Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
Parallel translations
- WEB On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off.
- BSB On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
- NKJV Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
- NASB On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance.
- NLT On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
On the third day Abraham sees the place of sacrifice in the distance. The three-day journey underscores his deliberate, sustained obedience.
Overview
The three days of travel show that Abraham's obedience was no momentary impulse but a settled resolve sustained over time. The 'third day' detail has been seen by many as anticipating the resurrection, since Abraham received Isaac back as if from the dead. The lengthy approach magnifies the weight of the test and the steadiness of Abraham's trust in God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- 1 Cor 15:4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
- Luke 13:32And 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.
- Hos 6:2After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
- Matt 17:23And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
- Esth 5:1Now 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.
- 2 Kgs 20:5Turn 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.
- 1 Sam 26:13Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them:
- Lev 7:17But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.
- Num 19:19And 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.
- Num 31:19And 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.
- Num 19:12He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
- Josh 1:11Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.
- Exod 5:3And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
- Exod 19:15And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
- Num 10:33And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.
- Exod 19:11And 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.
- Exod 15:22So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 22:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.