Genesis 22 · Verse 4

Genesis 22:4

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
Genesis 22:4, King James Version

Genesis 22:4 in other translations

BSBOn the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
WEBOn the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off.
ASVOn the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
YLTOn the third day--Abraham lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the place from afar;
DARBYOn the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
BBEAnd on the third day, Abraham, lifting up his eyes, saw the place a long way off.
WebsterThen on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

What does Genesis 22:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, &c.--Leaving the servants at the foot [Ge 22:5], the father and son ascended the hill, the one bearing the knife, and the other the wood for consuming the sacrifice [Ge 22:6]. But there was no victim; and to the question so naturally put by Isaac [Ge 22:7], Abraham contented himself by replying, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering." It has been supposed that the design of this extraordinary transaction was to show him, by action instead of words, the way in which all the families of the earth should be blessed; and that in his answer to Isaac, he anticipated some substitution. It is more likely that his words were spoken evasively to his son in ignorance of the issue, yet in unbounded confidence that that son, though sacrificed, would, in some miraculous way, be restored (He 11:19).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 22:3-10

Never was any gold tried in so hot a fire. Who but Abraham would not have argued with God? Such would have been the thought of a weak heart; but Abraham knew that he had to do with a God, even Jehovah. Faith had taught him not to argue, but to obey. He is sure that what God commands is good; that what he promises cannot be broken. In matters of God, whoever consults with flesh and blood, will never offer up his…

Read the full comment on Genesis 22:3-10 →

Genesis 22:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בַּיּ֣וֹםbai.Yomon the dayH3117
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗יha.she.li.Shi<the> thirdH7992
וַיִּשָּׂ֨אvai.yi.Sa'and he lifted upH5375
אַבְרָהָ֧ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עֵינָ֛יו'ei.Naveyes hisH5869
וַיַּ֥רְאvai.Yar'and he sawH7200
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַמָּק֖וֹםha.ma.Komthe placeH4725
מֵרָחֹֽק\׃me.ra.Chokfrom a distanceH7350

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 22:4

  • Luke 13:32

    And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

  • Matthew 17:23

    And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:4

    And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

  • Hosea 6:2

    After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

  • 2 Kings 20:5

    Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.

  • Esther 5:1

    Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

  • 1 Samuel 26:13

    Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:

  • Exodus 19:15

    And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

  • Exodus 19:11

    And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

  • Numbers 31:19

    And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

  • Numbers 19:19

    And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.

  • Leviticus 7:17

    But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
third.
Ex 5:3; 15:22; 19:11,15; Le 7:17; Nu 10:33; 19:12,19; 31:19; Jos 1:11
2Ki 20:5; Es 5:1; Ho 6:2; Mt 17:23; Lu 13:32; 1Co 15:4
saw.
1Sa 26:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 22:3

    And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

  • Genesis 22:4

    Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

  • Genesis 22:5

    And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

Read all of Genesis 22

Genesis 22:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Al tercer día alzó Abraham sus ojos, y vió el lugar de lejos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Le troisième jour, Abraham leva ses yeux, et vit le lieu de loin.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Am dritten Tage, da erhob Abraham seine Augen und sah den Ort von ferne.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Die autem tertio, elevatis oculis, vidit locum procul: