The story of the Binding of Isaac — sometimes called the ‘Akedah’ — is one of the most searching moments in the Bible, when God asks Abraham to give up the son he had waited a lifetime to receive.
This account is found in Genesis 22, near the end of Abraham’s long walk with God. After years of waiting for the promised child, Abraham is told to offer Isaac on a mountain in the land of Moriah — a three-day journey away — and what happens there reveals both his faith and God’s provision.
The Story of the Binding of Isaac
After many years of waiting, God had given Abraham and Sarah their promised son, Isaac. Then God tested Abraham. He called his name, and Abraham answered, ‘Here I am.’
God told Abraham to take Isaac, his only son whom he loved, and travel to the land of Moriah. There, on a mountain God would show him, Abraham was to offer Isaac as a burnt offering.
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey, split the wood for the offering, and set out with Isaac and two servants. On the third day he looked up and saw the place far off.
Abraham told the servants to wait, saying that he and the boy would go to worship and come back to them. He laid the wood on Isaac, carried the fire and the knife himself, and the two walked on together.
Isaac spoke up: ‘Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the offering?’ Abraham answered, ‘God will provide himself a lamb, my son.’ And they went on together.
At the place God had named, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood, bound Isaac, and laid him on it. As he reached out his hand with the knife, the angel of the LORD called from heaven, ‘Abraham, Abraham! Do not lay your hand on the boy. Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son.’
Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. He offered the ram in place of his son, and named the place ‘The LORD will provide.’ Then God renewed his promise to bless Abraham and to multiply his descendants, because he had obeyed.
Key Verses
“Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest … offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains” Genesis 22:2
“God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” Genesis 22:8
“For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son” Genesis 22:12
“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh … In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen” Genesis 22:14
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), a public-domain translation.
What the Story of the Binding of Isaac Teaches Us
The story is often read as a picture of faith and obedience. Abraham trusted God even when the command made no sense to him, believing that the God who had given Isaac could be trusted with Isaac’s future.
It is also a story about God’s provision. The name Abraham gave the place, ‘The LORD will provide,’ became a lasting reminder that God supplies what his people cannot. The ram caught in the thicket took Isaac’s place on the altar.
Many Christians also read the account as a foreshadowing: a father, an only and beloved son, wood carried up a hill, and a substitute provided in the son’s place. It points ahead to sacrifice and rescue at the heart of the biblical story.
Bring the stories home. Explore Bible Stick Figures coloring books and printables that pair simple art with Scripture. Visit the shop →
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in the story?
God tests Abraham by asking him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah. Abraham obeys, but as he raises the knife, the angel of the LORD stops him. Abraham then sacrifices a ram caught in a nearby thicket in Isaac’s place, and God renews his promise to bless Abraham.
Where is this in the Bible?
The account is found in Genesis 22:1-19, in the Old Testament. It comes after the birth of Isaac and near the end of Abraham’s story.
Did Abraham actually harm Isaac?
No. Abraham bound Isaac and laid him on the altar, but the angel of the LORD called out and stopped him before any harm was done. God provided a ram to offer instead.
What does ‘Jehovah-jireh’ mean?
Abraham named the place Jehovah-jireh, which means ‘The LORD will provide’ or ‘the LORD will see to it.’ It marked the spot where God supplied the ram in place of Isaac.
Why did God test Abraham?
The text says God tested Abraham to see whether he truly feared and trusted him. Abraham’s willingness to obey showed his faith, and God stopped him from harming Isaac and provided a substitute.