Matthew Henry Commentary Genesis 22:1-2

"And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah. And offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." — Genesis 22:1-2 (ASV)

We are never secure from trials. In Hebrew, to tempt, to try, or to prove, are expressed by the same word.

Every trial is indeed a temptation and tends to show the dispositions of the heart, whether holy or unholy. But God proved Abraham, not to draw him to sin, as Satan tempts.

Strong faith is often exercised with strong trials and made to undergo hard services. The command to offer up his son is given in such language as makes the trial more grievous; every word here is a sword. Observe:

1. The person to be offered: Take thy son; not your bullocks and your lambs. How willingly Abraham would have parted with them all to redeem Isaac! Thy son; not your servant. Thine only son; your only son by Sarah. Take Isaac, that son whom thou lovest.
2. The place: three days' journey off, so that Abraham might have time to consider and might deliberately obey.
3. The manner: Offer him for a burnt-offering; not only kill his son, his Isaac, but kill him as a sacrifice; kill him with all that solemn pomp and ceremony with which he used to offer his burnt-offerings.