Bible Strands
Hebrews 11:18
even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes Abraham’s internal conflict at the precise moment he is commanded to sacrifice Isaac. God had previously spoken directly to Abraham, designating Isaac as the heir through whom the lineage would continue.
The words — The Greek verb ἐλαλήθη (elalēthē) means "it was said," and κληθήσεται (klēthēsetai) translates literally to "will be reckoned." These terms mark the divine utterance as an established decree rather than a conditional proposal.
The thread — This declaration reappears in Genesis 21:12, where God confirms Isaac as the covenant line, and in Romans 9:7, which uses the same phrase to distinguish biological descent from promised offspring.
Why it lands — The text presents a direct contradiction between a current command and a prior promise. It requires a reader to suspend immediate resolution and act on the prior declaration despite present evidence.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Cross-references
- Genesis 21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.
- Romans 9:7 Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
- Genesis 17:19 But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.