John Calvin Commentary Hebrews 11:17

"By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten [son];" — Hebrews 11:17 (ASV)

By faith Abraham, etc. He proceeds with the history of Abraham and relates the offering up of his son. It was a singular instance of firmness, so that there is hardly another like it to be found. Hence, to enhance it, he adds, when he was tempted, or tried. Abraham had indeed already proved what he was by many trials. Yet, as this trial surpassed every other, the Apostle would have it regarded above all his trials. It is then as though he had said, “The highest excellence of Abraham was the sacrificing of his son,” for God is said to have then, in a special manner, tried him. And yet this act flowed from faith; then Abraham had nothing more excellent than faith, which brought forth such extraordinary fruit.

The word, tempted or tried, means nothing other than proved. What James says—that we are not tempted by God—is to be understood differently (James 1:13). He means that God does not tempt us to do evil, for James testifies that this is really done by every man’s own lust.

At the same time, James does not say that God does not try our integrity and obedience. God does not search us in this way, as if He did not otherwise know what is hidden in our hearts. Indeed, God needs no probation to know us. But when He brings us to the light, so that by our works we may show what was previously hidden, He is said to try or prove us. Then, what is made openly manifest is said to be made known to God. This is because it is a very common and frequent way of speaking in Scripture that what is peculiar to humans is ascribed to God.

The sacrificing of Isaac is to be estimated according to the purpose of the heart, for it was not because of Abraham that he did not actually perform what he was commanded to do. His resolution to obey was therefore the same as though he had actually sacrificed his son.

And offered up his only-begotten Son, etc. By these various circumstances, the Apostle intended to show how great and severe Abraham’s trial was. There are still other things related by Moses which also highlighted this. Abraham was commanded to take his own son, his only-begotten and beloved son Isaac, to lead him to the place which was later to be shown to him, and there to sacrifice him with his own hands.

God seems to have deliberately accumulated these tender words, that He might pierce the innermost heart of the holy man as with so many wounds. Then, so that He might try him more severely, He commanded him to go a three days’ journey. How sharp, we must think, was his anguish to have continually before his eyes his own son, whom he had already resolved to put to a bloody death! As they were approaching the place, Isaac pierced his breast with a fresh wound by asking him, “Where is the victim?”

The death of a son, under any circumstances, must have been very grievous; a bloody death would have caused still greater sorrow. But when he was commanded to slay his own son—that indeed must have been too dreadful for a father’s heart to endure. He would have been overcome a thousand times, had not faith lifted his heart above the world. It is not, therefore, without reason that the Apostle records that he was then tried.

It may, however, be asked why Isaac is called the only-begotten, since Ishmael was born before him and was still living. To this the answer is that by God’s express command Ishmael was driven from the family, so that he was considered as one dead; at least, he held no place among Abraham’s children.

And he that received the promises, etc. All the things we have previously related, however deeply they must have wounded Abraham’s heart, were yet but slight wounds compared with this trial, when he was commanded, after having received the promises, to slay his son Isaac. For all the promises were founded on this declaration, “In Isaac shall thy seed be called” (Genesis 21:12); for when this foundation was taken away, no hope of blessing or of grace remained.

Here nothing earthly was the issue, but the eternal salvation of Abraham, indeed, of the whole world. Into what straits must the holy man have been brought when it came to his mind that the hope of eternal life was to be extinguished in the person of his son?

And yet by faith he rose above all these thoughts, so as to execute what he was commanded. Since it was a marvelous fortitude to struggle through so many and such great obstacles, the highest praise is justly awarded to faith, for it was by faith alone that Abraham remained invincible.

But here a significant difficulty arises: How is it that Abraham’s faith is praised when it departs from the promise? For as obedience proceeds from faith, so faith proceeds from the promise. Therefore, when Abraham was without the promise, his faith must necessarily have fallen to the ground.

The death of Isaac, as has already been said, must have been, as it were, the death of all the promises. For Isaac is not to be considered an ordinary man, but as one who had Christ included in him.

The Apostle explains this question, which would have otherwise been difficult to solve, by immediately adding that Abraham ascribed this honor to God: that He was able to raise his son again from the dead.

Therefore, Abraham did not renounce the promise given to him but extended its power and truth beyond his son’s life. He did not limit God’s power to such narrow bounds as to tie it to Isaac in death, or to extinguish it.

Thus he retained the promise, because he did not bind God’s power to Isaac’s life but felt persuaded that it would be efficacious in his ashes after death no less than in him while alive and breathing.