כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִידְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
13Abraham looked up, and there behind him was a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. He went over, took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר נֶאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל וַיַּעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת בְּנֽוֹ׃
Married Rebekah
Abraham's servant found Rebekah as a wife for Isaac.
63One evening he went out to the field to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.
וַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה גְמַלִּ֖ים בָּאִֽים׃
64Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac, and she got down from her camel.
וַתִּשָּׂ֤א רִבְקָה֙ אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֖רֶא אֶת־יִצְחָ֑ק וַתִּפֹּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל הַגָּמָֽל׃
65She asked the servant, "Who is that man coming through the field to meet us?" "He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־הָעֶ֗בֶד מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַלָּזֶה֙ הַהֹלֵ֤ךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה֙ לִקְרָאתֵ֔נוּ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הָעֶ֖בֶד ה֣וּא אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתִּקַּ֥ח הַצָּעִ֖יף וַתִּתְכָּֽס׃
67Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he took Rebekah as his wife. He loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
וַיְבִאֶ֣הָ יִצְחָ֗ק הָאֹ֙הֱלָה֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־רִבְקָ֛ה וַתְּהִי־ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶ֑הָ וַיִּנָּחֵ֥ם יִצְחָ֖ק אַחֲרֵ֥י אִמּֽוֹ׃ פ
Blessed Jacob
Isaac blessed Jacob instead of Esau after Rebekah's trickery.
26Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come here and kiss me, my son."
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו יִצְחָ֣ק אָבִ֑יו גְּשָׁה־נָּ֥א וּשְׁקָה־לִּ֖י בְּנִֽי׃
27So he came near and kissed him. And when Isaac smelled the scent of his clothes, he blessed him and said: "Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field the LORD has blessed.
וַיִּגַּשׁ֙ וַיִּשַּׁק־ל֔וֹ וַיָּ֛רַח אֶת־רֵ֥יחַ בְּגָדָ֖יו וֽ͏ַיְבָרֲכֵ֑הוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר רְאֵה֙ רֵ֣יחַ בְּנִ֔י כְּרֵ֣יחַ שָׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּרֲכ֖וֹ יְהוָֽה׃
28May God give you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, an abundance of grain and new wine.
וְיִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים מִטַּל֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְרֹ֥ב דָּגָ֖ן וְתִירֹֽשׁ׃
29May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you."
יֽ͏ַעַבְד֣וּךָ עַמִּ֗ים *וישתחו **וְיִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֤וּ לְךָ֙ לְאֻמִּ֔ים הֱוֵ֤ה גְבִיר֙ לְאַחֶ֔יךָ וְיִשְׁתַּחֲוּ֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּנֵ֣י אִמֶּ֑ךָ אֹרְרֶ֣יךָ אָר֔וּר וּֽמְבָרֲכֶ֖יךָ בָּרֽוּךְ׃
Mentioned in the Bible (115)
Genesis 17:19Genesis 17:21Genesis 21:3Genesis 21:4Genesis 21:5Genesis 21:8Genesis 21:10Genesis 21:12Genesis 22:2Genesis 22:3Genesis 22:6Genesis 22:7Genesis 22:9Genesis 24:4Genesis 24:14Genesis 24:62Genesis 24:64Genesis 24:66Genesis 24:67Genesis 25:5Genesis 25:6Genesis 25:9Genesis 25:11Genesis 25:19Genesis 25:20Genesis 25:21Genesis 25:26Genesis 25:28Genesis 26:1Genesis 26:6Genesis 26:8Genesis 26:9Genesis 26:12Genesis 26:16Genesis 26:17Genesis 26:18Genesis 26:27Genesis 26:31Genesis 26:32Genesis 26:35Genesis 27:1Genesis 27:5Genesis 27:20Genesis 27:21Genesis 27:22Genesis 27:26Genesis 27:27Genesis 27:30Genesis 27:32Genesis 27:37Genesis 27:39Genesis 27:46Genesis 28:1Genesis 28:5Genesis 28:6Genesis 28:8Genesis 28:13Genesis 31:18Genesis 31:42Genesis 31:53Genesis 32:10Genesis 35:12Genesis 35:27Genesis 35:28Genesis 35:29Genesis 46:1Genesis 48:15Genesis 49:31Genesis 50:24Exodus 2:24Exodus 3:6Exodus 3:15Exodus 3:16Exodus 6:3Exodus 6:8Exodus 32:13Exodus 33:1Leviticus 26:42Numbers 32:11Deuteronomy 1:8Deuteronomy 6:10Deuteronomy 9:5Deuteronomy 9:27Deuteronomy 29:12Deuteronomy 30:20Deuteronomy 34:4Joshua 24:3Joshua 24:41 Kings 18:362 Kings 13:231 Chronicles 1:281 Chronicles 1:341 Chronicles 16:161 Chronicles 29:18Psalms 105:9Jeremiah 33:26Amos 7:9Matthew 1:2Matthew 8:11Matthew 22:32Mark 12:26Luke 3:34Luke 13:28Luke 20:37Acts 3:13Acts 7:8Acts 7:32Romans 9:7Romans 9:10Galatians 4:28Hebrews 11:9Hebrews 11:17Hebrews 11:18Hebrews 11:20James 2:21