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prosenhvnocen and prosevferen which follows (Vulg. obtulit, offerebat , Syr. vg. offered, lifted on the altar ) is easily felt, but it is difficult to represent it in translation. The first verb expresses the permanent result of the offering completed by Abraham in will: the second his actual readiness in preparing the sacrifice which was not literally carried into effect. As far as the trial went ( peirazovmeno" ) the work was at once completed. Comp. James 2:21 ejdikaiwvqh ajnenevgka" .

For the perfect prosenhvnocen compare Heb. 11:28 pepoivhken , and Heb. 7:6 note.

The use of the word peirazovmeno" (Gen. 22:1 ff.) marks the decisive severity of the trial. The tense (as distinguished from peirasqeiv" (comp. Heb. 2:18) marks the immediate coincidence of the act of obedience with the call for it. Comp. 5:8 kalouvmeno" .

On the trial Theophylact observes [ oJ qeo;" ] aujto;" peiravzei i{na dokimwtevrou" deivxh/ . Comp. James 1:12.
kai; to;n monog. ... ajnadexavmeno" ] yea, he that had gladly received the
promises prepared to offer up his only son.
Vulg. et unigenitum offerebat qui susceperat repromissiones. The ‘only son’ is placed in significant parallelism with the ‘promise.’ In regard to the promise Isaac was ‘the only son’ of Abraham (Gen. 17:19). So Theophylact (and others): pw'" de; monogenh;" h\n jIsaa;k o{pouge kai; to;n jIsmah;l ei\ce ; ajllj o{son kata; to;n ejpaggeliva" lovgon monogenhv" . Comp. Gen. 15:2 f.; 16:15; 17:16 ff. The LXX. in Gen. 22:2 gives to;n uiJovn sou to;n ajgaphto;n o}n hjgavphsa" , but Aquila has to;n monogenh' (or monacovn ) and Symmachus to;n movnon sou .

Monogenhv" occurs in St Luke 7:12; 8:42; 9:38. Compare John 1:14, 18, and oJ uiJo;" oJ monogenhv" of Christ in John 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9.

The word ajnadevcesqai is unusual. It occurs again in N. T. only in Acts 28:7. The idea which it suggests here seems to be that of welcoming and cherishing a divine charge which involved a noble responsibility. The word is used frequently of undertaking that which calls out effort and endurance
(e.g.,
povlemon, poliorkivan Polyb., Plut. Indd. ). Clement says of Adam tevleio" kata; th;n kataskeuh;n oujk ejgevneto pro;" de; to; ajnadevxasqai th;n ajreth;n ejpithvdeio" ( Strom. 6.12).

Heb. 11:18. pro;" o}n ejlal. ] he to whom it was said ( i.e. Abraham). Vulg. ad quem dictum est ,...not ‘ him in reference to whom ’ (Isaac)...; Luke 2:18, 20. The latter rendering is against the structure of the sentence; though it is in itself possible: comp. Heb. 1:7, 8.
ejn jIsaavk ...] Gen. 21:12. The words ejn jIsaavk, stand emphatically first: In Isaac , and in no other, a seed shall bear thy name , shall be called thine. Comp. Rom. 9:7.

Sedulius sums up well the elements in Abraham's act of faith: Triplex bonum fecit, quod filium, et quod unigenitum, et repromissionem in quo accepit, offerebat.

Heb. 11:19. The obedience of Abraham rested on his faith in the creative power of God. His conclusion was made at once and finally
(
logisavmeno" not logizovmeno" ) that God could raise from the dead. That this was his judgment follows of necessity from the fact that he was ready to surrender Isaac without giving up his faith in the fulfilment of the divine promise.


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